146 ROCKIES MAGAZINE ROCKIES.com | twitter.com/Rockies | twitter.com/LosRockies | facebook.com/Rockies APRIL 2013 his issue of Rockies Magazine is Volume 21, Number 2, meaning the second issue of the 21st year. Sheldon Bergenheier knows that because he possesses every issue of Rockies Magazine in history. “In the early years, I was going to school at Mesa State in Grand Junction and my parents and I would try to make it to Denver a few times throughout the summer,” Bergenheier says. “I realized I had most of the magazines around ’95, then did a little research, called the team and bought all the issues I was missing, which was probably five in those first two or three years. After that, I’ve just been a subscriber.” While he was a college stu- dent at Mesa State College— now Colorado Mesa University—Bergenheier re- members a Rockies Caravan came through the Western Slope with former Manager Don Baylor, relief pitcher Bruce Ruffin and infielder Howard Johnson. He thought the caravan afforded him a unique opportunity to meet some big leaguers in person and get some autographs, but really nothing more at the time. “I thought, ‘I’ll go down, get some baseballs and Rockies Magazines signed and start a collection,’” Bergenheier re- members. “It just kind of ex- ploded from there.” With his magazine collec- tion, Bergenheier, like most college kids, also had some help from mom early on. “My mother would buy [the magazines] for me as a birthday present every year,” Bergenheier remembers. While there are certainly other Rockies fans with a copy of every Rockies Magazine, what makes Bergenheier’s collection especially impressive is that he is not a Rockies Season Ticket Holder and he does not live in Colorado. He uses Rockies Magazine as a means to stay connected with the club and he remains as loyal and enthusiastic a fan as ever. Raised in the mountain town of Meeker, Colo., in a time before the Rockies existed, Bergenheier now lives in northern Nevada with his wife, Jennifer, and two sons, Brooks, 11, and Erick, 8. He has lived in Nevada since 1994, most of his “Rockies life.” Even though he lives a couple of states over from Colorado, Bergenheier has never missed a Spring Training, either at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson or Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. He also visits Coors Field as much as possible during the regular season, with family living in Denver. He keeps all of his Rockies Magazines on a bookshelf in his home office and when asked about his favorite issue or stories that immedi- ately come to mind, Bergenheier quickly mentions the famous Sep- tember 1998 issue. He, of course, knows the month, year, volume and number, not just the guy on the cover. “I was having a conversa- tion today about that exact issue,” he says. “I’m a big Vinny fan and that would be it, the ‘Matador’ issue.” While his dedication and collection of magazines is im- pressive, Bergenheier’s arsenal of Rockies memorabilia does not stop with just the pro- grams. An avid Rockies auto- graph collector, he also boasts a rare and expansive collection of autographed baseballs. “I have a signed ball from every player and coach in Rockies history,” Bergenheier says proudly. “Each one is on a single signed sweet-spot base- ball. I have a wall built in my office that holds them all. I also have a single signed All- Star ball from each year; [Major League Baseball] makes the All-Star ball for each city and I have all those [signed by the Rockies players who represented the club in the All-Star Game that year], except for Carlos Gonzalez from last year. I don’t have that yet.” Bergenheier also has a few multi-player signed balls with various teams or groups of players. For ex- ample, he has a Blake Street Bombers autographed ball, 1993 Open- ing Day starting nine, the entire 1993 team, etc. As the years roll on and new players come into the organization, Bergenheier may have to invest in more square footage to hold all of his memorabilia, but his motivation and love for Rockies collectables endures. And he will continue to make his annual journey to Spring Training and attend as many Rockies games as possible. It won’t be easy, he says, but it never was. “It’s a crazy chase, but it’s fun. And I’m proud to bleed Rockies Purple.” v Rockies Archives, Nevada Style By Julian Valentin T Rockies collector Sheldon Bergenheier with his sons, displaying a few favorite Rockies Magazine issues in front of his extraordinary autograph baseball wall. Inset: A few special multi-player base- balls in the collection.
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146 R O C K I E S M A G A Z I N E ROCKIES.com | twitter.com/Rockies | twitter.com/LosRockies | facebook.com/Rockies A P R I L 2 0 1 3
his issue of Rockies Magazine is Volume 21, Number 2, meaningthe second issue of the 21st year. Sheldon Bergenheier knows
that because he possesses every issue of Rockies Magazine in history.“In the early years, I was going to school at Mesa State in Grand
Junction and my parents and I would try to make it to Denver a fewtimes throughout the summer,” Bergenheier says. “I realized I hadmost of the magazines around’95, then did a little research,called the team and bought allthe issues I was missing, whichwas probably five in those firsttwo or three years. After that,I’ve just been a subscriber.”
While he was a college stu-dent at Mesa State College—now Colorado MesaUniversity—Bergenheier re-members a Rockies Caravancame through the WesternSlope with former ManagerDon Baylor, relief pitcherBruce Ruffin and infielderHoward Johnson. He thoughtthe caravan afforded him aunique opportunity to meetsome big leaguers in personand get some autographs, butreally nothing more at thetime.
“I thought, ‘I’ll go down,get some baseballs and RockiesMagazines signed and start acollection,’” Bergenheier re-members. “It just kind of ex-ploded from there.”
With his magazine collec-tion, Bergenheier, like mostcollege kids, also had somehelp from mom early on.
“My mother would buy[the magazines] for me as abirthday present every year,”Bergenheier remembers.
While there are certainlyother Rockies fans with a copy ofevery Rockies Magazine, what makes Bergenheier’s collection especiallyimpressive is that he is not a Rockies Season Ticket Holder and hedoes not live in Colorado. He uses Rockies Magazine as a means tostay connected with the club and he remains as loyal and enthusiastica fan as ever.
Raised in the mountain town of Meeker, Colo., in a time beforethe Rockies existed, Bergenheier now lives in northern Nevada withhis wife, Jennifer, and two sons, Brooks, 11, and Erick, 8. He has livedin Nevada since 1994, most of his “Rockies life.”
Even though he lives a couple of states over from Colorado,Bergenheier has never missed a Spring Training, either at Hi Corbett
Field in Tucson or Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. He also visits CoorsField as much as possible during the regular season, with family livingin Denver.
He keeps all of his Rockies Magazines on a bookshelf in his homeoffice and when asked about his favorite issue or stories that immedi-ately come to mind, Bergenheier quickly mentions the famous Sep-
tember 1998 issue. He, ofcourse, knows the month,year, volume and number, notjust the guy on the cover.
“I was having a conversa-tion today about that exactissue,” he says. “I’m a bigVinny fan and that would beit, the ‘Matador’ issue.”
While his dedication andcollection of magazines is im-pressive, Bergenheier’s arsenalof Rockies memorabilia doesnot stop with just the pro-grams.
An avid Rockies auto-graph collector, he also boastsa rare and expansive collectionof autographed baseballs.
“I have a signed ball fromevery player and coach inRockies history,” Bergenheiersays proudly. “Each one is ona single signed sweet-spot base-ball. I have a wall built in myoffice that holds them all. Ialso have a single signed All-Star ball from each year;[Major League Baseball]makes the All-Star ball foreach city and I have all those[signed by the Rockies playerswho represented the club inthe All-Star Game that year],except for Carlos Gonzalezfrom last year. I don’t havethat yet.”
Bergenheier also has a fewmulti-player signed balls with variousteams or groups of players. For ex-
ample, he has a Blake Street Bombers autographed ball, 1993 Open-ing Day starting nine, the entire 1993 team, etc.
As the years roll on and new players come into the organization,Bergenheier may have to invest in more square footage to hold all ofhis memorabilia, but his motivation and love for Rockies collectablesendures. And he will continue to make his annual journey to SpringTraining and attend as many Rockies games as possible. It won’t beeasy, he says, but it never was.
“It’s a crazy chase, but it’s fun. And I’m proud to bleed RockiesPurple.” v
Rockies Archives, Nevada StyleBy Julian Valentin
T
Rockies collector Sheldon Bergenheierwith his sons, displaying a few favoriteRockies Magazine issues in front of hisextraordinary autograph baseball wall.
Inset: A few special multi-player base-balls in the collection.
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