The (Cold Hard) Truth About Coors Field Is Much Different Than You Think

Coors Field is a tier-1 venue in pro sports. Maybe not on the traditional grounds of history and tradition (which are historically and traditionally bullshit grounds to value something) but Coors Field certainly dominates in contemporary terms. It's by far the most anomalous when considering its effect on performance. Maybe Mile High holds that standard in the NFL because of elevation. But all things considered it has to be Coors Field across all leagues when you think about the most impactful venue on the outcome of a game. Someone in Florida can tell me why soft ice gives the Lightning an advantage, or that the proprietary lighting systems of the Lakers & Knicks inherently impede their opponents. But pound for pound I'm taking Coors Field as the #1 fighter across all divisions. 

And even so - I hardly knew any of the stuff Chuck talks about this week on Starting 9. Like that pitchers are going to spike their curveballs if they can't make the adjustment instantly. That it takes more away from you when you leave than when you actually get there. That there's a tremendous amount of health concerns at that elevation. I didn't know you're basically automatically dinged in defensive WAR as an outfielder before you even take the field. 40% of the games are either coming back or on their way out the door and it has a major influence on the come-down. That's why guys are still effective when they leave despite the general perception that hitting in Colorado is a major career advantage. 

On that front, kind of appalling to think that the Rockies had Arenado, Trevor Story and DJ at the same time. Yikes. That's gotta be hard on the brain for any Rockies fan. But same time you got Charlie Blackmon for the last 12 years and that's awesome. One of the coolest players walking the earth. Get the full interview here: 

Subscribe to the show here: