The Rockies wild ride to the world series

The game that propelled the Colorado Rockies into the playoffs and ultimately the world series. But before that they had an uphill struggle to compete against. Their record had them twenty-one games out of play off contention with twenty-one games left to play. In other words they couldn't lose a single game for the rest of the season.

In September 2007, instead of going to class, I went to see the Rockies play a day night double header against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was going to be a test for this young ball club. The Rockies won the day game with the same fashion as they did the night game.

With the Rockies losing in the bottom of the ninth yet again Mr. Clutch as I call him, Todd Helton comes up to bat. The Dodgers are swept by the Rockies. This team still needs to continue their momentum. They are chasing the Arizona Diamondbacks for the division title and the San Diego Padres for the wild card position.

Every fan in Denver is score board watching and hoping that the Padres lose to help the Rockies. As the wild card chase continues between the Rockies and Padres, there is little room for error for either team.

There was one game in which The Arizona Diamondbacks came into town and the Rockies lost. The Diamondbacks (aka garden snakes) started celebrating on our infield and it drew a chorus of boos from the fans. The next night the Rockies crushed them.

As this thing was heating up, fans were crowding around the televisions in the gift shop at Coors Field watching the Milwaukee Brewers playing the San Diego Padres. The Padres lost, which kept the Rockies in contention. As the season was drawing to a close we all knew there was going to be but one outcome and that was a game one hundred sixty-three between these two clubs. And we were right.

As soon as they announced the time that the tickets for game one hundred sixty-three went on sale, I was the first in line at the grocery store to get mine. I asked my dad to come out but he said no. So I went with my boyfriend.

When we arrived at Coors Field, you could feel the tension in the air. You could feel the excitement of the fans as they arrived a lot earlier than normal. But as the fans continued to arrive you could hear that familiar chant to start. The west side was screaming go and the east stand was responding with Rockies. That continues for forty-five minutes.

You could tell this was a big event as players from the Nuggets, Avalanche, and Broncos were in attendance. Banners of well wishes from all three teams were in the stadium and all around town. The field was electrified with excitement from the fans. We had been here before, but this time we believed in our boys..

As the game went back and forth between two really evenly matched teams the fans realized that the game wasn't going to be settled in nine innings. No just to make it a little less stressful, they decided thirteen innings would suffice. The game didn't end without controversy. Did Matt Holliday tag home plate or didn't he? People are still asking that question.

Coors Field was loud that night and you could tell. As the Rockies took the lead in the sixth inning we thought this was it the team just had to shut down the remaining nine hitters. It didn't happen that way. As the innings stretched and the temperature dropped inside Coors Field, fans started putting on their winter coats. As the news reporters kept saying Roctober was amongst us. The Rockies have applied for a patent and or trade mark on the name Rocktober. I am using it as a reference only.