SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning officially retired from the National Football League on Monday, and on Tuesday, Rockies manager Walt Weiss was asked for his thoughts about the man who helped bring Denver a Super Bowl victory last month in his final game.
"Yeah, what an incredible person and what an incredible career," Weiss said hours before the Rockies traveled across the valley to play the defending World Series champion Royals at Surprise Stadium. "Talk about an ambassador for the sport; in my opinion, he's one of the greatest to ever play the position. I think you have to talk about him being in the top three in the very least.
"What a treat for the people of Denver and the Rocky Mountain region to be able to watch Peyton Manning play for the Broncos and finish his career with them and win a Super Bowl. We shouldn't take that for granted. What's it been, four years? That's pretty special to have an athlete of that caliber perform in our city and do the things that he did."
Weiss' career dovetailed very nicely with Manning's. Weiss has been manager of the Rockies since 2013, a year after Manning joined the Broncos from the Indianapolis Colts.
Manning played for two Super Bowl champions. Weiss played shortstop for three successive A's American League pennant winners and the 1989 World Series champs. Weiss also played four years in the Rockies' organization.
Watching Manning, Weiss said he was hoping this would be the end of the line for the nearly 40-year-old who played through a number of injuries and missed the entire 2011 season after neck surgery.
"To be honest with you, deep down I was hoping he'd retire," Weiss said. "I just thought it was the perfect ending. You never know how these are going to go for professional athletes, but I was glad to see that. I just wanted to see a guy like that, a first-class guy go out on top like he is. It's a perfect ending to an amazing career."