ROCKY MOUNTAN HIGH REDUX – MEET “BREAKFAST AND A SHOW” REDUX
The day started with the complimentary breakfast at the Denver Downtown Holiday Inn Express. And, as Yogi Berra said, “It was deja vu all over again.” First, the breakfast was solid. All the usuals: omelets, biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage, fruit – you get the idea. There was also the pancake machine, which spit out pancakes, like a copy machine, at the press of the button. BBRT first wrote about the pancake machine while on a June 2012 Ballpark Tours trip (click here for that post); lauding the joy of starting the day with “breakfast and a show.” Now, it’s even better. They’ve added a window on the side, so you can watch as your (pancake) batter prepares to come to the plate.
LUNCH – GOING YARD BEFORE THE GAME
Dozens of taps keep the beer flowing at The Yard House.
There are about 400 bars and restuarants within walking distance (depending on your stamina and stride length) from out hotel, so various BPT groups planned lunch (it was a night game) at varying distances. Our small contingent made it just over a block to The Yard House – which boasts an interesting menu and 137 beer choices. (Note: It turned out to be 136; my first choice – Boulder Hazed and Infused – was unavailable. I settled for Colorado Native Lager.)
Yard House has great atmosphere and outdoor seating for even better people watching. You can buy your brew by the glass, goblet or half-yard.
Shitake and Garlic Noodles with a Clam Chowder side – delicious and just $9.95.
Guess what I went for? Well, aren’t volume purchases the most economic? Again, I had the Colorado Native Lager – nice and hoppy, with a crisp, fresh taste. ($14.00 a half-yard.) Another of our group had the House Honey Blonde goblet and gave it postivie reviews ($6.50). The lunch menu was both extenive and interesting. I went with a house lunch special (Shitake Mushrooms over Garlic Noodles, with clam chowder as my selected side). Out table also had a Philly Steak sanwich with a salad side – both of these lunches were $9.95; while the final member of our group had the Blackened Chicken Torta ($12.45). We were all impressed.
A ROCKY MOUNTAIN BLOODY
At Denver’s Yard House, my roomate started lunch with a Bacon and Egg (Bloody) Mary (sounds like breakfast to me): Tito’s handmade vodka, filthy Bloody Mary Mix, spiced and candied bacon, seasoned boiled eggs, olive, lime and a five-ounce Honey Blonde chaser. Just $11.50 and rated as worth every penny. It was given an 8.5 on a ten-point scale. Kudos, Yard House.
We headed out for the ballpark at about 5:00 p.m. for a 6:40 game – many of riding the free Mall Shuttle which takes you down 16th Street through the hopping LoDo (lower downtown) shopping and entertainment area to within about four blocks of Coors Field. Who says theres no such thing as a free ride.
Denver has come up with a new solution for public restrooms downtown. Movable “facilities” built into what appears to have been horse trailers. At times, there were lines. Emptied daily (I hope.)
THE GAME – WELL PLAYED … EVEN IF THERE WAS ONLY ONE DOUBLE PLAY
We got to Coors Field at about 5:30 p.m. for a 6:40 game, plenty of time to cruise the concourse, pickup (and fill in) a scorecard and soak up some atmosphere. It was Dollar-A-Dog Night and I had enjoyed a rather large beverage at lunch, so I won’t get into concessions in this post. (However, I will note that the Dollar-A-Dog promo was sponsored by Nathan’s, so that bargain-priced wiener was pretty good quality – especially after adding raw onions and ketechup.)
The brick façade of the ballpark is impressive as you approach – and entry lines move quickly. Once inside, you see there are plenty of concession stands, but they are set a bit deep in the enclosed (a bit dark) concourse. Game watching while in line is not an option. Don’t know if it was our seat location, but I did not see a single vendor busking the aisles the whole game. Our seats were in row 11, lower deck, right-field corner. Good sight lines.
I should again note that we traveled through Denver’s LoDo (Lower Downtown) area to get to the park – and passed literally dozens of dining and shopping opportunities. It is a very lively area that deserves multiple visits. (I’m thinking Uncle Joe’s Honk Kong Bistro and the 5280 Burger Bar on this trip.)
It promised to be a good contest – two teams over .500 (a plus if you’re from Minnesota) and in the post-season hunt. In addition, both starting pitchers had earned run averages under 3.75 – Pirates’ righty Joe Musgrove (4-5, 3.63) and Rockies’ southpaw Kyle Freeland (9-7, 3.20). Neither the teams nor the pitchers disappointed.
Side note: I stopped for a program and scorecard on the way to our seats. I got in line and most of those ahead of me were purchasing a program ($5) and a scorecard ($1.50) – so, I had my $6.50 ready when I “approached the bench.” On a hunch, my request was “I’ll have a program and a scorecard. (Pause) Unless, of course, there is a scorecard IN the program.” The vendor pulled back the scorecard and replied. “That’ll be five-dollars and our little secret.”
Spoiler alert: It was my kind of game … a 2-0 final with some sweet tension along the way.
Over the first 4 ½ innings, the pitchers dominated. Musgrove had retired 12 in a row with one strikeout, Freeland had fanned four. He’d also allowed two walks and two hits (one a double to Musgrove – more #WhyIHateTheDH), but pitched out of trouble, inducing: 1) a nice pitcher-to-second to first double play (RF Starling Marte, not an easy guy to double up) batting after Pirates’ LF Corey Dickerson opened the game with a single; and 2) a pop up to first by catcher Elias Diaz with two on and two out in the fourth.
By the time we got to the fifth, we seen a handful of very nice fielding plays – a sliding catch and a Rockies’ CF David Dahl for the second out in the second; Rox’ SS Trevor Story ranging far to snag a Jody Mercer ground ball headed for center in the third and making a nice “spin-move” throw to get him at first and then later in the inning making a charging play on a low roller by Dickerson. On the Pirates’ side, second baseman Josh Harrison made a diving stop on grounder by Rox’ RF Carlos Gonzalez, nailing him at first to end the inning.
BBRT observation: Perhaps the biggest difference I consistently see between minor league ball and “the show” is the quality of the defense.
NO!!!
In the seventh inning – of a tight 2-0 game – Colorado fans apparently lost interest, starting an annoying (isn’t it always) wave. It made the rounds at least a half dozen times.
In the bottom of the fifth, the rain (which had been anticipated) began and it seemed to affect Musgrove, who (as noted earlier) was perfect through four. He gave of single to the first two batters (Rox star 3B Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story). Then with runners on first and third, CF Gerrardo Parra hit what looked like a sure double play grounder to Pirates’ 2B Harrison. Don’t know if the now wet (the rain was picking up) ball and field contributed, but Harrison booted is and Arenado scored. Then the storm came on in earnest, drenching fans scurrying for cover and leading to a half hour (32 minute it was reported later) rain delay.
Once play resumed, Musgrove hit Rox first-sacker Ian Desmond with a pitch (loading the bases). Catcher Chris Ianetta’s sacrifice fly to left scored Story. Freeland then popped up a bunt for the second out, bringing up Rox’ leadoff hitter CF Dahl, who singled to left. We then saw another of those defensive plays that separate the major from the minors. Pirates’ LF Dickerson charged the ball and threw a one-hop strike to the plate to nail Parra (trying to score from second) for the final out.
Over the final three innings, Rockies’ starter Freeland and relievers Seunghwan Oh and Wade Davis (who got the save) held the Pirates to two walks, while fanning four. On the other side of the ball, Musgrove and Edgar Santana held the Rox to a Dahl double. We did see one more sparkling defensive play. This one by Pirates’ SS Mercer, who handled a tough short hop off the bat of Rockies’ 2B DJ LeMahieu.
Side note: It’s been awhile since I’ve seen both starting pitchers make it through the seventh inning. Musgrove did it on 87 pitches (65 strikes), while Freeland used 103 pitches (65 strikes). As you might expect the pitch count difference can be attributed to walks and whiffs. Freeland fanned five and walked three. Musgrove whiffed two and didn’t walk a batter. Overall, the game saw just seven hits (two doubles and five singles, plus three walks and two hit batters).
After the game it was back to the hotel, to rest up for the Tuesday (August 7) Pirates/Rockies rematch and a pre-game visit to the National Ballpark Museum. Four games left on the trip, two here in Denver and two in Kansas City. Life on the baseball highway is great.
Watch this space for more from the road with Ballpark Tours.
For the tour Day One wrap, click here.
For Days Two and three, here.
I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT.
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Member: Society for American Baseball Research; The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
