Kyle Freeland held back tears thinking about his message to Rockies fans.
The Denver native allowed five earned runs in a 10-2 loss Thursday to the Detroit Tigers at Coors Field. The Rockies extended their Major League worst record with only six wins. Freeland unloaded in his postgame news conference — “We’re playing a bad brand of baseball,” he said — before taking one last question from The Denver Gazette.
Kyle, I know you’ve got a lot of love for this fan base. What would be your message to them, just to keep them in the building, as the team tries to figure out some of these struggles?
Freeland looked down at the podium. Shook his head and took a deep breath. His voice cracked.
“Keep believing in us,” Freeland said. “Keep riding.”
#Rockies have lost five games in a row and have dropped to 6-30 (.167), a 135-loss pace.Kyle Freeland’s message to Denver sports fans:“Keep believing in us. Keep riding.” pic.twitter.com/OdxlPQvopz
— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) May 8, 2025
But Coors Field attendance trends mimic a years-long Rockies struggle in the NL West basement.
The party at 20th and Blake Streets was strong, especially during the early 2022 season, with pandemic restrictions removed on MLB crowd size. Colorado hosted series against the Dodgers, Cubs, Phillies, Reds, Nationals and Royals over their first 18 games that year and Coors Field’s average attendance (tickets sold) was 32,351. The Rockies drew less than 20,000 fans just once during that span.
Now, examine the same data set for the current Rockies.
Their average attendance at Coors Field over the first 18 games in series against the Athletics, Brewers, Nationals, Reds, Braves and Tigers this season was 24,558 — a drop of nearly 8,000 compared to three years ago. The Rockies have so far drawn less than 20,000 fans six different times.
Catcher Hunter Goodman is a feel-good story for historically bad Rockies
Shannon Hurd is a lifelong Rockies fan with family season tickets since Coors Field opened in 1995.
“This year and last year, at the beginning of both seasons, you could feel a noticeable shift,” Hurd told The Denver Gazette. “It is really difficult if I can’t make a game to find somebody who wants to go quite frankly, much less sell it. … It does feel different and not in a good way.”
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Unpredictable spring weather, opposing team interest, economic conditions, and other factors contribute to attendance fluctuations. But a third consecutive 100-loss Rockies campaign now appears likely. Coors Field rarely passes the eye test for an intimidating environment. There is often a road-team advantage.
“It is disheartening, when as the home-team fan, you feel outnumbered,” Hurd said.
Like on Tuesday night, in an extra-innings home loss to Detroit, in the top of the seventh with the game tied at 6-6. A quiet chant in between five claps grew louder from the stands and became audible from the open-air press box at Coors Field: Let’s go Tigers! The hometown fans did not chant back — Let’s go Rockies! — in response.
Colorado failed to pull ahead late.
“Playing in front of big crowds is a lot of fun, especially when the crowd is cheering for you and your boys,” catcher Hunter Goodman told The Denver Gazette last week. “There are nights when there are small crowds, and you’ve still got to go out there and do your thing.”
Bill Collins is a Rockies fan in Fort Collins who purchased a mini plan of 20 games each season for nearly a decade. Not anymore. Collins found himself attending fewer games in recent years with his seat no longer worth the cost.
“I’m not down on the Rockies. I still enjoy watching them and I still catch them on the radio,” Collins said. “If they’re not playing well, you don’t want to pay the extra money to watch the game.”
Rockies open homestand with extra-innings loss to Tigers
A glass-half-full perspective? It could be worse.
The Rockies entered MLB games played Saturday ranked No. 19 in home attendance, according to ESPN. The home crowds in Baltimore, Detroit, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City and other markets are smaller on average despite the Rockies’ league-worst record.
Of course, the allure of Coors Field extends beyond just baseball. Hurd maintains family bonds from her seat and friendships with ballpark employees. She’s discouraged by the team’s seeming lack of identity and some fans “turning on each other” instead of supporting one another.
She is hopeful that another lost season prompts “major change” to avoid total organizational complacency. The Rockies have not finished with a winning record since 2018. Hurd is getting impatient for success reminiscent of “Rocktober” with every seat filled in Coors Field for the playoffs.
“It won’t affect my attendance. But I have noticed it affecting my passion, that’s the truth,” Hurd said. “When I go, I’m going to force myself to stay until the last pitch because that’s my thing. I’m not giving up on my team. But it would be a lie to say that when we’re down by double-digit runs multiple games in a row, that your mind doesn’t start to wander. … I don’t like that change. I’m fighting it honestly. I will continue to show up.”