Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon on the “Coors Field Stigma”

The 2018 All-Star Game was very entertaining. Aaron Judge hit a home run off of Max Scherzer. Trevor Story hit a game-tying home run off of Charlie Morton. Alex Bregman and George Springer hit back-to-back home runs in the 10th inning.  However, the most entertaining part of the game may have been when Fox mic’d up Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon.

In the top of the 8th inning, Charlie Blackmon was mic’d up as he represented the Colorado Rockies in center field.  Between making a Michael Scott reference and addressing the “Coors” stigma, fans around baseball found out what Rockies fans knew all along: Charlie Blackmon is a treasure.

Joe Buck started the interview by asking Charlie Blackmon about his beard: “Tell me about what has made you maintain this massive hair on your face.”

Blackmon replied, “I don’t consider myself superstitious, but I came into the year in 2014 with a beard and that was the first time I made a big league roster.” He continued, “I played well that year, made my first all-star team that year, and I am a big proponent of the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.”

The best part about this conversation happened next when Buck asked: “You’re not superstitious, but maybe it’s bad luck to not be superstitious?”  Blackmon then gave us a great reference from the TV show, the Office, by saying he is “just a little-stitious.”

The reference went right over Joe Buck’s head as he replied: “Not superstitious, just baby-stitious.”

Joe Buck continued the conversation by asking: “What are you looking at when you look over your shoulder?”

Charlie Blackmon replied: “You know, in the outfield, you get really bored because you don’t have any friends, so I got no friends.  Everybody is far away, so you gotta find ways to entertain yourself.  I do a lot of grass kicking.  I like watching TV.  That’s the biggest TV I’ve ever seen, so I look up there.  I check my hole for gloves.  My glove for holes.”

Blackmon also gave us some insight on his in-game strategies by saying: “I like to check the bullpen, see who they got, see if he’s looking at me.  If he looks at me, I got him right where I want him.”

John Smoltz changed the subject to ask Blackmon his feelings on playing defense on the road compared to at home.

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Blackmon replied: “It’s really different.  The ball carries a little better, that’s true.  Also, the ball does not succumb to spin quite as much; it doesn’t tail.  A ball hit in the gap is going to stay truer in Colorado where on the road it’ll fade more. So when you go home-road, you gotta be aware of that.  Also, these gaps at Coors Field are usually about a quarter-mile away from me. And so physically it’s a lot harder on you to run it down.”

Joe Buck followed up by stating he would bet Blackmon and Nolan Arenado are tired of discussing the Coors factor in their statistics.

Blackmon replied: “You would like to see guys just say, ‘wow,’ he’s just a great hitter and not have to be discounted for the park that he plays in.  There’s a lot of guys who play in offensive parks and … a lot of guys who play in defensive parks and they can still be a good player.  You drop Nolan Arenado in any park in the league and he’s an unbelievable player.  So, yeah, I’m kind of burned out talking about it.”

It was great to see Charlie Blackmon get to show off his personality on a big stage.  This segment has made him a popular subject throughout the baseball world following the All-Star Game.

Colorado Rockies fans have to be thrilled that the Coors stigma was able to be addressed by a Rockies player on a national stage.  Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, and Charlie Blackmon would be great players regardless of their home ballpark.

Quotes obtained from the Fox Sports broadcast of the 2018 MLB All-Star Game.

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While it can be tiresome for Blackmon to talk about it so often, to have a Colorado Rockies player be so open and honest on his feelings about the “Coors effect” was certainly refreshing!