Rockies Return, But Not All Boys of Summer are Back

Danny Sanchez. Credit: Giles Clasen

Story and Photo By Giles Clasen

The Colorado Rockies return to the field today, but not everyone in the organization is back to work.

With no fans at the games, there is no need for concession workers, ticket takers, or security guards. 

That means not everyone who works for the Rockies organization is getting their season-shortened, pro-rated salary, leaving a much greater than a dollar-bill-size hole in some people’s lives.

“I have been involved in sports my whole life, since I was a small child,” said Donny Sanchez, a longtime security guard for the Rockies. 

No one wants to be at Coors Field for opening day more than Donny Sanchez. “Working security for the Rockies has been a way to keep myself involved in sports.” Sanchez also works security for the Pepsi Center and all Avalanche and Nuggets games

“March 9th, that’s when everything changed,” Sanchez said. “I finished working the Avalanche game, and we got word Rudy Gobert, with the Utah Jazz, was diagnosed with the coronavirus. Things moved really quickly after that. Sports began shutting down., and I was out of a job.”

Sanchez keeps photos on his phone of the times he has had to tackle fans who ran onto the field. He is proud of the work he did. He is proud of the signatures he has collected from players. Sanchez loves to talk memorabilia. He loves to talk sports, but these days finds himself talking about the coronavirus.

A hard worker, Sanchez has always pieced together a few jobs and worked many hours to pay his bills. In addition to his security jobs he has worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant for years. He was set to add a third security job this summer, working on field security for the Colorado Rapids. 

It was through a client that he was introduced to the Rockies. 

With COVID-19 sucking life from the economy, Sanchez now works one job for a nursing home. He also provides care for his adult disabled son, who suffers from a seizure disorder. 

He doesn’t want a hand-out. He wants to get back to work, but he knows he can’t.

The loss of his security jobs has made it difficult to pay his bills. He believes the loss of his security jobs means a 60-to-70 percent loss of his income.

“I’m lucky, though. My Landlord understands and is being cooperative," Sanchez said. "My landlord hasn’t been charging late fees. My lease expired but they let me go month to month until I get caught up. Once caught up I’ll sign another lease.”

While he has been out of work from his security jobs since March, Sanchez was unable to apply for unemployment until late June because it took that long for him to receive paperwork that he had been furloughed.

He has appreciated the extra $600 a week that is applied to unemployment, but that additional income is set to run out. “I am worried a little bit about homelessness,” Sanchez said. “I don’t know what I can do. I might have to look for another line of work.”

He loved his jobs working in sports because it helped him escape his anxiety. Since being furloughed Sanchez, like many Americans, has lived with higher levels of anxiety and depression.

“I have been trying to deal with being out of work by helping people out, by volunteering,” Sanchez said. “That is what drives me, helping people. That’s why I work as a CNA. That is why I work security – it is a job where you really help people.”

Sanchez hopes something will come along and help him out and get everyone back to the field, back to the bars and back to the stores. 

He knows that won’t happen as long as COVID-19 continues to spread. Sanchez takes COVID-19 very seriously. He has had family members get sick and lost a friend to the disease.

“I’m just waiting for everything to change again. Until then I am trying to go back to work somewhere.”