Jun. 22--The Colorado Rockies have discovered Salt Lake City -- again.
This time, the National League baseball team's attempt to mine a Utah fan base is more sincere. It is also driven by necessity.
That's what happens when a sure thing dries up. Drawing fans wasn't a worry when Colorado first opened for business 15 years ago. The Rockies averaged more than 55,000 their first two seasons in Mile High Stadium and at least 46,000 the next four at Coors Field.
Attendance dropped after a series of bad teams and poor free agent signings. In 2005, the Rockies, 26th in fan support, weren't a hot ticket anymore. Marketing people had to go to work outside of Colorado, offering more than a caravan of players passing through town, which is what happened in the team's first season in 1993.
"We made a lot of bad mistakes," said Charlie Monfort, team founder and a managing general partner since 1992. "We took our lumps and rightfully so."
So, Monfort, also a University of Utah alum, and other Colorado management, including club president Keli McGregor, traveled to Salt Lake City prior to the start of this season in an effort to drum up interest among Utah baseball fans. After all, the Rockies are the closest Major League franchise to Salt Lake City; a 90-minute plane ride and eight hours by car.
"We've always been a regional team," McGregor said. "We've also recognized that this is a great market. We'd like to slowly, genuinely build small layers of credibility and authenticity here and let people know that right over the mountains there is Major League Baseball."
McGregor's appeal is not just to fans of the Rockies, but baseball fans looking for a game to attend. He knows that once connections are made, usually they are long lasting.
In that vein, the Rockies are scheduled to broadcast 124 games this season on cable channel FSN Utah, which has purchased advertising at Franklin Covey Field during Salt Lake Bees games. Colorado is bringing the same game plan to Wyoming, Nebraska and any other region its signal penetrates.
As expected, broadcasts are Colorado- and Denver-focused. As of yet, there haven't been ticket and air promotions aimed at Utah viewers.
"Salt Lake City is a great market," Monfort said. "Shame on us for not thinking about that sooner. We always wanted to be a regional provider for Major League baseball. We're the only one in the area, outside of Phoenix."
Well, the West Coast, too. Because Utah doesn't have a Major League team, it has become a melting pot of affiliations.
SomeSaintFan 
