Colorado Rockies news and links for Monday, January 26, 2026
For years, many folks have clamored for the Colorado Rockies to honor their history. Many teams around the league have some sort of “Hall of Fame” honoring great achievements in franchise history. The Arizona Diamondbacks came into the league five years after the Rockies did, and even they set up both a 20th Anniversary Experience in 2018and a team Hall of Fame in 2024. The Rays, who also joined MLB in 1998, created their own team Hall of Fame in 2023; and the Miami Marlins — the Rockies’ 1993 expansion twins — created one in 2025.
In 2022, Skyler Timmins wrote about establishing a Rockies Hall of Fame. In 2025, Evan Lang called upon the Rockies to celebrate more of their history. After all, they now have two Hall of Famers in Cooperstown and both have had their numbers retired.
While the team has not officially announced a team Hall of Fame, they did make an announcement on Saturday at Rockies Fest: Hall of Famers Larry Walker and Todd Helton would be honored with statues commemorating their time with the Rockies.
While Helton was unable to attend the festival due to an illness, both Walkers — Larry and Monfort — were on hand to discuss the momentous occasion.
“A while back, a few of us here internally got together,” Monfort explained.
“Obviously, we have two retired numbers up there — 33 and 17. It commemorates their incredible achievements as Rockies, both Todd and Larry. To me, they are a big part of me being a baseball fan today. They’re just incredible athletes, and we took it a step further. We got together and decided ‘Hey, we ought to also commemorate here at Coors Field the fact that they are also both members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
“So this year, we are very excited to announce that on Sunday, August 23, we will unveil a Larry Walker statue here at Coors,” he continued. “And on Saturday, September 19, we will unveil a Todd Helton statue.”
In addition to the statues, Monfort also said that fans will receive commemorative mini statues. (“I wouldn’t say bobbleheads because their heads don’t bobble.”)
“Obviously, these two have meant so much not only to me and my family personally, but to all of us Rockies fans and staff, and we’re very excited that they will live forever here at Coors Field.”
Larry Walker said he has already met with the sculptors, and explained how much this moment means to him.
“The number being retired, and you walk in the ballpark, and I see 33 up there, trust me, it melts my heart. It’s a pretty cool honor to have that,” Walker said.
“And then when the phone call comes and says ‘We’re going to put a statue outside the ballpark’ — those are two pretty cool things that when you play baseball you don’t (think about). And I’m glad I enjoyed my career in a Rockies uniform, and I’m honored and thank you to the Monfort and Rockies family for allowing this to happen.”
Monfort mentioned that they took inspiration from the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, as well as the New York Yankees Monument Park. He also said the process has been in the works for the last five or so years, with Vice President of Community Relations and Retail Operations Jim Kellogg working to secure the sculptors.
Eventually, the Rockies commissioned George and Mark Lundeen of Lundeen Sculptures in Longmont.
Even though the Rockies are still considered an expansion team, they do have history to be recognized and are finally leaning into it.
“If you’ve been a Rockies fan for long enough, we’ve been impacted by these guys,” Monfort said.
“We have memories that will never, ever go away because we were either here or we saw something on TV, and that’s what this is all about. We’re capturing history, and want to be able to explain our history to future generations and to the kids that are running around here that didn’t have the chance to see them play… that’s why it’s so important to us.”
While this wasn’t an official “Rockies Hall of Fame” announcement, it is a step in the right direction. The Rockies have had some bad years as of late and won’t be competitive in 2026. However, there is a new vibe at 20th and Blake; there is an optimism for what can be accomplished, and there is a lot of buy-in from coaches and players. While the statues might be part of “the future of nostalgia,” it’s a great way for the Rockies to continue to honor their greatest players while setting a precedent for the future.
Kevin Henry offers a look at not only the statue announcement, but other goings-on from Rockies Fest.
Rockies Future Success Hinges on Development of Two Future Stars | Sports Illustrated
There is a lot riding on the 2026 season, but even more in the seasons beyond. Matt Postins identifies Ethan Holliday and Charlie Condon as key cogs to turn the franchise around. So far they’ve showed promise, and Condon could be in the majors potentially as early as 2026.
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Category: General Sports
