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A game of numbers finally adds up for the Rockies!
Contributed by: Doug Hoffacker on 6/5/2008

Baseball is such a wonderful game of statistics and probabilities! Loyal fans like me live and die with our teams and those possibilities. . Never more so than last September, when the Rockies had one of the most amazing end of season finishes in sports history. While others were doubting and getting ready for Broncos season, I was cheering on the Rockies, and calculating. "Maybe, just maybe, this is the year", I dreamed.And it was!
Throughout the season I watched them win some and lose some, and then in September, I started seriously doing the math, and keeping a diary on their progress. September 5 I noted "the Rockies are on a tear, winning 5 of the last 6, only 4 games out of a playoff spot. Last night, they were down 5-1 and battled back to win in the ninth inning". To most people, things looked desperate in the final two weeks of the season. But I had a feeling this Rockies team was going places. I figured they'd have to win about 12 of the last 15 games to make the playoffs. Then when they lost to the Phillies and then two to the Marlins, it looked bleak...but hey....win 11 out of 12 and they've got a shot. They beat the Marlins on Sunday September 16. That's 1. Then on Tuesday, I went to the makeup game in the afternoon. As I was getting to my seat, I saw Dinger, and I asked him, "Are the Rockies going to the World Series?". The loyal mascot was wishy-washy. Still I believed. Jeff Francis had a great game, striking out ten, and theRockies prevailed 3-1. Then they won the nightcap in dramatic fashion. Who can forget Todd Helton's walk off home run?. They Rockies were on a roll. But they had to keep winning...and they did, sweeping the Dodgers and then the Padres over the weekend. The impossible dream was becoming possible.
I went back to work Monday and my friends rushed up to me smiling in amazement, professing "We believe!." The Rockies bandwagon quickly filled to the brim. Everyone in town was talking about this miracle team.The miracle kept getting better with Matt Holliday's slide, and the two playoff sweeps. The Rockies won the National League pennant! Yes, there was a little letdown in the World Series, but the ride was amazing. The players and coaches may not have been doing the number-crunching, but they believed in themselves, and taking it day by day, they climbed the mountain. The Rockies got some respect, and became a big part of Colorado sports--and baseball history.
So when they start the season in a slump or go twenty something innings wondering if they'll ever score a winning run, remember, there's always hope.
Root, root, root for the home team. Watch them win their fair share, then wait 'til September and watch the magic happen!


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Doug Hoffacker

Westminster , CO

Doug Hoffacker has posted 6 stories and 2 comments since joining on 3/15/2006. Doug Hoffacker 's average story rating is 5.
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