2/12/09

You can tell it’s getting close, everyone is eager to talk baseball and share their autograph and collection stories. The idea in my last blog entry was “You pick the topic” and I’ll write about it. Most of you chose to ask questions of me. I guess I didn’t take that into consideration.

(<—-Hunter and his Grandpa at his first Rockies game in 1999).

You could have picked any topic besides me, but I’ll roll with this. I’ll answer them all in time. I still have ten days before I’m blogging at the high speed of 65 MPH

                                  

This one is from Jere80 (he responded first):

 “I’m always interested in how people become fans of teams that didn’t exist when they were young, and therefore what team they grew up rooting for before their current team existed. So maybe you could tell us that about yourself?

Jere, my story is different from most. I was a Yankee fan until my parents moved us up to Canada at age 11 (1978). There was really no organized baseball in my High School and I would have to say most of our Schools budget was spent on indoor sports (mostly hockey), because of the sub-zero (at times) temperatures.

So my exposure to baseball of any sort was severely limited. Remember there was no internet back in the late 70′s early 80′s.

So I grew up with no affiliation to any baseball team.

As a kid I followed the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL, and it was cool living in the same Province as Wayne Gretzky back when he was an Edmonton Oiler and in his prime.

I don’t really follow hockey anymore but in my opinion it’s still the best sport to see live .

When I finished my Military service I decided to stay in Colorado. It was a that point I knew I was going to be a Bronco and later on down the road, a Rockies fan.

(<—-Balanced Rock inside the Garden of the Gods where Krista and I were married).

I fell in love with Colorado and it would be hard for me to support a team that I couldn’t see play at least every now and then.

Plus, what a nickname..”The Blake Street Bombers” as a former military guy I love that name. 

The Broncos, Rockies and later the Nuggets worked out perfect for me at the time, and all within an hours drive. 

So as you can see I became a Rockies fan well into my adulthood. Going to a Rockies game to me is like reliving a part of my childhood that I missed due to geographical location. I’m a kid again from the second I walk through those gates. I don’t get that from anything else in the world. 

The Rockpile Ranter was born because of the lack of respect the Rockies received during their amazing World Series run. I attended my first game as the Rockpile Ranter March of last year in Tucson. I’ve been on a Rant ever since…

JERE-I’ve come up with another segment of the Rant that I’m going to call:

                                              WHICH ROCKIE AM I ?

I’ll give you some interesting facts about a player (should you choose to accept this challenge), and you will have to figure out who it is.

As always, whoever wins send me your picture and I’ll make you famous…D

This Rockie is well over six feet tall.

 He played basketball in High School.

<—-This guy has something to do with the naming of his this player’s High School.

 He’s a switch hitter….This one’s easy..Good Luck ! 
 

                                   JERE, thanks for “Deciding the Ride” today. 

In celebration of pitchers and catchers officially getting back to work, I’ve included in this entry:

              My first blog entry ever. It’s from Rockies spring training last year.

Just looking at it makes me think of all that has happened in the last year. WOW…Thanks for being a part of it…D