Charlie Blackmon adapts to new role — of not always being in starting lineup

DENVER — It is jarring to look at a Colorado Rockies lineup and not see the name of Charlie Blackmon in the leadoff spot.


This is so much the case that when the massive Coors Field scoreboard beyond left field bore his name atop the lineup Monday afternoon, the sight felt almost like a warm blanket.

That’s part of the allure of having the longtime stalwart around. No athlete with any of Denver’s “big four” professional teams has been around longer. Blackmon made his Rockies debut on June 7, 2011, 17 days before the Avalanche drafted Gabe Landeskog.

Blackmon’s first Rockies plate appearance was so long ago that Peyton Manning was still an Indianapolis Colt at the time. The city has changed; the skyline looks different. Blackmon and his thick beard — immortalized in giveaway bobbleheads over the years — are such LoDo constants, reaching the point where a Rockies clubhouse without him seems unthinkable.

And yet a lineup without him is becoming a more-frequent occurrence — especially when Kris Bryant is healthy and can work as a designated hitter. Entering Monday, he had a negative WAR. His OPS, which hasn’t been below .732 of any season since his rookie year, stands at .690, even after his best day of the season Monday, when he lashed two doubles and a 3-run shot over the right-field fence.

Monday marked just the 11th time that Blackmon has worked as a right fielder in the Rockies’ 53 games this season. Tuesday night will be the 12th.

Monday, the 37-year-old No. 19 turned back time to his salad days — not just at the plate, but with a sliding catch in the top of the sixth inning to help preserve Josh Rogers’ sterling 5-inning relief appearance.

“Nothing he does surprises us,” Rockies manager Bud Black said.

THE WORKLOAD FOR CHARLIE BLACKMON IS ABOUT MAINTAINING HIS AVAILABILITY AND WORKING IN YOUNG PLAYERS

So, sitting him serves a dual purpose. For one thing, they hope it perceives his health over the course of the season, a campaign that follows a year in which he missed two months due to a hand fracture.

But it also serves the greater mission of the organization.

Even with younger outfielders Jordan Beck and Nolan Jones on the injured list, the Rockies still have a lineup conundrum they must navigate.

The team needs plate appearances with which to evaluate outfielders Hunter Goodman and Sean Bouchard, the latter of whom received a Sunday call-up after Beck broke his hand on a diving catch in last Saturday’s 8-4 loss to Philadelphia. At first base, the Rockies continue to take a look at Elehuris Montero, who has started three of the four games on this homestand and worked at that spot for six of the 10 games during the Rockies’ recent West Coast trip.

And of course, there is Bryant, who handled designated-hitter duties in three of the last four games after working at first base during the 3-game series in Oakland last week.

“The assignment’s changed a little bit, I guess you could say,” Blackmon said. “That doesn’t mean it’s any less important. It just means that I need to not be surprised in certain situations and need to be ready to go when it’s my turn to play.”

Then there are the adjustments in terms of mental preparation that come with coming off the bench. Three times in the last 10 days, Blackmon was used as a pinch hitter.

“The first game of a series, I spend more time scouting than I normally would. I usually scout most of the bullpen on the first day of a series,” Blackmon said. “… I just get to a point where I already have kind of played the at-bat in my mind and know that I shouldn’t be surprised when I get out there in a game.”

He’s always ready. And so are the home fans.

Charlie Blackmon still elicits the loudest roars from fans when he strides to the plate. And few among us in the Denver sports galaxy will ever not say, “to-NIIIIGHT” to oneself when hearing the opening lyrics of “Your Love” by The Outfield.

But time is running short — whether he ends up playing through the rest of the season, packing his bags for another team before the trade deadline or experiencing a similar fate as to last year in landing on the injured list.

A performance like Monday’s is to be savored. There may not be many left, especially if he remains in a platoon that is necessary to evaluate the next generation of Rockies, but puts a moist blanket on rhythm and continuity. Trade rumblings will be inevitable given the chasm that exists between the Rockies and a postseason conversation.

But no matter what, Charlie Blackmon will be prepared.

“I can’t count how many times I’ve said this: He comes every day prepared, as routine-oriented as anybody I’ve ever been around,” Black said.

“And he’s all about competing to win the game, doing his part to help us win.”

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