Why is the Colorado Rockies’ Mascot a Dinosaur?

Back in 1994, Coors Field officially opened in downtown Denver as the home of Colorado's brand-new Major League Baseball team, the beloved Colorado Rockies. On the same day as the first-ever Colorado Rockies game, a big, loveable, purple dinosaur was born right on the field and Dinger has been the team's mascot ever since.

However, have you ever wondered why the Colorado Rockies landed on a polka-dotted triceratops for the team's mascot? There's actually a really good reason.

Why is the Colorado Rockies' Mascot a Purple Dinosaur Named Dinger?

The story of how the team chose Dinger to be the official mascot dates back to before the team even existed. While construction crews were tirelessly building the massive stadium that would become Coors Field, they discovered more than they bargained for.

What appeared to be a small, fossilized bone was discovered while digging at the site and was turned over to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to inspect. Scientists at the museum determined the fossil to be a rib fragment that likely once belonged to a "horned dinosaur" that died relatively shortly before they all went extinct.

This discovery not only inspired the purple dinosaur mascot that we all know and love but almost earned the stadium the name of Jurassic Park, which was one of the most popular films at the time.

The name of the stadium ended up being Coors Field, but not only is the loveable triceratops the official mascot of the Rockies to this day but "the Dinger Fossil" still lives at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.