Colorado Rockies Begin Season On Monday

The 2013 baseball season begins Monday for the Colorado Rockies, and fans probably don't want to be reminded of the 2012 season. But  just in case you had forgotten how bad it was, here is a gentle reminder. The Rockies were  under .500 before they got through the month of April - and never saw the plus side of .500 again.They went on to a 64-98 record. Only in 1994, the Rockies second year of existence have they posted a worse record than in 2012. In fact, in the 20 years of the franchise, the Rockies have finished better than 3rd in the division only three times. In 12 of those 20 seasons the Rockies finished no better than in 4th place.

Have  Rockies' fans gotten used to losing? That seemed to be the case until the Rockies found some magic in the final month of the 2007 season, found their way into the playoffs, arriving in the World Series, only to be embarrassed by the Boston Red Sox.

That magical year has elevated the expectations of Colorado fans. The following year the Rockies finished in 3rd place, 10 games out of 1st place, but then managed a wild card slot and a playoff appearance in 2009. Since then, though,  the Rockies have steadily declined to third place, then fourth, and this past season in 5th place.

Attendance at the ballpark reflects the team's poor performance. In 2012, the Rockies drew just over 2.6 million fans, the lowest total since their World Series appearance.

So what can we expect in 2013. There aren't many familiar names on the roster beyond Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki. You'd probably recognize as many  names on the coaching staff, which features former Rockies players Vinny Castilla, Danta Bichette, and Walt Weiss, who begins his first season as manager.

The Rockies begin the  long season Monday at Milwaukee with an afternoon game - the first of three against the Brewers. The Rox open at Coors field on Friday, April 5th against San Diego, and then after a week-long road trip will be home against the Mets, Diamondbacks, and the Braves. Here's where you can find their schedule.

At the start of the season, expectations for every team seems to be high - especially those that have undergone a myriad of changes. I choose to be optimistic and hope for the best.  But, nobody knows how it will go. We can hope, and we can pray. And if things go bad, fans in Grand Junction can look forward to the Grand Junction Rockies' season, which begins June 20th at Suplizio Field.