Charlie Blackmon had no illusions of grandeur once he realized his days as a left-handed pitcher were numbered. He’d been a pitcher in high school and junior college and figured when he transferred to Georgia Tech he’d ride his time out on the bench, get a degree and find a job. Life worked out a bit differently.
It all changed when Charlie spent a summer in the Texas Collegiate League and got some advice from Texas Rangers Hall of Famer Rusty Greer. Charlie went into the TCL with a bit of a fib: he told them he could pitch, hit and play defense. Truth be told, he hadn’t hit or played in the field since high school. Regardless, he picked up a wood bat and began to make contact, a lot. He also started to play positions outside of pitcher and Rusty told him he should consider giving up pitching and heading to the outfield. The self-admitted hardheaded Charlie eventually agreed.
He had fairly quick success with his newfound skills at Georgia Tech and got drafted by the Rockies. He worked his way up every level of the minors and finally made his MLB debut in June of 2011. Within a month Charlie had his first hit, RBI, home run and broke his foot, ending his season.
He used his rehab time to finish his degree in finance and found a new appreciation for baseball and the grind. He’d be up and down from the minors to the Rockies for another couple years and then became a staple at Coors Field until his retirement in 2024. Which didn’t last long: in 2025, the Rockies named Charlie a Special Assistant to the General Manager.
Listen to Charlie’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.
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