The Magic of 'Star Wars' Night With the Colorado Rockies

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

A long, long time ago…two days, to be exact…
In a ballpark not very far away…  
Denver Comic Con and Pop Culture Classroom joined forces with the Colorado Rockies…
Born from that alliance was…
Star Wars Night: Episode IV!

The Force was strong in Coors Field as the Colorado Rockies celebrated their 10th sellout of the season. 48,235 baseball fans, Jedis, princesses, droids, and Sith Lords watched as the Rebellion (the Rockies) took down the Empire (Pittsburgh Pirates) seven to three. 
 
There’s a game I play when I go to baseball games or other sporting events. I keep an eye out for jerseys and caps of teams not featured in that night’s contest. When the Rockies took on the Pirates the other night, for instance, I also saw White Sox, Dodgers, D-Backs, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles, and Royals gear around the ballpark. But on nights like Star Wars Night, things get even more interesting. There were as many people wearing costumes or Star Wars shirts as there were wearing the typical baseball gear. Many of those individuals were featured in a pre-game parade, as handfuls of Darth Vaders, Princess Leias, Yodas, Kylo Rens, Darth Mauls, and even a BB-8 made their way around the field. The Star Wars and baseball worlds fused together for an immersive experience throughout the game.
 
The game kicked off with a clever Rockies-themed Star Wars crawl, titled ‘Episode IV: Lodo Magic Awakens’, telling the tale of Denver’s purple warriors using their sabers made of ash to fight off invading black-and-gold clad buccaneers. The team names were replaced by ‘Rebels’ and ‘Empire’ on the scoreboard. Player pictures were accented by Stormtrooper helmets for the players on the Dark Side and Jedi robes or Rebel pilot helmets for the hometown team. Costumed characters filled the concourses for photo opportunities. The always amazing Rockies Twitter account tweeted primarily in Star Wars quotes throughout the game. Even Dinger reclaimed his title as the first purple triceratops to become a Jedi.
 
In past years, the team has given out X-Wing pilot Charlie Blackmon and Carlos ‘Cargo Fett’ Gonzales bobbleheads, as well as various themed t-shirts. This year’s treasures included Jedi Adam Ottavino bobbleheads for the first 15,000 through the gate and Darth Vader Rockies shirts for folks buying the Star Wars ticket package.
 
But the true prize is getting to see longtime fans of the franchise and their children celebrate it in a ballpark. The highlight of my night was seeing an eight year old boy decked out in Rockies gear stop and stand with his jaw dropped as the Star Wars theme blared over the stadium’s sound system. Star Wars and other pop-culture nights are now a common fixture across sports. They are a huge success in their ability to foster moments like these. So cheers to the Colorado Rockies, Denver Comic Con, and Pop Culture Classroom. We’re already excited for Star Wars Night: Episode V! 

---