At retirement presser, Charlie Blackmon explains why he never left

Colorado Rockies legend Charlie Blackmon announced his retirement on Monday night, and held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon to discuss that decision.

Blackmon spoke about a variety of topics, including wanting to have some sort of role with the Rockies moving forward once his playing days are behind him.

But perhaps the most interesting question came from a reporter who asked Blackmon why he never left Colorado. He played 14 years in Denver, and just two of those ended with a postseason berth. It would’ve been easy to ask out of town, especially the last six years where the team has finished significantly below a .500 record.

Blackmon gave a lengthy and thoughtful answer on the subject.

“So baseball is super hard. Careers are fragile. Bodies are fragile. There’s a lot that goes into playing the game, and I think a big part of it is being in a good situation where you want to be and in a situation where they want you to be there also,” Blackmon said.

Blackmon said that was a two-way street. He wanted to be a Rockie and the organization wanted him. That was very important in never looking to play somewhere else.

“This is where I wanted to play. This is all I’ve known. I think, to go somewhere else and hope for the best that, you know, I didn’t see the benefit in leaving, and ultimately, I’d like to see this franchise be successful and play well and win. And it would mean a lot more to me, and it means a lot more to me to have been successful here, and to have made it to the playoffs, and to have guys that I’ve seen grow up in this clubhouse be successful,” Blackmon said.

Essentially, Blackmon wanted to see thing thing through. He was on two very good teams that made the playoffs in 2017 and 2018, but unfortunately only had one postseason win.

And in a twist of irony, Nolan Arenado was in the room at the retirement presser. The St. Louis Cardinals are in Denver for a series, so Arenado wanted to support his buddy. Of course, Arenado is one of those guys who forced his way out.

“I mean, ultimately, that is so much more rewarding for me than to, you know, like bounce around. Not to discredit anybody else who’s chosen to leave, but like, this is one of the few choices you get in the game is where you want to play, and I made that choice to stay here in Colorado,” Blackmon said.

Rockies fans can appreciate that attitude from one of their favorite players ever. And this week before he officially plays his last game on Sunday will be all about honoring Charlie Blackmon.