Todd Helton

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Todd Helton
Image:Toddhelton1.jpg
Colorado Rockies — No. 17
First Baseman
Born: August 20 1973 (1973-08-20) (age 35)
Bats: Left Throws: Left 
Major League Baseball debut
August 2, 1997 for the Colorado Rockies
Selected MLB statistics
(through October 1, 2007)
AVG    .332
Hits    1,878
Doubles    455
HR    303
RBI    1,087
OBP    .430
Teams

Todd Lynn Helton[1] (born August 20, 1973 in Knoxville, Tennessee)[2] is a Major League Baseball first baseman who has played for the Colorado Rockies since the 1997 season.

Contents

[edit] Before turning pro

[edit] High school years

Helton attended Knox Central High School in Knoxville, Tennessee and was a letterman in football and baseball. In football, he posted 2772 total yards as quarterback.

In baseball, as a senior, he posted a .690 batting average and 12 home runs and was named the Regional Player of the Year. Helton graduated from Central High School in 1992 with a 3.97 grade point average.

Today a framed photo of Helton in his Colorado Rockies uniform hangs in Central High's commons area.

[edit] Football career

Helton received a scholarship from the University of Tennessee to play both football and baseball, after turning down a deal from the San Diego Padres. During his freshman and sophomore years at Tennessee he backed up Heath Shuler at quarterback. Starting his junior season he was the back-up behind Jerry Colquitt and ahead of Peyton Manning. After an injury to Colquitt, Helton got the starting spot only to face injury himself and be replaced by Manning. After first seeing Manning tossing the football in practice, Helton immediately acknowledged his abilities and switched to a full-time baseball player. Following his junior baseball season Helton was drafted by the Colorado Rockies.

[edit] Draft and debut

Helton was drafted in the 1st round, 5th overall, in 1995 by the Colorado Rockies. Todd spent the next few years playing for the high A Asheville Tourists, AA New Haven Ravens, and AAA Colorado Springs Sky Sox. He made his major-league debut on July 21, 1997.

[edit] Major-league career

This section does not cite any references or sources.
Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (October 2007)

Helton is a solid first baseman, the winner of three Gold Glove Awards (2001, 2002, 2004). As of the end of the 2007 season, he has the highest batting average among all active players at .3316, placing him second behind Tony Gwynn (.338) among all players whose careers began after World War II.[3] Although Ichiro Suzuki has a .333 average for his MLB career, higher than that of Helton, he will not have enough at-bats to qualify for career leadership until the 2008 season.

Through the 2007 season, he had the highest career batting average of any active player with enough at-bats to qualify for career leadership (.3316), and was 2nd in on base percentage (.430), 4th in slugging percentage (.583), 7th in intentional walks (162), and 10th in doubles (455).

In addition, Helton holds the Colorado Rockies club records for hits (1,878), home runs (303), doubles (455), walks (980), runs scored (1,104), RBI (1,087), on-base percentage (.430), games played (1,578), total bases (3,304), and other categories.

His favorite players growing up were Rod Carew and Don Mattingly.[citation needed]

[edit] 1997-1999: Early Career

During the 1997 season, Helton hit .280/.337/.484 (batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage), with 5 home runs, in 35 games played. When Rockies first baseman Andrés Galarraga went to the Atlanta Braves in 1998, Helton became the full-time starter at first base for Colorado. He hit .315/.380/.530, with 25 home runs and 97 RBI, in 152 games played. Helton led all major-league rookies in average (.315), homers (25), RBI (97), multi-hit games (49), total bases (281), slugging percentage (.530) and extra-base hits (63).[4] He also led all National League rookies in runs (78), hits (167) and on-base percentage (.380). At the time, only Mike Piazza (35), David Justice (28) and Darryl Strawberry (26) had hit more homers as an NL rookie since 1972, and only Piazza had more RBI (112).[4] Helton finished second to Kerry Wood of the Chicago Cubs in the voting for NL Rookie of the Year.

In 1999, Helton hit .320/.395/.587, with 35 home runs and 113 RBI. He also drew 68 walks. On June 19, 1999, Helton hit for the cycle against the Florida Marlins. He fell short of hitting a second cycle on four different occasions during the 1999 season, which would have made him only the second player since 1900 to hit two cycles in one season.[5]

[edit] 2000-2004: Mid-career

In 2000, Helton enjoyed his best season, leading the National League in batting average (.372) and also winning the overall Major League batting title over the American League-leading, Boston Red Sox shortstop, Nomar Garciaparra. During the 2000 season, Helton led the major leagues in RBI (147), hits (216), doubles (59), total bases (405), extra-base hits (103), on-base percentage (.463), slugging percentage (.698) and OPS (1.162). Helton's 103 extra-base hits tied for the fourth most in MLB history and the second most in NL history.[6] His league-leading numbers in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and batting average gave him the "percentage triple crown."[6] Helton became the second Rockies player (Larry Walker in 1999) to accomplish that feat. Helton and Walker made the Rockies the majors' first team to record percentage triple crowns in consecutive seasons with different players.[6] Helton became only the fourth player in National League history to lead the NL in both batting average and RBI.

Helton was invited to his first career Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 2000. He also received National League Player of the Month awards for May and August. He finished fifth in voting for the MVP award. However, the Associated Press, The Sporting News, USA Baseball Alumni and Baseball Digest all named Helton the MLB Player of the Year.[6] Buck O'Neil and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum presented Helton with the Walter Fenner "Buck" Leonard Legacy Award.[6] Helton was also given the team-honored version of the Roberto Clemente Man of Year Award, for his community contributions in Eastern Tennessee.[6] Furthermore, he was the National League winner of the second annual Hank Aaron Award. For all of his success, the Colorado Rockies rewarded Helton with a nine-year, $141.5 million dollar contract in April of 2001 that took effect in 2003.[7]

The following season, Helton posted a career-high 49 home runs. Additionally, he averaged .336/.432/.685 and drew 98 walks. The 49 home runs tied teammate Larry Walker for the most home runs ever by a Colorado Rockies player in a single season. Helton was a top candidate for MVP, but was overshadowed by Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds. In 2002, he hit .329 and led the Rockies with 30 homers and 109 RBI. In 2003, Helton was in the closest NL batting race in history. He hit .358, but St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, who hit .359, won the batting title. Helton added 35 home runs and 117 RBI during the 2003 season. In 2004, he hit .347, but his batting average that year was topped by Barry Bonds' .362. Helton also had 32 homers and 96 RBI on the season.

[edit] 2007-present

Helton's power and RBI production stayed relatively level to his previous year's stats during the 2007 season, as he managed 17 home runs and 91 RBI. Despite these numbers being below his career averages, Helton has so far kept up his string of seven consecutive seasons with an On-Base Percentage higher than .400, nine consecutive seasons with a batting average above .300, and has also been walked more times than he has struck out (a feat he has accomplished in seven of his first ten full seasons).

Helton got his 1,000th career hit in Coors Field on June 20, 2007, against the New York Yankees, becoming only the fourth active player to have 1,000 hits in his own ballpark.

On September 9, 2007, in a game against the San Diego Padres, Helton hit his 35th double of the season. This made him the first and only player in MLB history to have hit 35 or more doubles in at least 10 consecutive seasons (1998 - Present). [1]

Helton hit his 300th career home run on September 17, 2007 in a game against the Florida Marlins. He became the first player to hit 300 home runs for the Colorado Rockies.

Helton made what was arguably the most pivotal play of the Rockies' 2007 season in the second game of a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 18th, 2007. In the bottom of the ninth inning, with two outs and two strikes, Helton hit an emotional two-run walk-off home run off of Dodgers closer Takashi Saito. The home run kept the Rockies alive in the bid for the wild card and National League West titles. The Rockies eventually clinched the National League wild card in a wild card tiebreaker game against the San Diego Padres, allowing Helton to appear in the playoffs for the first time in his career. Colorado went on to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies in three games of the National League Division Series. Helton hit a triple in the first pitch of his first career playoff at bat in the opening game against the Phillies at Philadelphia. The Rockies also swept the Arizona Diamondbacks in four games of the National League Championship Series, sending the Rockies on their first trip to the World Series in franchise history.

Helton is currently in the fifth year of a nine-year, $141.5 million dollar contract and will be a free agent following the 2011 season.

[edit] Coors Field Effect

There is some evidence Helton's impressive statistics are the results of playing his home games at hitter-friendly Coors Field. As of September 29, 2007, Helton has batted .367 in Colorado, and .295 on the road. He has averaged one home run per 15.5 at bats at Coors Field versus one home run per 23.8 at bats on the road. In a similar number of at bats (2849 at home, 2807 on the road), Helton has 225 more RBI at Coors than on the road. He also has scored more runs (685 vs 417), has a higher on base average (.465 vs .394), slugging average (.662 vs .502), and OPS (1.127 vs .897) at Coors Field. Helton also walks less, hits fewer doubles and triples, steals fewer bases, and strikes out more frequently on the road.[8] However, it should been noted that one of the reasons for any substantial differences in home and road splits for Rockies batters is that they have to make adjustments in how they see pitches away from Coors Field - particularly breaking balls, such as sliders and curve balls - since those pitches act differently at Coors Field than on the road.[9]

[edit] Career Statistics

Regular season

Year Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG TB SF SH HBP IBB GIDP
1997 COL 35 93 13 26 2 1 5 11 8 11 0 1 .280 .337 .484 45 0 0 0 0 1
1998 COL 152 530 78 167 37 1 25 97 53 54 3 3 .315 .380 .530 281 5 1 6 5 15
1999 COL 159 578 114 185 39 5 35 113 68 77 7 6 .320 .395 .587 339 4 0 6 6 14
2000 COL 160 580 138 216 59 2 42 147 103 61 5 3 .372 .463 .698 405 10 0 4 22 12
2001 COL 159 587 132 197 54 2 49 146 98 104 7 5 .336 .432 .685 402 5 1 5 15 14
2002 COL 156 553 107 182 39 4 30 109 99 91 5 1 .329 .429 .577 319 10 0 5 21 10
2003 COL 160 583 135 209 49 5 33 117 111 72 0 4 .358 .458 .630 367 7 0 2 21 19
2004 COL 154 547 115 190 49 2 32 96 127 72 3 0 .347 .469 .620 339 6 0 3 19 12
2005 COL 144 509 92 163 45 2 20 79 106 80 3 0 .320 .445 .534 272 1 1 9 22 14
2006 COL 145 546 94 165 40 5 15 81 91 64 3 2 .302 .404 .476 260 6 0 6 15 10
2007 COL 154 557 86 178 42 2 17 91 116 74 0 1 .320 .434 .494 275 7 0 2 16 15
Totals: 1,578 5,663 1,104 1,878 455 31 303 1,087 980 760 36 26 .332 .430 .583 3,304 61 3 48 162 136

Postseason

Year Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG TB SF SH HBP IBB GIDP
2007 COL 11 41 6 9 2 1 0 2 5 9 0 0 .220 .298 .317 13 1 0 0 0 0
Totals: 11 41 6 9 2 1 0 2 5 9 0 0 .220 .298 .317 13 1 0 0 0 0

[edit] Quotes

I don't try to be a Christian to be a better baseball player. I try to be a Christian to be a better person and father. I struggle with it every day, like everyone else in the world. I want to be a better person, like everybody else. We're dirtbags, like 99 percent of the world. Maybe worse, because we are baseball players. Some guys are Christians and some guys aren't.[10]
— when discussing the 2006 controversy over Christian rules within the Rockies organization.
I have no idea; I have no idea how we just won that ballgame.[2]
— when asked on ESPN how the Rockies managed to beat the San Diego Padres in the 2007 National League wild card tie-breaker game using 10 pitchers.
You know, if Peyton played first base, he'd be my backup.[11]
— after being asked about being the backup quarterback of Peyton Manning while attending the University of Tennessee.

[edit] Accomplishments

  • No. 10 in Major League history in On base percentage, .430
  • 5-time All-Star (2000-2004)
  • 4-time Silver Slugger (2000-2003, most out of all MLB first basemen)
  • 4-time National League Player of the Month (May 2000, August 2000, May 2002, April 2003)
  • 3-time National League Gold Glove winner (2001, 2002, 2004)
  • 2-time Colorado Rockies-honored Roberto Clemente Man of the Year Award (2000, 2002)
  • Dick Howser Trophy (Best National College Baseball Player, 1995)
  • The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award (1998)
  • Topps All-Star Rookie Team (1998)
  • Baseball Digest All-Star Rookie Team (1998)
  • Hit for the cycle (June 19, 1999)
  • Walter Fenner "Buck" Leonard Legacy Award (2000)
  • National League Hank Aaron Award (2000)
  • Percentage triple crown (2000)
  • National League Batting Champion (2000)
  • The Associated Press Major League Baseball All-Star Team (2000)
  • The Associated Press Major League Baseball Player of the Year (2000)
  • Baseball Digest Major League Baseball Player of the Year (2000)
  • USA Baseball Alumni Player of the Year (2000)
  • The Sporting News National League Player of the Year (2000)
  • Helton is the only player in MLB history to have 100-plus extra base hits in consecutive seasons: 103 in 2000, and 105 in 2001. The only others to do it twice in their careers, but not consecutively, were Lou Gehrig [1927 (117), 1930 (100)] and Chuck Klein [1930 (107), 1932 (103)].
  • Helton is one of only four players in MLB history (Klein in 1929 and 1930, Jimmie Foxx in 1932 and 1933, along with Gehrig in 1930 and 1931) to have reached 400 total bases in consecutive seasons (405 in 2000, 402 in 2001). Gehrig reached 400 total bases in four seasons (1927, 1930, 1931, 1934), and Klein did so once more (1932). The other players to reach 400 total bases twice in a career, but not consecutively, were Babe Ruth (1921, 1927), Rogers Hornsby (1922, 1929) and Sammy Sosa (1998, 2001).
  • Helton is one of only five players in MLB history (the first ever in the National League) to have at least 200 hits, 40 home runs, 100 RBI, 100 runs, 100 extra-base hits and 100 walks in one season (2000).[6] The others to do so were Babe Ruth (1921), Lou Gehrig (1927, 1930), Jimmie Foxx (1932) and Hank Greenberg (1937).
  • Among active players with at least 4,000 at bats, Helton is currently: second in batting average (.3316) to Ichiro Suzuki (.333), with Albert Pujols (.3315) nipping at Helton's heels, second in on-base percentage (.430) and fourth in slugging percentage [(.583), behind Albert Pujols (.620), Barry Bonds (.607) and Manny Ramírez (.593), respectively].
  • Colorado Rockies career leader in on-base percentage (.430), games played (1,578), at bats (5,663), plate appearances (6,758), runs (1,104), hits (1,878), total bases (3,304), doubles (455), home runs (303), RBI (1,087), walks (980), singles (1,089), runs created (1,459), extra-base hits (789), times on base (2,906), sacrifice flies (61) and intentional walks (162).
  • Hit 3 home runs against the Montreal Expos on May 1, 2000 and against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 29, 2003.
  • Only player in MLB history to hit 35 or more doubles in at least 10 consecutive seasons (1998 - Present).

[edit] Personal life

Helton wears number 17 in tribute to Mark Grace of the Cubs. Incidentally, Grace wore 17 because Keith Hernandez wore 17. Hernandez wore 17 with the Mets because he could not wear number 37, his number with the Cardinals, 37 being retired for Casey Stengel. Hernandez wore both 37 and 17 to honor Mickey Mantle, whose number was 7.

Helton and his family -- wife Christy and daughter Tierney Faith (born September 24, 2002) -- reside in Brighton, Colorado.

As stated earlier, Helton was the backup quarterback to Peyton Manning, while at the University of Tennessee. Coincidentally, his current Rockies teammate, Seth Smith, was the backup to Manning's younger brother, Eli Manning, while at the University of Mississippi. Furthermore, current Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe was Helton's quarterback coach at Tennessee and Smith's head coach at Ole Miss.[12]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Todd Helton Statistics. Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-19.
  2. ^ ESPN - Todd Helton Stats, News, Photos - Colorado Rockies - MLB Baseball. ESPN.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-19.
  3. ^ All-Time Batting Average Leaders (Top 50). Major League Baseball. Retrieved on 2007-11-16. Gwynn is 15th all-time and Helton 21st. The only player above them in batting average who played after World War II was Ted Williams, whose career began in 1939, before the U.S. entered the war.
  4. ^ a b http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=115732&y=1998
  5. ^ http://www.redroaddesign.com/todd/bio.htm
  6. ^ a b c d e f g http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=115732&y=2000
  7. ^ http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/mlb/article/0,2777,DRMN_23924_5681159,00.html
  8. ^ Todd Helton's career split stats. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved on September 30, 2007.
  9. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=rogers_phil&id=2046292
  10. ^ http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/mlb/article/0,2777,DRMN_23924_4741695,00.html
  11. ^ http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071020&content_id=2273716&vkey=ps2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
  12. ^ Lindsey Korsick (July 26, 2007). Player Profile - Seth Smith. Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Retrieved on 2007-10-19.

[edit] External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Todd Helton
Preceded by
Jerry Colquitt 		Tennessee Volunteers Starting Quarterbacks
1994 		Succeeded by
Peyton Manning
Preceded by
Scott Rolen 		Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year
1998 		Succeeded by
Preston Wilson
Preceded by
Dmitri Young 		Topps All-Star Rookie First Baseman
1998 		Succeeded by
Brian Daubach
Preceded by
Vladimir Guerrero
Sammy Sosa
Vladimir Guerrero
Brian Jordan 		National League Player of the Month
May 2000
August 2000
May 2002
April 2003 		Succeeded by
Jeff Kent
Richard Hidalgo
Jeff Kent
Albert Pujols
Preceded by
Larry Walker 		National League Batting Champion
2000 		Succeeded by
Larry Walker
Preceded by
Larry Walker 		National League Slugging Percentage Champion
2000 		Succeeded by
Barry Bonds
Preceded by
Mark McGwire 		National League RBI Champion
2000 		Succeeded by
Sammy Sosa
Preceded by
Sammy Sosa 		National League Hank Aaron Award
2000 		Succeeded by
Barry Bonds
v • d • e
Colorado Rockies current roster

2 Troy Tulowitzki | 3 Willy Taveras | 5 Matt Holliday | 6 Omar Quintanilla | 8 Yorvit Torrealba | 10 Jeff Baker | 11 Brad Hawpe | 12 Seth Smith | 15 Edwin Bellorín | 17 Todd Helton | 18 Cory Sullivan | 19 Ryan Spilborghs | 20 Chris Iannetta | 21 Clint Barmes | 23 Ryan Speier | 24 Ian Stewart | 26 Jeff Francis | 27 Garrett Atkins | 28 Aaron Cook | 29 Jayson Nix | 34 Matt Herges | 35 Taylor Buchholz | 38 Ubaldo Jiménez | 40 Brian Fuentes | 45 Josh Newman | 47 Joe Koshansky | 48 Jason Hirsh | 51 Juan Morillo | 55 Mark Redman | 56 Franklin Morales | 60 Manny Corpas | 61 Ramón Ramírez | 62 Jonathan Herrera | -- José Capellán | -- Esmil Rogers | -- Pedro Strop | -- Luis Vizcaíno | -- Kip Wells

Coaching Staff: Manager 13 Clint Hurdle | Bench Coach 9 Jamie Quirk | 1st Base Coach 30 Glenallen Hill | 3rd Base/Infield Coach 2 Mike Gallego | Hitting Coach 58 Alan Cockrell | Pitching Coach 36 Bob Apodaca | Bullpen Coach 53 Rick Mathews | Bullpen Catcher 56 Mark Strittmatter | Strength Coach 00 Brad Andress

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