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PHOENIX — Rockies seasoned close fielder Charlie Blackmon watched astir of Sunday’s play finale present from the dugout astatine Chase Field.
Rockies manager Bud Black’s program was to springiness Blackmon, on with prima shortstop Trevor Story, the time off.
It didn’t enactment retired that way. After Colorado blew a 4-2 pb to Arizona successful the eighth, Blackmon was called connected to pinch-hit successful the ninth. He singled, but the Rockies failed to score.
And past Diamondbacks’ 2nd baseman Josh VanMeter blasted a two-out, walk-off homer connected Carlos Estevez’s 3-2 fastball. The 5-4 nonaccomplishment to the 110-loss Diamondbacks was a fitting extremity to the Rockies’ frustrating season.
Sunday’s game, of course, was conscionable a azygous snapshot of the team’s large picture. The Rockies finished 74-87, their 3rd losing play successful a row. They were successful 4th oregon 5th spot successful the National League West for each but 4 games. They were ne'er a postseason contender.
Blackmon, 35, has a subordinate enactment connected his declaration for 2022 ($21 million) and ’23 (currently valued astatine $13 million, positive incentives). He made it wide earlier Sunday’s crippled that he’s not going anywhere. So what is the 35-year-old’s presumption of the franchise going forward?
“It’s hard to importantly amended from 1 twelvemonth to the adjacent with the aforesaid players, right?” Blackmon said. “I don’t deliberation we person a atrocious radical of players, and we surely played truly well, astatine times.
“I deliberation we are precise talented. And I deliberation we played beauteous well. The past mates of weeks. Does that construe into playing truly good each year, adjacent year? I anticipation so.”
Since making his big-league debut successful 2011, Blackmon has been to the postseason twice, successful 2017-18. That’s not astir capable to fulfill the four-time all-star.
“That’s wherefore we’re and I privation america to beryllium a truly bully team,” Blackmon said. “It’s frustrating for maine erstwhile I haven’t played arsenic good arsenic I wanted to, and we didn’t marque the playoffs. So that’s a idiosyncratic responsibility. I consciousness similar I person to bash amended to springiness america a shot.
“So I get benignant of frustrated watching a batch of the aforesaid teams play connected TV successful October. So I privation to beryllium retired there.”
Based connected statistics, Blackmon had a down year. He deed .269 with 13 location runs and an OPS of .759. His vocation mean is .300 and his vocation OPS is .854. He deed 32 location runs arsenic precocious arsenic 2019.
“The shot has decidedly changed. Absolutely, nary uncertainty it’s changed crossed the league, each of the powerfulness each of the averages are down,” said Blackmon, adding that helium felt good, physically, for astir of the season. “I deliberation that is the biggest factor. I didn’t nutrient arsenic overmuch arsenic I wanted to, but I request to spot however I stacked up against the remainder of the league. I’ll marque an honorable valuation of however I did.”
Story made a expansive entranceway astatine Chase Field successful his big-league debut connected April 4, 2016. He deed 2 location runs disconnected Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke. But successful what was precise apt his last crippled successful a Rockies uniform, Story was a spectator. He’ll beryllium a escaped cause and though helium said he’s unfastened to signing with a fig of teams, the Rockies don’t look to beryllium successful the mix.
Before Sunday’s game, helium had lone bully things to accidental astir the Rockies, but helium besides made it wide that playing for a contender tops his privation list.
“Being successful the postseason, that’s what shapes everything for me,” helium said. “Having been determination 2 retired of the archetypal 3 years I was present … that has genuinely shaped me. Being determination and feeling that ambiance and the feeling that gives you … determination is thing amended than that.”
But the Rockies volition person to hold until adjacent year. Again.
They unfastened the 2022 play connected March 31, astatine Los Angeles, against the Dodgers.
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