The Rockies are ditching the Sky Sox (Denver, Colorado Springs: appointed, home)

[Littlekw]

Newer ballpark, lower altitude entices Colorado Rockies to sign with Triple-A Albuquerque | gazette.com

Apparently the Rockies have had enough of the Sky Sox and are moving on to franchise the Albuquerque Isotopes. Boo for us, good for Albuquerque as it appears the Dodgers have abandoned them. The official reason: a difference of 1,200 feet in elevation because the Sky Sox pitchers have a hard time in the Springs. I'm curious who will take over the Sky Sox. Obviously they will lose their Colorado connection and they're still the home team but this bit of news is a little sad and nostalgic. The home team just lost a little bit of the "home."

[Josseppie]

I have heard the reason was the stadium and no one wanted to upgrade it in the Springs.

[Mire]

Oh, yeah.. the Sky Sox.. they exist. Thanks for reminding me.
Maybe there'll be a silver lining here somewhere. I mean, if you're going to hang on the coattails of a Major League team, there are better options than the Rockies, after all.

[Littlekw]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

I have heard the reason was the stadium and no one wanted to upgrade it in the Springs.

They recently did an upgrade to the tune of $13 million dollars. I believe it's the first they did since it was built in the late '80's. Granted, the field isn't in the best location, being out in the eastern suburbs between Cimarron Hills and Stetson Hills, in some windy country, but the facilities are vastly improved from a few years ago.

Regardless of the reason, I'm disappointed the Sox will no longer be affiliated with my favorite baseball team.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by Littlekw

They recently did an upgrade to the tune of $13 million dollars. I believe it's the first they did since it was built in the late '80's. Granted, the field isn't in the best location, being out in the eastern suburbs between Cimarron Hills and Stetson Hills, in some windy country, but the facilities are vastly improved from a few years ago.

Regardless of the reason, I'm disappointed the Sox will no longer be affiliated with my favorite baseball team.

This was coming from someone I know who works at a news station. I did see on 13 a new team will use it so its not like the Springs will not have minor league baseball anymore. It will just not be with the Rockies. Honestly I am not a baseball fan but if I was I think I would be upset.

[Littlekw]

Originally Posted by Mire

Oh, yeah.. the Sky Sox.. they exist. Thanks for reminding me.
Maybe there'll be a silver lining here somewhere. I mean, if you're going to hang on the coattails of a Major League team, there are better options than the Rockies, after all.

Ha! You're right in a way. The Rockies aren't the best team (about the worst this year) but it's Colorado Springs. The Sky Sox had the Rockies coat tails in hand just as Colorado Springs has Denver's coat tails. Way to put it in perspective, Mire, but it still seems like a shame. Heck, it's one of the few bright spots COS had going for it. Maybe the silver lining is that this is an opportunity for COS to split from Denver and create a small identity of its own. Oh, wait, a team from out of state will pick up the Sox franchise. Never mind...

[Littlekw]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

This was coming from someone I know who works at a news station. I did see on 13 a new team will use it so its not like the Springs will not have minor league baseball anymore. It will just not be with the Rockies. Honestly I am not a baseball fan but if I was I think I would be upset.

A new team will pick them up, that's a given. I'm not a big sports fan but I do love my baseball. More than anything I'm a Colorado kid that is aggrieved that my local team just lost its local connection. I'll still root for the Sox but ultimately it feels like another failure for Colorado Springs.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by Littlekw

A new team will pick them up, that's a given. I'm not a big sports fan but I do love my baseball. More than anything I'm a Colorado kid that is aggrieved that my local team just lost its local connection. I'll still root for the Sox but ultimately it feels like another failure for Colorado Springs.

It depends on the reason they left. If its because of the stadium then I agree its a failure on the Springs if its because of factors the city could not control such as the Rockies wanting a presence in New Mexico then no.

[Littlekw]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

It depends on the reason they left. If its because of the stadium then I agree its a failure on the Springs if its because of factors the city could not control such as the Rockies wanting a presence in New Mexico then no.

You know, I can't definitively say why they abandoned the Sky Sox. You make a good point. When City for Champions was out on the table the original plan was to build a new stadium downtown. That fell to the wayside, albeit a stadium is still in the plans, just not a minor league baseball stadium. That could be a failure on the part of the city of Colorado Springs. But a lot of money was put into revamping the current stadium in its current location so why waste the money to build a new one? It seems like a catch-22.

Albuquerque and New Mexico are lacking in the realm of professional and semi-pro teams so it would be a good niche, yes. I've spent a large part of my life in New Mexico and I'm glad to see them take this on. The Rockies are a much larger presence there than the Isotopes former owner so it will be good for them. Most people I know in NM are Colorado team fans.

The "official" reason for leaving is the altitude of Colorado Springs. That's a weak excuse so I have an inkling that there is more to the story. Maybe both the Rockies and Sky Sox abysmal season this year?

[Josseppie]

On KRDO they said attendance was up last year to about 350,000 people. Not sure how that ranks to other teams. The reality is most likely its a mix of both reasons.