Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort seems to be having some trouble communicating with disgruntled fans unhappy with the team’s performance, even insinuating that the team might move. In two separate incidents, Monfort responded to the fans in brusque fashion.
CBS4 reported that an anonymous season ticket holder, 57, emailed the Rockies fan feedback on July 5: “The Monforts have no business owning a baseball team and their missteps in hiring ‘the good old boys’ for front office and management positions is solid evidence of their ineptitude. They have ruined pro baseball in this region while generating millions of dollars in profit.”
The next day, Monfort shot back via email from his iPad, “By the way you talk maybe Denver doesn’t deserve a franchise, maybe time for it to find a new home. Thanks.”
But by July 8, Monfort was more contrite, emailing the fan: “I have no defense we have played poorly, this is a time where we all hang in together, we are all part of the team…my goal is to get us playing like I think we should.”
Monfort confirmed the original email with CBS4 on Thursday, July 10, acknowledging: “I sort of remember. I do remember that. I was rapid firing it.” He added, “I don’t even have an idea what I meant to say…. What I meant to say was maybe we, the owners, don’t deserve a franchise.” He concluded that he wasn’t trying to say he would move the team, saying, “That’s not what I meant.”
But the season ticket holder, apprised of Monfort’s later explanation, said he thought Monfort was indeed threatening to move the team. He said, “Making a threat to move the team from your iPad is not a constructive move.”
News Channel 5 reported that in another incident, Michael Ferguson, from Grand Junction, attended the July 4 game with his family of five. After the Rockies lost the game, Ferguson said he left a comment card: “I wrote a little bit about how it’s frustrating to spend the money to see teams that constantly struggle all the time.”
Monfort fired Ferguson an email, blustering, “If product and experience that bad don’t come!” Ferguson said, “That was a shock. I never expected that. You might get an automated response, if anything. But to get something like that, short and simple like that, it almost feels like they don’t care about the fans.” He added that he spent $288 on the tickets and said, “We’re big fans. The whole family is, long as I can remember.”
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