Here, 14 hours after we watched the Rockies clinch their first NL Pennant at Coors Field, I find myself in a state of complete euphoria. The crowd last night was absolutely electric. We even got the GO! (pause) ROCKIES! chant going back and forth across the stadium multiple times. I haven’t heard that cheer at a Rockies game since 1996.
The game was just incredible. Franklin Morales pitched well to start the game. Morales even picked off Chris Young after his leadoff single in the first inning. Through 4, Morales had given up just 1 run on 4 hits. Even after Arizona scored in the 3rd, there was still a quiet confidence in the crowd. There was no way we were going to lose last night.
Even though Morales was pitching well, Clint Hurdle lifted him for pinch hitter Seth Smith with runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs in the bottom of the 4th. I thought it was a little early for that move but boy did it ever work. Smith hit a seeing eye bloop down the left field line that landed right between 3 Diamondbacks for a 2 run double and the Rockies took a lead they would never relenquish. Willy Taveras reached when Connor Jackson booted an easy ground ball. Kaz Matsui singled home another run and then NLCS MVP Matt Holliday hit a 452 foot shot to dead center field to put the Rockies up 6-1 and Coors Field was roaring like I’ve never seen.
After the big 4th inning, we were all counting outs to the World Series. Matt Herges pitched 2 scoreless innings in the 5th and 6th to earn the win. LaTroy Hawkins pitched a flawless 7th leaving the 8th and 9th to Fuentes and Corpas. Fuentes delayed the party a bit by giving up a 3 run homer in the 8th to Chris Snyder to make the score 6-4 and to make the ending more tense than we would have liked. After a triple by Juston Upton, Hurdle called on Manny Corpas to get the final 4 outs. Corpas struck out Tony Clark to end the 8th and Coors was rumbling with anticipation.
The 9th couldn’t have gone without drama though. In the 9th, Corpas allowed a 1 out double by Chris Young. He got the next out and we were one out from a celebration when up came Eric Byrnes, the D’Back that Rockies fans loved to hate. After saying how the Rockies were just lucky to be winning in this series, Byrnes hit a check swing roller to Troy Tulowitzki who promptly gunned it to Todd Helton for the final out. Byrnes had slid headfirst into first, trying to beat out the throw and was left lying facedown in the dirt as the Rockies celebrated their first ever World Series berth.
Not a single person left the building and the noise could have shaken the snow from some of the nearby 14ers as they set up the stage behind second base. National League President Bill Giles presented Warren C. Giles trophy to the Monforts, and the World Series is coming to Denver!
The history that this team is making is beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. I had guessed that this team would win 84 or so games, being about 10 games better than last year and would then take the big step to contender next year. Then they went on a rampage for the ages. These Rockies came from 9 games below .500 (18-27) in May. They were 6 games out of the wild card in September. They were 4 1/2 games back in the wild card with just 9 games to play. They were 2 games back with 2 to play. They were 2 runs back in the 13th inning of the 163rd game of the year. They became the fifth team in the last 70 years to go 21-1 at any point in the season. They became the first team ever to go on one of those rampages in September and October, when it mattered most. They became the first team since the 1976 Cincinnatti Reds to sweep their first 2 postseason series. They became the fifth team ever to go from last place one year to World Series the next. They became the sixth team ever to make the World Series after being 9 games under .500 at any point in the season.
14 hours after the fact, it still doesn’t seem real. I have no idea how long it will take for the euphoria to fade, but this is truly unbelievable. The Rockies are the 2007 National League Champions! After 15 years of waiting, the Rockies, yes, THE ROCKIES, are going to the World Series!!!
Game 1 of the World Series will be Rocktober 24th in either Cleveland or Boston. The first World Series game ever held in Denver will be on Rocktober 27th.
Go Rockies!!!
