COORS FIELD

'Coors Field', located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of the National League's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995. The Rockies played their first two seasons, 1993 and 1994, in Mile High Stadium before moving to Coors Field, two blocks from Union Station in Denver's Lower Downtown (or 'LoDo') neighborhood. The park includes 63 luxury suites and 4,500 club seats.
Coors Field has a reputation as a home run-friendly park that, arguably, equals Chicago's venerable Wrigley Field, and earned it the nickname "Coors Canaveral" among critics ^[1] (a reference to Cape Canaveral, from where NASA launches spacecraft). Denver's dry air tends to dry out baseballs, which makes the balls harder and travel farther. Other factors include the relatively low height of the fences and very limited foul territory area. In an attempt to limit the number of home runs, since 2002 balls have been placed in a humidor before games to keep them from drying excessively.^[2]
The Rockies knew that Coors Field would give up a lot of home runs because of its high altitude, and moved the fences farther away. This created a ballpark that not only gives up the most home runs in baseball, but also gives up the most doubles and triples as well. Green Cathedrals, , Phillip, Lowry, Walker & Company, 2005,
Coors Field was the first new stadium added in a six year period in which Denver's sports venues were upgraded, along with Pepsi Center and INVESCO Field at Mile High. It was also the first baseball-only National League Park since Dodger Stadium was built in 1962.
As with the other new venues, Coors Field was constructed with accessibility in mind. It sits near Interstate 25 and has direct access to the 20th Street and Park Avenue exits. Nearby Union Station also provides light rail access.
Coors Field was originally planned to be somewhat smaller, seating only 43,800. However, after the Rockies drew almost 4.5 million people in their first season—the most in baseball history—plans were altered during construction, and new seats in the left field upper deck were added. The centerfield bleacher section has its own informal name: "the Rockpile."
While most of the seats in Coors Field are dark green, the seats in the 20th row of the upper deck are purple. This marks the city's one mile elevation point.
Unlike most baseball stadiums, where home plate faces east or northeast (so as to prevent sunsets from disturbing the batter), Coors Field faces due north, resulting in the sun shining in the first-baseman's eyes during sunset.[1]
The only no-hitter at Coors Field was thrown by Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 17, 1996.^[3] Another game of note was the 1998 MLB All-Star Game.
There have been four 1-0 games in Coors Field history, all since the humidor was in use:

★ July 9, 2005, when the Rockies beat the San Diego Padres

★ April 16, 2006, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Rockies

★ July 25, 2006, when the St Louis Cardinals beat the Rockies

★ August 1, 2006, when the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Rockies

Contents

The "Voice" of Coors Field

Gallery

References

External links

The "Voice" of Coors Field

Alan Roach was the main PA announcer since Coors Field opened in 1995. In the spring preceding the 2007 Rockies season, Roach announced his retirement from his post at Coors Field to spend more time over the summer with his family.^[4] Roach is also the PA announcer for the nearby Colorado Avalanche hockey team of the NHL and provides voice-overs for local sports introductions in the region, in addition to hosting a local sports talk radio show. Reed Saunders, 23, was chosen to be the new voice of Coors Field on March 16, 2007.

Gallery

References

1. http://www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?article=3689029
2. More humidors likely on horizon Troy E. Renck
3. http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/national/coorsf.htm
4.

External links

★ Ballpark Digest visit to Coors Field

★ Ballparks of Baseball

★ Coors Field images and information

★ Aerial photo of Coors Field from Microsoft TerraServer