Charlie Blackmon showed up at Rockies Fest on Saturday with a new haircut and a new title.
The veteran Colorado Rockies outfielder, who retired at the end of 2024 after spending all 14 of his Major League Baseball seasons with the franchise, was announced as the team’s newest special assistant to general manager Bill Schmidt. According to a release from the Rockies, Blackmon will assist in all areas of baseball operations.
Although Blackmon lost his trademark mullet in between his last MLB game at the end of September and Saturday’s debut with his new rule, he was still rocking the beard that helped make him “Chuck Nazty” to a generation of Rockies fans.
“I just felt it was time to clean it up a little bit,” Blackmon said.
That dedication he showed to the Rockies throughout his career where he was a four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger helped launch the next phase of his baseball life.
“The Rockies are a really great organization,” Blackmon said. “They’ve been incredible to me and my family. And it’s really great to have the opportunity to continue to be involved and continue to be around the organization and the game. I’m very excited about this year and the opportunity.”
Blackmon said he will likely be involved in some scouting this season as well as spending time in Scottsdale, Arizona, with the Rockies during spring training and instructional drills. That, he said, allows the passion he felt for the game of baseball to continue in another avenue.
“I don’t think you can be a player at this level the amount of competitiveness you need to have to be successful in the big leagues, and then just turn baseball off,” Blackmon said. “I can’t do that, so I was going to be around it, whether I was buying a ticket or watching on TV, or whatever it may be. But I’m glad that it’s an official capacity around the organization.”
“A guy like Charlie, baseball doesn’t just leave you,” added Rockies manager Bud Black, who managed Blackmon for the final eight years of his career. “It’s in his blood. Some guys are able to walk away when it’s over. Charlie’s not one of those guys.”
Blackmon added that this role, for now, wasn’t full-time, giving him time in the months after his on-field retirement to spend with his family while also learning another side of baseball.
“I do think that this first year, I’m going to spend a whole lot of time with my family, and I’m just glad to be able to have that baseball outlet,” Blackmon said.
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
