Rockies star Charlie Blackmon announces his retirement

Charlie Blackmon lasted long enough to bridge Colorado Rockies history from Todd Helton to Ezequiel Tovar. He was a linchpin of the lineup, perpetually reliable even as big-money hopes and dreams rose and faded around him.

And as the Rockies head into their final week of the 2024 season, he announced that this campaign would be his last.

Charlie Blackmon announced his retirement via social media late Monday afternoon, giving him the chance to make one final curtain call during a 6-game homestand at Coors Field to conclude the campaign.

“As a kid you play the game because you love it, like nothing else matters. I still play the game that way, but I don’t feel like a kid anymore. My perspective has changed,” he wrote in his social-media post.

“I have been blessed to call the city of Denver and The Colorado Rockies my
baseball home for the entirety of my career. I am grateful for the support of this organization, my teammates, and most of all Rockies fans. It is with a thankful heart and a career’s worth of memories that I choose a new path.

“Today I’m a ballplayer looking over the fence into uncertainty.

“For what is behind me, I am grateful. My cup runs over. I have been blessed more than any man should expect. I was afforded this opportunity by my parents and sister, who supported my passion and have always been there. My wife Ashley has continued to support my dream and works so hard to give our kids the same opportunities I received. But most importantly, I have been saved by grace and divine intervention has tilted the scales in my direction.

“I don’t know what is on the other side of the fence, but I take solace in knowing one thing remains constant. Although names and faces will change, the game will continue to be played.

“I’ll hop over that fence, pickle the beast and embrace the next phase of my life.”

A four-time All-Star, Blackmon endured and etched his name indelibly in Rockies annals during 14 seasons during which he posted a .292 average and slug 227 home runs heading into this week.

Charlie Blackmon became a central component of the team as it made back-to-back postseason appearances in 2017 and 2018. And even as teammates moved on or faded away, he remained in the lineup, his walk-up song of “Your Love” by The Outfield becoming an indelible part of the Denver sports scene.

The Rockies faded from contention in recent years, but Denver’s love of its longtime slugger remained strong. And now, the Mile High City has one final homestand to salute a star whose career standards are exceeded in Denver only by Hall of Famers.