DENVER -- Rockies left-handed pitcher Kyle Freeland carried a bemused expression as he navigated Holm Elementary School's tight hallways. Not many years before, there was plenty of room for him there, and the cafeteria tables were a lot taller than knee-high.
The place didn't stay strange for long. His mom, Susan Freeland, still works in the school office. A handful of teachers from when he was a student were still there when he visited Thursday during a Rockies Winter Caravan appearance with pitcher Jon Gray, infielder Pat Valaika and the triceratops mascot, Dinger, who challenged Freeland for most-popular purple visitor.