On Dreams Deffered

AT ONE POINT, when pondering ideas for this issue, one of the stories being considered was a celebration of baseball—more specifically the Hall of Fame and the induction of Larry Walker, the Colorado Rockies’ superstar who was slated to enter Cooperstown later this month…

By Anthony Cotton

A lot has changed, of course, and the idea of celebrating seems like a chore that many of us, wearied by the novel coronavirus and more recently, social unrest, can’t muster the strength for. Even baseball, which at one point might have offered something of a respite from our collective malaise, is shuttered; its failure to launch not due so much to health concerns, but rather, money.

The tone-deaf optics generated by news of billionaires battling millionaires for a bigger slice of the pie isn’t cause for celebration, but rather consternation—even for some people who work in the industry. People like Drew Goodman. Although he’s been the television voice of the Rockies for 19 years, at press time Goodman was no different than any other fan of the game, uncertain when—or if—it would return in 2020. In this post from the July issue, he shares some strong opinions, about that uncertainty, along with a number of other topics—including his response to social media critics who aren’t hesitant to share their opinions about his work.

As good of a player as Larry Walker was, he almost missed his chance at being recognized by the Hall of Fame, the pinnacle of a lifetime of achievement, because some voters found him lacking in comparison to some of baseball’s all-time greats. It’s a subjective argument that can be found in any sport, including golf. Does it come down to hard and fast numbers, like victories? Is it the impact that the work has on the lives of others, perhaps for generations? Or are you penalized for doing your best work away from the bright lights of the big city? In this post from the July issue, we look at a man, Gene Torres, who would seem to meet all of the criteria, and then some, for recognition. And yet, the native of Trinidad, who started with next to nothing, but went on to an esteemed career, both in Colorado and across the border in New Mexico—touching thousands of lives—has been found wanting when it comes to our state’s Golf Hall of Fame. It’s an injustice that hopefully can be rectified soon.

Of course, it’s a very easy cliché to say that someone who flashes even a momentary glimpse of talent is on a fast track to the Hall of Fame. But in the case of Jennifer Kupcho, the words seem more firmly grounded in substance than hype. The Westminster native, who won the NCAA championship in 2018 as a student at Wake Forest University, then took the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur the following year, has already made 2020 a special season—even with her playing opportunities severely curtailed by the pandemic. In June, Kupcho, who is now based in Arizona, returned home to Colorado and showed skills that, while perhaps not quite worthy—yet—of the World Golf Hall of Fame, certainly will make her a name to be reckoned with on the LPGA for years to come. In an event that organizers say featured its strongest field ever, Kupcho emerged victorious in the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open, earning her first professional victory. In this post from the July issue, we look back at that win. We also take a look in this post at two men, Nick Mason of Parker and Sam Saunders—the defending CoBank Colorado Open’s men champ—who find themselves grinding it out week after week, not so much trying to reach the Hall of Fame as just gaining a toehold in the game.

It’s a decidedly nonglamorous, often frustrating and disappointing pursuit. But neither man is deterred; rather, they are determined that their talent will eventually take them places—maybe someday to an induction ceremony.

After all, even Larry Walker had to start somewhere.