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Inside the story of Diamond Dogs’ Joel Watkins, LoDo’s iconic hot dog vendor

With the Rockies long eliminated from postseason contention in what was perhaps the most disappointing season in franchise history, I knew the final month of the season provide us sportswriters a chance to get outside of the box.

I found that off-beat idea on the corner of 19th and Wynkoop streets, where Joel Watkins has long operated his “Diamond Dogs” hot dog stand. Watkins has been working outside Coors Field since the stadium’s opening in 1995; I knew him as a kid, frequenting his cart on my various trips to the ballpark each summer.

So, I knew Watkins embodied the baseball spirit of LoDo, even in a summer as tough as the 91-loss 2019 season was.