Rocktober

Rocktober? What is that?

Let's see, in college there was an Octokerfest...no that's not it.
Octoberfest? Let's see, beer drinking German style in September and October? No, not quite.

Rocktober is a term coined 2 years ago when the Colorado Rockies stormed into the playoffs and made it all the way to the World Series. What? The Rockies made it to the World Series?

I grew up in Chicago. I am a Cubs fan. You know what it is to suffer as a sports fan if you are a Cubs fan. You believe in hexes. You dream of the day the Cubs play in and win the World Series. The year that happens will be the biggest day in sports history for the city of Chicago bar none, Olympics included.

Here in Colorado, we have been close. The miracle season of 2007 is just 2 years old. The Rockies won 21 of their last 22 games that year. I'll restate that, the Rockies went 21-1 in their last 22 games. They won 14 in a row, lost a game, and then went on to win their next 7 to end the season. Still, they needed the San Diego Padres to lose their last game to force a 1 game playoff.

I remember it didn't look good. The Padres were winning. One of the games best closers, Trevor Hoffman, was in their game to finish off the Milwaukee Brewers. They were 1 strike away from winning and ending the Rockies season. Then it happened. Tony Gwinn Jr. of the Brewers hit the ball. He stroked a game tieing triple and the Brewers went on to win the game.

I was driving home from the mountains at the time and was listening to the Rockies game on the radio. There was a huge roar from the crowd in Coors Field in Colorado as the score was posted. The Rockies had life and they capitalized on it. They won and kept on winning.

They won the play-in game against the hard luck Padres with a trilling, come from behind, extra inning, head first slide into home plate. They swept the next 3 games from the Philadelphia Phillies. They swept the next 4 games from the Arizona Diamond Backs. They made it to the World Series.

Unfortunately, the Rockies run was so fast that they had to wait for the American League representative like the rabbit waiting at the finish line for the turtle. 9 days off was just too much to overcome for the Rockies and the Boston Red Sox swept the magic away, until this season...

The Rockies can clinch a playoff spot today...the Rockies. Rocktober is here!