DENVER -- Who helped Charlie Blackmon become, well, Charlie Blackmon?

With lots of time for reflection and perspective, several Rockies took some time to discuss the three biggest influences that helped them get to where they are today. We’ll post these periodically.

Blackmon, the Rockies’ star right fielder, grew up near Atlanta and took the long route in developing. He pitched at Young Harris College outside Atlanta, transferred to Georgia Tech and was a sometimes-used pitcher before blossoming into an outfielder -- and eventually one of the Majors’ top hitters.

Here are his influences, in his words:

1. “Mom [Ellen] and dad [Myron] -- they were instrumental in teaching me how to work hard, what it meant to achieve success, and how to do things and treat people the right way."

2. “Junior college coach Rick Robinson [at Young Harris College] was very influential, as his program implemented a lot of discipline. This helped me really focus on what was important while building lasting friendships."

3. “The Crowe family: The father, Mike, coached Little League with my dad. They coached together a long time. His son, Alex, is one of my best friends. We would play ball all day, have sleepovers, and generally had an awesome time together. Alex’s mother, Sheri, would feed us and support us constantly. I had a great childhood with support from the Crowe family.

“Alex was a catcher when I pitched in Little League and pitched in college. Mike played college baseball and coached us up good. Both Mike and Alex served as firemen in Gwinnett County [Ga.].”