The Colorado Rockies began the 2024 spring training season on February 23 in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. As they have done in previous years, the Rockies hosted a youth baseball skills camp in collaboration with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. The camp took place on February 21 at the Way of Life Facility baseball field.

Dinger, the official Rockies mascot, greeted Community members and their families. Many of the children asked Dinger if he knew Barney, the children’s television character. True to form, obeying the mascot rule of not speaking, Dinger played along with the children and posed for photos with them instead. SRPMIC Recreation Department staff handed out official Colorado Rockies T-shirts for the kiddos to wear during the skills camp. 

On the diamond, the Rockies set up five skill stations for SRPMIC youth to enjoy: a timed agility course, fielding, a home run derby, pitching and hitting. Athletes and staff from the Colorado Rockies, as well as their AAA affiliate team, the Albuquerque Isotopes, assisted at each of the stations.

Lucas Gilbreath, a pitcher on this year’s Rockies team, headlined the hitting practice drill and tossed baseballs underhand from the mound. As soon as a few of the youth blasted Gilbreath’s pitches for doubles, he tightened up his pitching style just a bit but still kept things fun. A professional major league pitcher since 2021, Gilbreath has a career ERA (earned run average) of 3.78, and he said that he looks to improve on his numbers for the Rockies when their regular season begins. 

The Rockies spent the remainder of February playing spring training games at Salt River Fields and will continue to do so as they prepare for MLB Opening Day on March 28. Their official home opener will be on April 5 in Denver against the Tampa Bay Rays.