DENVER - That sign welcoming you to this fine city notes that the elevation is 5,280 feet. The white stuff atop those mountains on the not-so-distant horizon? It's snow. And the calendar does say it's October.
So if, as predicted, tonight's Game 3 of this National League division series is played here in snowy, below-freezing temperatures that seem better suited for the Broncos, no one should be surprised.
"Hey, it's October in Denver," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "It can go from beautiful to miserable in 45 minutes."
The potential for what could be the coldest postseason conditions in memory dominated the conversations before, during, and after the Phillies' workout yesterday on a crisp, blue-sky afternoon at downtown Coors Field.
"Everybody's asking us about the weather," Greg Dobbs said, "but really, I haven't heard one of the guys in here talking about it. . . . What we're focusing on is the game. We all want to play. It's tough sitting around when you've got all that energy."
The latest forecast was for light snow or mixed precipitation and temperatures that could dip as low as 28 degrees before things clear and warm up.
The coldest postseason game anyone could remember was Game 3 of the 1997 World Series, in Cleveland. Snow flurries fell that night at Jacobs Field, the thermometer hit 38, and the windchill was at 15.
"I was there," said Phils manager Charlie Manuel, the Indians' hitting coach at the time. "It was cold."
And for all those who think snow and cold might favor the pitchers, he noted that the Florida Marlins beat the Indians that night by 14-11.
"I've seen a lot of hitting in cold weather and I've seen vice versa," Manuel said.
Even though that game took place just 12 years ago, advances in insulated clothing make it far easier now for ballplayers to endure.
"If you ask them today, they'll tell you that once the game starts, they usually stay pretty warm," said Manuel, who said he had managed in 16-degree cold when he was at Colorado Springs.
The Phils will stay warm because, when equipment manager Frank Coppenbarger heard the forecast, he loaded up the cold-weather gear for the trip.
"Turtlenecks, [insulated] undershirts, those skullcaps they wear now under their caps, stocking caps, hand warmers, gloves, mittens, parkas," Coppenbarger said, reeling off the litany of extra clothing he brought. "No sense leaving it back on the East Coast when you might need it."
In addition to all that, he said, there likely will be gas warmers in the dugouts and plenty of hot drinks in the clubhouses.
"Coffee will be a big seller," Coppenbarger said.
According to Dobbs, several Phillies, to keep active in the cold, will ride a stationary cycle or pace the dugout tunnel when they get the chance. Most will carry hand warmers in their back pockets.
Phils starter Pedro Martinez, a native of the Dominican Republic, said that while he remained physically unaccustomed to the cold, it wasn't a concern.
"I'm going to enjoy the snow," he said after Game 2. "Maybe I'll be running the bases in a snowmobile."
On another cold October night in Cleveland, this one during an American League division series in '99, Manuel watched Martinez pitch six hitless innings for Boston in Game 5 relief. The recollection undoubtedly helped the manager pick a Game 3 starter.
"That was in Pedro's heydays, when he could throw like 94, 98, and had four pitches," Manuel recalled. "And that night when he came in . . . he was throwing about 84, 86. I was getting on our hitters because he was getting us out. He pitched a heck of a game, and it was cold."
Coors Field already produces enough problems for pitchers. There are the mile-high altitude and the enormous outfield, which encourages fielders to play so deep that base hits routinely drop in front of them. Now, they're anxious to see how the balls - stored in stadium humidors to rein in their liveliness - react in the subfreezing air.
"You'd think they wouldn't carry as far," Amaro said, "but who really knows?"
While virtually every Phillie downplayed any potential weather-related problems, at least one hoped baseball executives would postpone the game rather than allow it to turn into a replica of Game 5 from last year's World Series.
"There's no advantage to either team," said Matt Stairs, a native of Canada. "It might knock down the running game a little bit, with tight muscles and stuff. I've played in cold weather before and I'd say 32, 35 is a little too cold to play. It's a late game. You have to take into consideration fans trying to watch the game. You don't want a sloppy playoff game."
"My personal rule of thumb is, any time it's under 30, with any kind of moisture in the air, I think they should bang it," said Brad Lidge, who grew up near here and lives in Denver in the off-season. "But if they do start the game, you'd better be ready to play. You have to tough it out. Part of the beauty of Colorado is you never know what the weather will do."
Contact staff writer Frank Fitzpatrick at 215-854-5068 or ffitzpatrick@phillynews.com.
