DENVER — It's hard to be a Colorado Rockies fan right now.
Despite winning their most recent series against the Washington Nationals on the road, the Rockies' record this season is 17 and 58. They were the fastest team to hit 50 losses in Major League Baseball history, and currently have the worst 70-game record in MLB history. The team is on track to beat last year’s record of 121 losses set by the Chicago White Sox.
National media has started to take notice of the team’s poor performance, and worse than that, long-time fans are starting to question their loyalty.
Lifelong Rockies fan Derek Johnston wrote to Denver7, asking the station to “amplify the voice of a fanbase that deserves better.”
“It’s come to the point where I’m finally sick and tired of watching them lose,” Johnston told Denver7’s Nicole Brady
Denver7 talked with different stakeholders to see if the Rockies’ poor performance on the field is impacting people beyond Coors Field.
Patrick Scott, a season ticket holder who has attended nearly every home game this season, said he’ll continue to go to games, win or lose.
“I just feel the team is relatively young, and maybe this season everyone’s learning a lot, so I'm hopeful for the future,” Scott said.
Christian Saez, host of the DNVR Rockies podcast, agreed that many loyal fans are still tuning in.
“It’s almost entertaining to watch for a lot of the fans who just kind of tune in and say, this is just crazy to witness,” he said.
Saez hopes fans will look back on this historic season with some feeling of unity that they came through it together.
Jack Corrigan, veteran play-by-play announcer for the KOA Rockies Radio Network, emphasized the passion people feel for the game itself.
“Even if a team is struggling, something's going to happen in the game. That’s what you play for,” Corrigan said.
Average home game attendance at Coors Field has fallen every year since the post-COVID recovery. In 2023, the average was 32,196 per game. That fell to 31,360 in 2024. This year’s average home game attendance so far is 28,518.
Those numbers may be starting to affect sales in the stadium. An anonymous employee of Aramark said while working concessions at Coors Field this year, he’s noticed a dip in morale and business, which is affecting his tips.
“People aren’t happy, and they don’t want to pay stadium prices when they’re not happy,” he said.
Denver7 reached out to Aramark to ask if sales are down, but we did not receive any response.
Kate McKenna, executive director for the Ballpark General Improvement District, said businesses in the surrounding neighborhood are still seeing strong turnout on game nights.
“About 25,000 attendees come to the ballpark per game, which is a huge number for any neighborhood," McKenna said.
As the Rockies navigate this challenging season, it remains to be seen whether their current performance is merely a slump or a turning point for the franchise. In May, the team fired manager Bud Black and promoted third base coach Warren Shaefer to interim manager.
As a longtime baseball fan, in addition to being an announcer, Corrigan noted that other teams have also faced historically dismal periods and bounced back.
“It's the great line that everybody uses in this sport, but it's accurate: that's baseball.”
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