Rockies' Charlie Blackmon prepares for 13th season: 'I'm still just as excited'
Feb. 19—SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Charlie Blackmon will never forget his first major league spring training.
To his left was Todd Helton, the future Hall of Famer. On his right was Troy Tulowitzki, the five-time All-Star. And in the middle was a baby-faced, beardless Blackmon just trying to make the team.
No pressure, kid.
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"I was so nervous," Blackmon recalled from his locker at Salt River Fields. "It definitely pushed my comfort zone."
Thirteen years later, as he prepares for the first official day of spring training on Monday, things are a little bit different for him. He's done and seen nearly everything, from playoff appearances to All-Star games to award nominations. He's the leader of the team, and the one now intimating the next generation. He's a lock, obviously, for opening day and ranks in the top 10 in franchise history in nearly every eligible category.
But the more things change, the more they stay the same: those first day butterflies are still there even after all this time.
"I'm still just as excited," he said.
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The only question marks now surrounding Blackmon are where he'll play and how much longer he'll be doing it. Blackmon is in the last year of his contract, picking up his last option for $15 million in October. The addition of the designated hitter though, as well as the ban of the shift, could add a few more years to his career.
He notably disdained the idea of not being a "complete player" when the designated hitter spot was added to the National League a year ago. But the more he did it, the more it grew on him. He ended up as the designated hitter in 84 games, compared to 51 in right field.
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He'll likely spend even more time as the designated hitter this season, but there still needs to be a balance, he said. He prefers to go only a few days at a time without being in his corner spot but said it's hard on his body if he plays too many days in a row in the field.
"I liked it better than I thought I would," Blackmon said. "I like it, it's not a bad place to be or to play. There are advantages and disadvantages, but I'm looking forward to doing it at least a little bit this year."
And although he doesn't have to worry about making the team, he still has things that keep him up at night. Two, to be specific. Blackmon and his wife welcomed their second child during the offseason. A man devoted to his routine, he's had to adjust his, most notably his sleep schedule and free time.
The whole gang is along for the ride now, whether it be for just one more year or decades to come.
"For most of my life and most of my career, baseball has been the top priority and I've approached it as such," he said. "Baseball is still a very high priority ... family has to be first."
Charlie Blackmon through the years
Charlie Blackmon is synonymous with the Colorado Rockies. A look at his performance since his debut in 2011.
2011: 27 GP, .255 BA, 1 HR
2012: 42 GP, .283 BA, 2 HR
2013: 82 GP, .309 BA, 6 HR
2014: 154 GP, .288 BA, 19 HR, All-Star
2015: 157 GP, .287 BA, 17 HR
2016: 143 GP, . 324 BA, 17 HR
2017: 159 GP, .331 BA, 17 HR, All-Star, Silver Slugger
2018: 156 GP, .291 BA, 29 HR, All-Star, Silver Slugger, 5th place MVP finish
2019: 140 GP, .314 BA, 32 HR, All-Star
2020 (pandemic-shortened season): 50 GP, .303 BA, 6 HR
2021: 150 GP, .270 BA, 13 HR
2022: 135 GP, .264 BA, 16 HR
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