It's Getting Hard Not to Root for the Rockies

The Rockies have become everybody's favorite underdog. First they had a scorching finish to the regular season, forcing (and winning) an epic one-game playoff with the Padres.

Then, undaunted by playing the favored Phillies, they won the first two games on the road to put the Phillies on the ropes. But if that wasn't enough, well, there's this -- from the Denver Post:

Manager Clint Hurdle revealed today that the players, of their own accord, voted a playoff share to Amanda Coolbaugh, the widow of Tulsa Drillers coach Mike Coolbaugh.

Coolbaugh, the Drillers' first-base coach, was killed when a line drive struck him in the head during a game earlier this summer. Tulsa is the Rockies' Double-A farm team.
[...]
"I was passed on the information that they voted Amanda Coolbaugh a share - a full share - which I found speaks to their awareness, speaks to their passion, speaks to every good thing about them," Hurdle said.

Make no mistake, we're not talking about chump change -- as the Post points out, if the team goes on to win the World Series, a full share could be as much as $362,000. On a team like the Yankees or Red Sox, that's what's left between the cushions of the clubhouse couch, but the Rockies ranked 25th out of 30 with a modest $54.4 million payroll this year, and 30% of that ($16.6 million) is going to just one player, Todd Helton. For about half the guys on the team, $362K would represent a 50% (or more!) increase to their 2007 salary. Seriously, if you don't have a horse in this race, how can you not be cheering for the Rockies right now?

Previously on FanHouse:
Tulsa Drillers Coach Mike Coolbaugh Killed by Foul Ball