What is the Rockie Way? After three decades of mediocrity, a franchise searches for answers.

Published Fri, 29 Mar 2024 12:00:14 GMT

What is the Rockie Way? After three decades of mediocrity, a franchise searches for answers. On a bright Arizona morning in March 2022, Rockies owner Dick Monfort introduced Kris Bryant, touting him as the team’s next great star and adding a bold prediction.“Just so many things make this feel really, really right,” Monfort said at the team’s Salt River Fields complex. “We’re extremely excited to have Kris with us for the next seven years, and to help us win that elusive World Series that we are all looking for.”Monfort, who steered the negotiations toward a seven-year, $182 million deal with agent Scott Boras, was betting big on the 30-year-old Bryant, the 2016 National League MVP who helped the Chicago Cubs break a 108-year championship drought.THE ROCKIE WAY: Inside Colorado’s three decades of mediocre baseballMoments after Bryant slipped on a Rockies jersey for the first time, he made a bold statement of his own.“I take a lot of pride (in) the fact that I’ve never played on a losing team in the big leagues,” he said, “and I don’t...

Opinion: What Rockies fans have to say about the franchise: “We don’t enjoy our team losing”

Published Fri, 29 Mar 2024 12:00:14 GMT

Opinion: What Rockies fans have to say about the franchise: “We don’t enjoy our team losing” The Denver Post asked Rockies fans for their views on the state of the team and attending games at Coors Field. Following is a sample of those opinions:“My family attended the Rockies’ inaugural game and we were there for the ground-breaking of Coors Field. We’ve had season tickets in our family since the inception of the Rockies and I can’t imagine us not having those. My brother and his wife even got married at home plate at Coors Field.“My family and I are deeply connected to the Rockies. We don’t go to Coors Field just because we enjoy a day at the ballpark. We go there to root for our team to win. We don’t enjoy our team losing. We don’t like that our franchise is a joke. We want and deserve a better product!”— Danny Lynch, DenverTHE ROCKIE WAY: Inside Colorado’s three decades of mediocre baseball“I’ve been a diehard Rockies fan since their inception in 1993. Prior to the Nolan Arenado trade, I would attend...

The Rockie Way: Inside Colorado’s three decades of mediocre baseball

Published Fri, 29 Mar 2024 12:00:14 GMT

The Rockie Way: Inside Colorado’s three decades of mediocre baseball On a postcard-perfect autumn night, the Colorado Rockies made history last Tuesday at Coors Field.This wasn’t the kind of history anyone in purple pinstripes wanted to be a part of, of course, but it remained notable all the same: The Rockies’ 100th loss of the 2023 season, a franchise first handed to them by an old nemesis in the Los Angeles Dodgers.A crowd of 25,133, roughly half Coors Field’s capacity, paid to witness the moment on the back end of a day-night doubleheader.While Rockies manager Bud Black insisted 100 was just another number, no different than 98 or 99, many in a fanbase beaten down by years of mediocre baseball could not ignore its significance.As the Rockies play out the string in the waning days of the worst season in club history, The Denver Post examines the franchise in a series of stories that attempt to define the core principles that led to this moment and currently guide a club that from the outside has often appeared directionless.Just ...

The Colorado Rockies continue to look inward to turn around lagging franchise. Is Bill Schmidt the answer?

Published Fri, 29 Mar 2024 12:00:14 GMT

The Colorado Rockies continue to look inward to turn around lagging franchise. Is Bill Schmidt the answer? When Bill Schmidt was named the fourth general manager in Rockies history, he inherited a to-do list longer than a Coors Field homer on a hot August night.Schmidt was tasked with revamping a dysfunctional front office, replenishing a depleted farm system, upgrading an understaffed analytics department and helping shape a winning culture in the clubhouse.Ever the optimist, Schmidt made an interesting statement at last year’s winter meetings in San Diego.“We’re not where we need to be. But I use the bamboo theory,” Schmidt said. “There’s a lot of stuff growing underneath that people don’t see, and it’s gonna pop here. When it does, we’re going to be good.”THE ROCKIE WAY: Inside Colorado’s three decades of mediocre baseballTen months later, Rockies fans are still waiting on that pop.Colorado just lost 100 games for the first time in franchise history, extending its current playoff drought to five seasons. And with few ML...

State of the Rockies’ farm: Draft-and-build Colorado playing catch-up in pitching, analytics

Published Fri, 29 Mar 2024 12:00:14 GMT

State of the Rockies’ farm: Draft-and-build Colorado playing catch-up in pitching, analytics Before a Double-A game in August, Drew Romo worked in his new mitt in the Hartford dugout, pounding his glove with a quiet confidence, as if waiting on his moment to become the Rockies’ catcher.A few minutes later, outfielder Jordan Beck popped up in the dugout and grabbed some lumber, twisting it in his hands ahead of batting practice, swaying it back and forth, ready to mash something at Coors Field tomorrow.Those two top prospects weren’t worried about what was going on in Denver, where the Rockies were on their way to bottoming out with their first 100-loss season in franchise history. To Romo, Beck and other big names on the Colorado farm, optimism is the tone, and forward is the vision.Can these promising positional prospects, pitching depth be damned, make the Rockies competitive again sometime soon?THE ROCKIE WAY: Inside Colorado’s three decades of mediocre baseball“No question,” Romo said confidently.“My goal coming into pro ball is not to lose...

Many Rockies fans fed up with owner Dick Monfort, but love of Coors Field endures

Published Fri, 29 Mar 2024 12:00:14 GMT

Many Rockies fans fed up with owner Dick Monfort, but love of Coors Field endures Audrey McKenny is a disenchanted Rockies superfan.In the garden outside her home in rural Douglas County, purple-and-white flowers form a “CR” logo in celebration of her favorite baseball team. On summer evenings, she lounges in seats once used inside Coors Field.She was a full-time season-ticket holder beginning with the birth of the team in 1993. Then McKenny, 64, switched to a ticket mini-plan, saying, “I got frustrated with some of the management moves regarding players.”THE ROCKIE WAY: Inside Colorado’s three decades of mediocre baseballOver the last couple of years, she’s switched allegiances, choosing to spend money on the Nuggets, who won their first NBA championship this year, and the Avalanche, who won their third Stanley Cup title in 2022.“I decided right out of the gate not to renew our Rockies’ mini-plan,” she said. “The primary reason? No commitment from the owner to win a championship now or in the near futur...

House fire leads to discovery of illegal marijuana operation in Northridge

Published Fri, 29 Mar 2024 12:00:14 GMT

House fire leads to discovery of illegal marijuana operation in Northridge Police are investigating a suspected illegal marijuana grow operation discovered as firefighters were battling a house fire in Northridge Thursday morning. Los Angeles Fire Department crews responded to the blaze at the single-story home in the 16900 block of West Tupper Street around 4:30 a.m.Flames were visible when the firefighters arrived, a Fire Department spokesperson said. At one point, the fire extended into the attic, prompting firefighters to conduct an extensive ventilation operation on the roof.Police are investigating a marijuana grow operation discovered as firefighters were battling a house fire in Northridge, Calif. Sept. 28, 2023. (KTLA) Around 30 firefighters extinguished the fire in just over half an hour. No injuries were reported."The contents of the home indicate a marijuana grow operation," a spokesman said.Neighbors told KTLA that it appeared no one was living inside the home. At some point in the past, they told us, the home's water was left on, causing a mi...

Woman recovering after being beaten unconscious during armed home invasion, kidnapping 

Published Fri, 29 Mar 2024 12:00:14 GMT

Woman recovering after being beaten unconscious during armed home invasion, kidnapping  NORWALK, Calif. - A woman who was brutally beaten by an armed home invader who then kidnapped her son is beginning the long road to recovery.The break-in occurred on Aug. 2 at the home of Maria Romero in Norwalk, located near Studebaker Road and Alondra Boulevard. The armed man used a hammer he found in the home’s yard to smash a sliding glass door and proceeded to beat Romero with the same tool. The former LAUSD teacher suffered a fractured skull and several facial bones, a broken wrist and finger and damage to her eye socket. “I’ve had reconstructive surgery twice. I guess part of my bone I needed was found in my cheek,” she told KTLA 5’s Kimberly Cheng. “My nerves were severed; there’s no chance of me getting my eyesight back in my left eye.”  Stolen $1.5M ancient Buddha statue recovered; suspect arrested Despite fighting back against the intruder with all her strength, Romero eventually fell unconscious, and that’s when the armed robber kidnapped her a...

A healthy Kawhi Leonard critical to Clippers’ success

Published Fri, 29 Mar 2024 12:00:14 GMT

A healthy Kawhi Leonard critical to Clippers’ success The progress that two-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard has made during the off-season is promising for the Los Angeles Clippers as they head into training camp next Tuesday.A year ago, Leonard came back from ACL surgery and helped lead the team into the playoffs. After dropping 38 points on the Phoenix Suns in game one, Leonard tore his meniscus late in game two and would miss the rest of the series.The Clippers were eliminated in five games.KTLA’s David Pingalore spoke with Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank, who says the team, including Leonard, is healthy and ready to contend for a title.

Pedestrian Sustained Minor Injuries after Car Crash on Pendale [El Paso, TX]

Published Fri, 29 Mar 2024 12:00:14 GMT

Pedestrian Sustained Minor Injuries after Car Crash on Pendale [El Paso, TX] Car Struck an Unidentified Individual Resulting in Injuries at George DieterEL PASO, TX (September 28, 2023) – A car crash, late Tuesday morning left a pedestrian suffering minor injuries at Pendale.Around 11:29 a.m. on September 12th at the intersection of George Dieter and Pendale, the crash happened.According to the authorities, they responded to a car crash report involving a pedestrian. An individual was struck by a car. Responders transported the victim to the hospital.Moreover, both directions of the roadway were temporarily shut down to allow for cleanup and preliminary duties.The circumstances that led to the crash, the identities of the people involved, and the description of the vehicles were not yet available.Thinking, reasoning, and muscle coordination are essential in operating a vehicle safely. However, alcohol and certain medications or illegal drugs impair these functions when they are in the body. Never drive while impaired as the consequences can be devastat...