For baseball fans, Opening Day is a big hairy deal. And April 6 will be the Colorado Rockies' 26th Opening Day. Here's a look back ...
Opening Day marks the unofficial start of spring -- a symbol of the warmer weather inevitably on its way and everything that goes along with it -- the crack of the bat, the smell of grilled hotdogs and good beer, the exhilaration and camaraderie of thousands of people all cheering for the same thing. It's looked forward to by millions of Major League Baseball fans, and in Colorado, thousands will descend upon downtown in full celebration of the beginning of baseball season.
Winningness
Sometimes Opening Day goes the Rockies' way, and sometimes it doesn't. Of all the Rockies' home openers in their 25-year history, they've won the game 15 times (including last year!). That's really not a bad percentage.
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Courtesy of baseball-almanac.com[/caption]
Whether or not the Rockies win the home opener on Opening Day has little bearing on how their season goes overall, but if you're superstitious, here's a fact for you: Three out of the four times the Rockies have made the playoffs, they won the home opener. But that
fourth time they made it to the playoffs after
losing the home opener -- back in 2007? They went to the World Series. Make of that what you will!
Opponents
This year will be the first time the Rockies will host the Atlanta Braves for the home opener. They've faced the Arizona Diamondbacks seven times (4–3), more than they've faced any other team on Opening Day, followed by the San Diego Padres at five times (3–2).
Weather
Friday's Opening Day (if it proceeds as scheduled) is poised to potentially become the coldest home opener in Colorado Rockies history. The forecast is calling for rain and snow and a high of 40°F, according to
CBS Denver. Last year's game (though a sleeper, score-wise) topped out at a balmy 76°F -- Opening Day paradise (and the highest temp on record)!
The lowest temps for Opening Day were April 26, 1995 (High 40°F, Low 27°F) and April 12, 2004 (High 44°F, Low 23°F). The Rockies won both of those games, so cold temperatures during the home opener apparently bode well for the team's chances!
So there you have it -- some quick stats about Opening Day in the Rockies! Are you planning to head down to LoDo, rain or shine? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
