The Colorado Rockies opened the season with a series against the Miami Marlins. The team's home opener is Friday, April 4 at Coors Field.
On the field, predictions for how the team will do varry widely. Sports Illustrated put the Rockies fifth out of five teams in the National League West. But Bryan Kilpatrick, co-manager of Purple Row, an online news site covering the Rockies, says after the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are predicted to win the NL West easily, the division is wide open.
Ultimately, the team's success will likely come down to whether its two best players – shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez – can stay healthy. In recent years, one or both of them have been hurt most of the time. But when they're both on the field, the team's winning percentage goes up dramatically.
What’s likely to be the most emotional moment of the year will come in August, when the Rockies plan to retire Todd Helton’s jersey. It will be the first time the team has retired a player’s number. Helton played for the Rockies for 17 seasons, his whole career.
