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YEAR
FAN
feature
OF THE
We’ve gone down to Arizona every
year and we’ve only missed one Spring
Training in 20 years. I can still clearly remember going to the first Spring Training game down in Tucson. I always say
that it was like magic going to that first
Spring Training because, after all of the
years of talk and speculation, we finally
had a team.
Another one of my favorite memories is going to the first Rockies game
ever, which was against the Mets on the
road. It was like make-believe in those
early days because, again, after years of
anticipation, we had baseball. And then
after we got back from New York, it was
truly unimaginable being at the Home
Opener at Mile High Stadium. 80,000+
people and EY hits that home run—it
was such an exciting start for the franchise that Opening Day.
In fact, I’ve never missed an Opening Day. I’ve been
to every single one. I’m actually going to be out of town
this year, so I have to take a 6:00 a.m. flight back to Denver so I can be at the ballpark in time for the game.
Every Opening Day is just absolutely fabulous.
We’re lucky enough that some of our seats are down
in the Coors Clubhouse. When Clint Hurdle was manager, he could look right at me because of the way he sat
in the dugout. Whether I was complaining about a bad
call by the umpire or Clint didn’t make the move that I
wanted him to, I swore Clint would read my lips and he
would stare right at me from time to time. We always
used to talk about this in the offseason. “I sit there,
watching you during the game, and I can see when you’re
moaning about my decisions,” Clint would say. We’d
have a good laugh about it.
When thinking back on some of my favorite Rockies
memories, of course I’ll never forget that famous run in
Pinch-Hitter
for April,
Doug
Moreland
Local automobile guru Doug Moreland has built an empire of
“Dealin’ Doug” dealerships throughout Colorado over the
course of his career. Moreland is also a diehard Rockies fan
and can often be seen cheering on his favorite team right behind home plate. After 20 years of being a fan, he reflects
back on his many years at the ballpark and the memories he
has shared with his family and friends.
The Moreland Family’s Rockies
Story
By Doug Moreland
My family and I have been great fans of the Rockies
since day one, when I put down my $10 deposit for inaugural season tickets. I’ve been a sponsor of the team
since then as well. I played baseball as a kid, I love the
game and I was so excited when we got a Major League
team.
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RO C K I E S M AG A Z I N E
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APRIL 2012