Rockies Owner’s Wife Forced to Make Emotional Plea Amid Mounting Pressure to Give Up $1.48B Franchise

Once a promising MLB team, the Colorado Rockies have become a team where no baseballers want to play. I mean, you can not even say that the Rockies faced any financial struggle. During 2017-20, when the Rockies made back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018, their combined payroll ranked 11th in MLB. If you look at the Orioles and Pirates, they were in an even more poor situation, but they reinvented themselves and now you can see how big they have become. So, what went wrong with the Rockies?

A roster that was once loaded with some phenomenal baseball talents like Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, and DJ LeMahieu, now finds itself at the bottom of the National League in the last two seasons. Back in the 2019 offseason, when the Rockies signed Nolan Arenado for a whopping 8-year $260 million—one of the largest contracts in MLB history at the time—it seemed like the franchise owner Dick Monfort is moving in the right direction. But money can not hold any player if your team keeps losing.

“When you give someone a certain amount of dollars, you’re not just going to give them that to lose,” Arenado said. “There has to be some (aspect) of trying to win, or it would make zero sense.” Ultimately, for the sake of his own career, Arenado had to move to the Phillies. Now, when the regular season is all set to start on March 18 and criticism is piling up, the Rockies owner’s wife has come forward with an emotional appeal.

While other franchises chase championships, Colorado clings to mediocrity like a bad habit. Now, in a twist of irony, it’s not the front office making the case—it’s the owner’s own family. Amidst the heavy criticism of the Rockies’ management and ownership, Karen Monfort is out here meeting journalists and making an emotional case about the impact of their words on the family. The failed signing of Kris Bryant and the departure of Nolan Arenado added to it. While the owners try to hide this, the fans and analysts are calling for the head of the snake to be cut off.

Journalist Mark Kiszla has been very critical of the management of the Colorado Rockies. He is critical of every small decision made by the owner. But after a spring game, Karen Monfort approached him about the things he had written in his column. He shared, “Karen Monfort wouldn’t let go of my handshake until she took the time to ask if I couldn’t be kind to her husband, to at least be fair.”

Kiszla thinks that this is a fair ask and acknowledges it. This plea comes after the columnist compared the Rockies’ failure to other teams like the Rays and the Royals. But these teams have won or at least reached a World Series with some financial limitations.

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According to Mark Kiszla, the team is more focused on the business front rather than building a team. He said that if Dick Monfort were to leave, then maybe the Rockies get new and better owners. Owners who like to measure success by winning not by the number of hotdogs sold. After he wrote a column with all these criticisms, only 2.6% of the people came out and supported the management.

If the Monforts were looking for a vote of confidence, they might have better luck selling another foot-long hot dog special. When even the owner’s family is pleading for fairness, it’s clear the court of public opinion has already ruled. The Rockies don’t need sympathy—they need a front office that values wins over waffle fries.

Ezequiel Tovar steals the spotlight even with the Rockies losing games

Winning may not be the Rockies’ forte, but seems like, they’ve mastered the art of finding a silver lining. While the scoreboard rarely does them any favors, one thing is undeniable—Ezequiel Tovar is turning heads. Whether the Colorado Rockies win or lose, their young shortstop refuses to blend into mediocrity.

When it is spring, the win-loss record does not matter. All that matters is if the team is improving. After the loss to the White Sox, many were not as annoyed as they thought they would be. All this is because of Ezequiel Tovar. He has been the ray of sunshine during a thunderstorm for the Rockies.

Tovar went 2-3 against the White Sox and also scored a home run. At just 23, he is the top player for the “Numero uno” for the Rockies at shortstop and already has a Golden Glove to show for it. Understandable why the Rockies were adamant about renewing his contract and signed him for a 7-year, $63.5 million deal. A steal for a player of his caliber.

At this rate, the Rockies might not win many games, but at least they’ve secured their most valuable asset. Tovar isn’t just the future—he’s the present, carrying a franchise that desperately needs direction. If only the Rockies managed their roster as well as they managed to lock him down, they might actually be contenders. Think there is a chance?