Marjie Hampson sent a text message last week with an extra exclamation point, for added emphasis. “Leadoff!! Be aggressive,” she wrote. It was like leaving a note in her son’s lunch box. Except her son, Garrett Hampson, is a big-league baseball player.
“I took it to heart,” Hampson said. “When mom tells me to do something, I’m going to listen.”
Less than a week into the season, the Rockies needed a shakeup atop their lineup, a spark, something to add some pressure to the opposing pitcher and his defense. The Rockies weren’t hitting much, so they needed to maximize every runner who reached base. And Hampson already leads the majors in stolen bases.
So Colorado manager Bud Black bumped
