The Rocky Mountain Vibes are no more, ending 37 continuous years of minor-league baseball in Colorado Springs.
Vibes Owner D.G. Elmore Jr. confirmed in a late October email statement the team is “no longer going to operate in Colorado Springs. Changes in the Pioneer League recently — closing of the team in Windsor and the moving of the team in Grand Junction — and, over the past few years, have made it unsustainable.” He added that the team is “very appreciative of the community and fan support.”
The Vibes were part of the 14-team Pioneer League, which has replaced the Windsor and Grand Junction teams with franchises in Long Beach and Modesto, Calif., meaning the nearest remaining teams would be in Ogden, Utah, and Billings, Montana. Officials from the Pioneer League, where teams travel to away games by bus, could not be reached for comment on the Vibes shutdown.
Rumors spread for weeks about the Vibes shutdown and intensified Oct. 20-24, when the team launched a “garage sale” of desks, mini-refrigerators, televisions and team gear with team personnel saying the Vibes were preparing for a “renovation.” The team’s final event was its annual “Baseballoween” fireworks display on Oct. 24, featuring a costume contest and on-field trick-or-treating.
Read more on the Vibes in the December Digest.