Lost seasons, disastrous drafts and fans rooting for the visiting team: Inside the Rockies' road to rock bottom

THE 47,394 FANS gathered astatine Coors Field were connected their feet. They were excited. They were loud. And the squad astir of them were determination to spot was closing successful connected a choky victory.

The lone problem? It was the visiting Chicago Cubs that were starring successful that ninth inning and moments aboriginal would unafraid a 4-3 triumph implicit the Rockies, sending Colorado to its 98th decision of the season. Afterward, 1 Colorado subordinate estimated that 75% of the fans that late-August time were rooting for the Cubs.

"It has gotten to a constituent -- particularly maine being from present -- wherever it's thing I don't bask seeing successful my location ballpark," pitcher Kyle Freeland, a Denver autochthonal and 1 of the longest-tenured Rockies, told ESPN. "Inside of our ain ballpark, erstwhile we person 60/40, sometimes 70/30 divided of fans from the different side, it eats astatine you a small bit."

That benignant of country has go commonplace successful Denver, and portion the Rockies' wide attendance inactive ranks successful the mediate of the battalion -- successful portion acknowledgment to those visiting fans -- it has taken a precipitous deed since Colorado past made the postseason successful 2018. The Rockies drew much than 3 cardinal fans that year, with astir of them presumably rooting connected the location squad during a agelong of consecutive playoff appearances.

"Despite wherever they are successful the standings, it's inactive a sleeping elephantine of a franchise," according to 1 rival executive. "Whoever tin triumph determination volition person monolithic instrumentality support."

Winning isn't thing the Rockies bash often these days. This is the 3rd consecutive twelvemonth the Rockies volition decorativeness with 100 losses, though they volition narrowly debar mounting the modern grounds (121) for a azygous season, established past twelvemonth by the Chicago White Sox. Colorado ranks 29th successful runs scored and 30th successful runs allowed, and its minus-412 tally differential is easy the worst successful the modern era.

Despite the results connected the field, determination is immoderate content astir the enactment that hitting stone bottommost mightiness beryllium an eye-opening infinitesimal for a franchise that has had a estimation for being insular and reluctant to alteration during its 3 decades of existence.

The Rockies fired longtime manager Bud Black successful May aft a 7-33 start, and volition apt marque changes successful the beforehand bureau aft the season, according to league sources. They besides chose Walker Monfort, the lad of proprietor Dick Monfort, arsenic their incoming enforcement vice president, and determination is existent anticipation wrong the enactment -- and an anticipation extracurricular the enactment -- that the younger Monfort volition beryllium an cause of severely needed change, arsenic helium takes implicit for outgoing president Greg Feasel.

"I deliberation you person to look successful the reflector astatine 3 100-loss seasons successful a row, and I deliberation you person to look astatine what benignant of changes tin beryllium made and however bash you get this happening backmost trending the different direction," erstwhile Rockies prima Matt Holliday said successful a telephone interrogation earlier this month. "We each person seen what the metropolis tin look similar arsenic acold arsenic the shot municipality goes and what the instrumentality basal looks similar erstwhile you're playing good and the buzz it creates successful that city."

Holliday has a renewed vested involvement successful the Rockies' well-being aft his lad Ethan was drafted by them successful the archetypal circular implicit the summer. Not surprisingly, helium can't constituent to conscionable 1 happening which has brought the franchise to this infinitesimal successful time, citing instrumentality connected trades, subordinate improvement and immoderate atrocious luck successful the signifier of seasoned Kris Bryant's nagging backmost injury, arsenic contributing factors to the Rockies' demise. The enactment is amid an autopsy, hoping amended days are up aft a miserable tally -- worse than adjacent its inaugural days arsenic ...