DENVER - Camouflage is the new black in the Colorado Rockies' clubhouse. It's popular among several players, including Todd Helton and Brad Hawpe. When they walk into the clubhouse it's not uncommon for a teammate or manager Clint Hurdle to say, "I can't see you. Are you there? Where are you?"

The Rockies can no longer hide in plain sight. Anonymity became a stranger on Monday night when they toppled Arizona in the National League Championship Series.

Everything is different, even something the kids have picked up on.

"Now my daughter (Tierney) thinks after every game we come in here and jump around and pour beer on each other," Helton said. "She asked the other night, 'Daddy, are we taking a beer shower?' "

The only thing the Rockies will be taking this week is ticket requests. Their next opponent will be either Boston or Cleveland. Their next challenge will be dealing with distractions.

The players acknowledged Wednesday that life has changed with their World Series berth. Just check their phone logs and text messages if you don't believe it. Everybody wants a seat, the urgency increasing after initial tickets were being offered online for as much as $5,900.

"It feels like you are planning a wedding. You have a guest list and you have to work your way through it," utilityman Jeff Baker said. "The only good thing is that we have some time to get it knocked out."

Colorado's eight-day break before a World Series is unprecedented. They open at the American League city Wednesday. Nonetheless, the Rockies are taking steps to ensure a seamless transition.

A team meeting was held after Wednesday's workout in which general manager Dan O'Dowd and Paul Egins, the club's director of major league operations, addressed ticket and lodging logistics.

The message was simple: resolve these issues as soon as possible. Players receive only four tickets per game, and borrowing a teammates' allotment, common during the regular season, is no longer an option given the demand. That might seem easy to handle until a brother or family friend needs help.

"You have people calling wanting five. They mean well, but it's like, 'Are you kidding me?' " said third base coach Mike Gallego, who won a World Series ring with the Oakland A's as a player. "It's a concern. You have to tell them that the best seat is on their couch at home. The players have to understand that it's OK to say no."

Many players have an unofficial elimination process, channeling requests through wives or mom and dad.

"People wanting tickets is not unwarranted. It is the World Series," said center fielder Cory Sullivan. "But you can't please everyone. I had someone call my parents this week who said they were good friends with me when I was 8 years old. I haven't heard from this person in 20 years. That's part of the filtering-out process."

Added pitcher Jeff Francis, who hails from Canada: "People are coming out of the woodwork trying to get a piece. I have numbers coming up all the time from (British Columbia). It's not a distraction because all I have to do is say that I don't have any tickets."

Craziness hasn't intersected Matt Holliday's life. As usual, he brought son Jackson to batting practice Wednesday and wasn't fretting over accommodating requests.

"It's pretty easy to ignore when you change your cell phone number and don't give it out," Holliday said.

Creating a sense of normalcy -- as much as that's possible for a team that has won 21 of its last 22 games -- is the central theme over the next week. After resting today, the Rockies will hold three intrasquad scrimmages at Coors Field. They will go four innings Friday, seven Saturday, 7 1/2 on Sunday, followed by a light workout Monday before flying to the American League host city.

"I get a chance to take (Josh) Fogg deep," said Sullivan with a smirk. "He's probably going to hit me because he knows he's in trouble."

Facing live pitching not only keeps the arms fresh, but allows hitters to keep their timing, perhaps the layoff's biggest challenge.

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