Watch CBS News

Top 15 Memories By Rockies Players From The First Game At Coors Field

DENVER (CBS4) - Coors Field is already the third-oldest ballpark in the National League. Only Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium are older. Denver owes a lot to Coors Field. Its existence has transformed LoDo from all warehouses and railroad tracks into what it is today -- a vibrant part of the city.

Coors Field in 1995
Coors Field in 1995 (credit: CBS)

In the very first game at Coors Field back in 1995 the Rockies beat the New York Mets in extra innings to christen the ballpark. Recently Rockies players who were on the team during Coors Field's infancy came back to Denver to celebrate its 20-year anniversary. The following are some of the top memories by Rockies players from the first game:

1. Ellis Burks, Outfielder - "Downtown wasn't as busy as it is now of course. But you could basically see through all the buildings. And right now it's totally different. I mean, it's amazing what 20 years will do."

Ellis Burks
Ellis Burks (credit: CBS)

2. Larry Walker, Outfielder - "I remember the bus pulling up and I remember us walking out as a team onto the field for the first time -- and just the awe of the stadium, because we had never seen it, it was our first time. And just the beauty of it. I swear I remember walking out and going, 'Look at how far it is out to right field.' As it turned out, it really wasn't that far."

3. Bill Swift, Pitcher - "It was cold … and I normally don't pitch with sleeves on and I wore sleeves that day … it's Denver."

4. Dante Bichette, Outfielder - "It was cold, it was late. Everybody tells me, 'Oh yeah, I was at that game.' I'm like, 'Oh, wait a second. We're you really at that game, or did you leave early? Because you weren't there.' "

5. Darren Holmes, Pitcher - "The thing that stands out to me was just to play a game in the new stadium with the crowd and, you know, the fans here are just so unbelievable; and just how electric it was … throughout that whole game."

Bill Swift
Bill Swift (credit: CBS)

6. Bill Swift, Pitcher - "Most times when you open up a new field (the batter takes) the first pitch, the umpire throws the ball out, you put it in a box somewhere … but (Brett Butler) decided to swing, and he hits a ground ball to short, to Walt Weiss, a little bit in the hole. Walt had to dive for it, and Butler with his speed beat it out. And I ran into him probably a year later at spring training and was like, 'What were you thinking?' He was like, 'I don't know. The crowd was all hyped up and it was the first game and my instinct was to swing the bat.' "

7. Larry Walker, Outfielder - "I remember it was the bottom of the ninth with two outs and I hit a double of John Franco to tie it to give Dante that opportunity (laughs)"

Larry Walker
Larry Walker (credit: CBS)

8. Dante Bichette, Outfielder - "Well I had a lefty up and I knew he couldn't break the ball away from me. So I knew I could get a good full swing and I didn't have to sit back and wait for the ball too much."

9. Mike Kingery, Outfielder - "They had guys at first and second, so it's not 'proper' to walk the guy. But I'm like going, 'So you've got Mike Remlinger pitching to Dante, and I'm on deck. Which one do you want him to throw to?' So the biggest thing I remember is, 'I can't believe they are pitching to him.' "

Mike Kingery
Mike Kingery (credit: CBS)

10. Dante Bichette, Outfielder - "(Were they thinking) is Dante trying to hit a homer?' Because I had swung at it and almost fell down a couple times. And Joe said, 'Well it's Opening Day, home run hitters want to hit homers.' I think the next pitch I hit for the game winner."

11. Larry Walker, Outfielder - "People were on their feet just going crazy, the first pump, and just a celebration … literally that felt like a playoff win for us."

12. Ellis Burks, Outfielder - "The way it ended and the way (Dante) posed … that was awesome … and he's a folk hero because of that."

Dante Bichette
Dante Bichette (credit: CBS)

13. Dante Bichette, Outfielder - "I remember (Todd) Hundley yelling at me going down the first base line. He wasn't really pleased with it. But I was excited, because you know that offseason I wasn't sure I was coming back … and the last minute I came back … I had some emotions flying that game."

14. Darren Holmes, Pitcher - "For me, as a coach now, I think it's one of the best home field advantages in baseball."

Darren Holmes
Darren Holmes (credit: CBS)

15. Ellis Burks, Outfielder - "You have guys coming from different organizations and all of a sudden they put us all together and it was just like an unbelievable fit, and it worked out for us."

Coors Field 1995 1
Coors Field in 1995 (credit: CBS)

The Rockies beat the Mets 11-9 in 14 innings. They finished with a winning record and made the playoffs. They lost to the Atlanta Braves in the wildcard round. Although there have been better Rockies seasons since then, fans will remember their first winning season forever.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.