‘Star Wars’ Night with the Colorado Rockies 2019 Recap

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

Episode VI: Return of the Crowds

You know the old adage, “I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out”? We might need to spin that to cover a certain annual trend in Major League Baseball. Let’s try: “I went to a Star Wars convention and a baseball game broke out”. That would be the most apt description of how Star Wars nights are trending. What began as a unique theme night has turned into a beloved tradition, a gathering of nerdy organizations and fans from around Colorado, and an extension of the comic and pop culture conventions that the state has to offer.
 
The sixth rendition of the event took place last Saturday, August 3rd, at Coors Field. This may have been the biggest one yet. Walking around, it was hard to distinguish whether you were at a con or at a baseball game, as the number of Star Wars shirts and costumes rivaled the number of Rockies shirts and baseball jerseys. The Mountain Garrison 501st Legion made their usual costumed appearance. They and stormtroopers, Wookies, and Jedi of all ages took the field pre-game for an impressive cosplay parade, the biggest one I’ve seen in my years attending the event. The line of cosplayers wrapped around the entirety of the field and then some. Just as impressive was the line of individuals collecting their beautifully designed purple Boba Fett t-shirt from the theme night ticket package. Fans entering the game early also walked away with an awesome R2-D2 drink koozie. 
 
The festivities continued throughout the concourse. A table of artists cranked out Star Wars sketches for fans, while face painters on the other side of the ballpark decked kids out as their favorite characters or with cool Star Wars designs. The Coors Field graphics team came up with another outstanding and hilarious Star Wars crawl for the jumbotron, taking shots at the opposing San Francisco Giants (and their famed garlic fries) along the way. The rest of the video package and the graphics throughout the game were a blast. 
 
The game on the field was a thrilling one, despite a heartbreaking home loss for the Rebellion. On paper, the matchup between two struggling NL West teams looked to be far from a powerful clash of the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. Instead, it was a back and forth affair that was so dramatic at times, it felt like “Duel of the Fates” should be blaring over the stadium speakers. The Giants held off an attempted Rockies’ rally in the bottom of the 9th to escape the mountainous Planet Coors with a 6-5 win. 

The mixed crowd of Star Wars and baseball fans was electric, to the tune of 47,540 in attendance. It’s becoming quite clear that Star Wars theme nights are both a staple and a major draw across the MLB. In fact, 29 of the 30 MLB teams hosted or plan to host a Star Wars game in the 2019 season. It has become a staple for fans of the franchise, too. What may have initially been a novelty for Star Wars fans is now a yearly staple marked on the calendar months in advance, as evidenced by those who bought their themed ticket package early and turned out in droves for the game. Sci-fi and sports have come to a harmonious accord that is sure to last long past Episode VII in 2020.

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