Todd Helton, Colorado Rockies first baseman, is one of the most underrated baseball players to have ever played the game. More than that, he is one of the best baseball players to have ever played the game.
I know that there will be some that disagree with me, and that's fine. I'm obviously biased, having been a virtual life-long Rockies fan. People will use Coors Field against him, and people will use the fact that he had two monstrous years at the beginning of this decade against him as supposed evidence of steroid use, which is an understandable, although in my mind flawed, position. I will make my case for Helton in the Hall of Fame, though.
In the early 1990's, Todd Helton played quarterback at the University of Tennessee. He also played baseball, and he clearly had loads of talent in both sports. In the 1994 season, an injury to Jerry Colquitt made Helton the starting quarterback for the Volunteers. However, Helton would suffer an injury himself, and he would never see the field again, as some guy named Peyton Manning took over for him. Helton remained on the football team, but focused on baseball. In 1995, the Colorado Rockies selected the first baseman from Tennessee with the 8th selection in the first round of that year's June amateur draft. Within two years, Helton would make his MLB debut, and, in 1998 the Rockies let Andres Gallarraga walk. Todd Helton would be the new Rockies starting first baseman.
As a rookie in 1998, Todd Lynn Helton hit .315 with 25 homeruns and 97 RBI. He also hit 37 doubles, a sign of things to come for his career. Helton's biggest statistical year was 2000, when he batted .372 with 42 homers, 147 RBI, and 59 doubles. He hit 49 homeruns the following year, but also collected another 54 doubles. There have been three constants in the career of Todd Helton - outstanding defense, high batting average, and an awful lot of doubles.
This afternoon, in the 3rd inning at Coors Field, Todd Helton laced a 1-0 slider from Arizona's Jon Garland off of the manual scoreboard in right field, becoming the 50th MLB player to collect 500 doubles in his career. He is the fastest player to accomplish that feat, doing so in his 12th full Major League season. To give you a little perspective on Helton's amazing consistency, and why he has Hall of Fame credentials that he will continue to add to over the next 3-5 seasons, depending upon how long he plays, consider these comparisons. Helton is on pace for his 6th season of 45 doubles or more. Only three other players since 1900 have accomplished that feat as many as 5 times. Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Joe Medwick each did it five times. Hall of Famer and career doubles leader Tris Speaker accomplished that feat 7 times. Added to that, Helton is #16 on the career list of doubles by a left-handed hitter. Also, it's not Coors Field that has helped those number. In his career, 262 of those doubles have come at home, while 238 have come on the road.
Helton has never been a homerun hitter, which would explain his lower homerun totals since 2002. Coors Field helped him in the early days, but since the advent of the humidor in 2003 (which I will have a blog about one day to help everyone understand its impact), he has been consistently in the range of 20 HR and 35 doubles. In fact, prior to his back problems that forced him out last season, he had collected 30+ doubles in 10 consecutive seasons, and he is one away from that number again this season. By the time he retires, Helton will have over 600 doubles, and likely be in the top 10 in that category.
Doubles alone don't make a Hall of Fame player, and I realize that. However, Helton ranks 3rd among active players in career batting average at .328 (behind Albert Pujols and Ichiro Suzuki). Not only that, he is in the top 10 all-time in career batting average. He only has 3 Gold Gloves, but don't let that fool you. Helton's defense is just something that you have to see to believe. There is not a better defensive first baseman in baseball. Anywhere. Helton should have at least two more Gold Gloves than he does. If you don't believe me, consider this - the 2007 Rockies set a Major League record for fielding percentage. Not a single Rockie won a Gold Glove that year, even though Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton led their respective positions in fielding percentage, total chances, fewest errors, and range factor. Helton has been overlooked largely due to the fact that he plays in Colorado.
This isn't me complaining. It's just me stating fact. If Helton played in New York or Boston, he would receive the recognition that he deserves. In fact, prior to the 2007 campaign, the Rockies were nearly set to deal Helton to the Red Sox, and it made huge headlines on the large media conglomerates. Playing in Colorado doesn't make him less of a player.
By the time he's done, Helton will have over 600 doubles, nearly 400 homeruns (or more, depending upon how long he plays), and, again, depending upon how long he plays, he will have close to 3,000 hits. Even if he winds up with 370 homers and 2,700 hits, I can only hope that Helton will receive his due recognition. As a player in the "steroid era" who has never been tainted with speculation of steroid use, Helton has always stood tall above the rest. Amazingly, he has thus far done it all for one team, and it would be a shock to see him move on to another team, though it wouldn't taint his legacy at all.
Let the numbers speak for themselves. Todd Helton belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Danica Patrick
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Comments (16) Add A Comment
i agree with you 100% im a dodgers fan and whenever they play the rockies i hate when helton comes up to bat he destroy's the dodgers most of the time, he was putting up pujols type numbers befor pujols was.
antcar1
Bakersfield , CA
Total Comments (3)
Well, you certainly make a good case for him. You're spot-on about Gold Gloves, as they really don't mean much. It is impressive that he's the fastest to 500 2B, as I imagine there are probably a lot of Hall of Famers with a lot of 2B. And I feel your pain so perfect on the small-market aspect. Justin Morneau might as well be Todd Helton Junior here in Minnesota, and I know exactly the effects of not playing in Boston, New York or LA.
He should be in, but the steroids accusations are gonna have to be there. They've gotta be there for everyone in that generation. Who knows, though? I guess we'll just have to wait and see...
But definitely a nice read. That's kinda funny about Manning, if I remember, didn't some other Colorado bench player back up Eli Manning? Or am I an idiot...? Anyway, I'll be looking forward to the humidor article, as well.
0x NBA/NFL Champion
Saint Paul, MN
Total Comments (5067)
Two things. One, about steroids. Former Rockies radio broadcaster Wayne Hagin, after leaving for the Cardinals, said that he thought Helton had done steroids before Don Baylor got ahold of him. Hagin said later that he meant Creatine, but he was unceremoniously fired from the Cardinals after 2 seasons (though they said it had nothing to do with that). Hagin was basically blacklisted until last season, when he got a gig doing Mets games on WFAN - New York.
Now, about Eli Manning. Yes, Rockies outfielder Seth Smith spent 3 seasons as Eli Manning's backup QB at Ole Miss. It'll make for one of those great trivia facts someday, the fact that the Rockies had the backup quarterbacks to both Manning brothers playing together on a Major League Baseball diamond.
wtnelson = Big Chief
Fort Collins , CO
Total Comments (3641)
May I just say, first of all, that that is an AWESOME trivia question. What a potpourri of randomness! Thanks for that tip... Seth Smith and Todd Helton.
As for the argument for Helton, I remember following the Rockies a bit when they moved to Colorado. The local papers in Wyoming followed the Colorado teams (except in basketball, where the Jazz were closer to Jackson Hole) so I definitely got a hefty dose of his early career. While I don't keep up with them as much, it's always been a ton of fun to watch Helton both at the plate and fielding at first.
Hell, if I'm ever on the voting committee, you've got my vote for him!
Bigalke
Springfield, OR
Total Comments (22305)
My only concern about Helton is his home/road splits. He tore it up in Coors but wasn't nearly as good on the road.
The HOF voters will look at that. I could see Helton getting in eventually, however, I believe he's going to be like Don Mattingly, and just end up on the ballot for a long time without ever getting in.
rstowe
Newport News , VA
Total Comments (47232)
and his career numbers after 13 seasons, are similar to Mattingly's (Helton's are better for the most part)
but how much of that was Coors?
rstowe
Newport News , VA
Total Comments (47232)
I argee with Stowe here...but he will have to get 3000 hits or damn close to it in order to be considered.
FoosBall
Total Comments (3490)
Consider these numbers, though, Stowe. These were brought to my attention this morning.
Helton is one of 7 players to collect 500+ doubles and a .320 lifetime average. The other 6 are in the Hall of Fame.
Furthermore, Helton is one of 5 players to collect 300+ HR, 500+ doubles, and a .325 lifetime batting average. The other 4? Guys named Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, and Joe Dimaggio. That's pretty good company.
I'm obviously biased, but one of these days I'll have a post about the "Coors Field Effect" and why it's a bogus argument in my mind. It'll probably be coupled with the humidor blog.
wtnelson = Big Chief
Fort Collins , CO
Total Comments (3641)
Well written as always. I think Helton gets in someday. Hopefully playing at Coors won't hurt his cause. Some of his numbers rank with some of the very best players ever to play the game.
Mondo Jay
Fan Nation, HQ
Total Comments (10970)
A nice piece of work again, wt. There have been more than a few"quiet heros" over the time of baseball, and it looks like you made the case for Helton being one of these.
Appleseed
Detroit, MI
Total Comments (945)
I hate how baseball is today. I used to watch it a ton, but now only watch a few games on FSN, and maybe only 1 Rockie game a year. The problem with baseball today is how any player can do a good job for a year or two, the steroid question immediately pops up. Helton is a great baseball player, HOF if he doesn't get caught with steroids. Good blog by the way.
Kinardian
Fort Collins, CO
Total Comments (803)
I love your appreciation of history, WT, and love seeing names like Joe Medwick in your blogs. I'll be there's a lot of current players that wouldn't have any idea who he or The Gas House Gang was.
As for Helton, I think you make a convincing case. I honestly don't know that much about him, other than to know he has a rep as a feared hitter but from what you wrote would say he sounds like a viable HOFer. I'm curious to know his slugging percentage, fielding percentage and RBI totals.
As usual, another good piece of writing.
Seabird 56
Total Comments (1660)
The idea of Helton making it to the hall of fame is ludicrous..
1. He was a good Quarterback - irrelevant.
2. He's hit a whole mess of doubles. - Great, so what? So did Luis Gonzalez (away from Coors Field no less) and I doubt he'll make it in.
3. He has a .327 batting average. - Yes but only .295 on the road.. Coors field is a huge advantage.. you can't say the effect of the park doesn't matter - then tout high stats which are totally caused by said park.
4. 3 gold gloves. - that's great but 3 gold gloves out of 10 complete seasons is hardly eye popping. Even if he had the greatest glove of all time no first baseman ever got into the HOF because of his defense.
5. He would get more recognition in Boston or New York than Colorado. - True enough, and he'd also be a .296, 20 home run a year type of guy.
Helton is a very very good ball player. He's just not Hall of fame quality.
CapAnson
Greenville , SC
Total Comments (5)
Tons of players hit higher at home than on the road; look at Jim Rice who just got into the Hall. His numbers are pathetic compared to Heltons.
Rice hit .320 at home and only .276 on the road; his Home split is worse than Helton's overall batting average!
Also, a .295 average overall is high enough for countless Hall of Famers, it's not like he was hitting .240 on the road.
But you are the classic example of someone who ignorantly uses Coors Field as a detriment.
First of all, people forget that the pre-Humidor days of Coors helped hitters immensely at home with HR's, but it also led to ridiculously bad numbers on the road as they couldn't adjust well. Until recently (in the post-humidor days), the Rockies were always a horrible hitting road team despite really good hitters in the lineup. That accounts for much of the large home-road splits.
Second of all, Coors Field is no longer even close to the biggest park factor; Philadelphia and the new Yankee Stadium have much larger park factors for HRs and AVG, but people don't notice and continue to give MVP's to those guys. As a Rockies fan, this is very irritating. Also, if you are going to discount hitters for Coors, how come no Rockies pitcher has ever finished in the top 5 in MVP voting?
Lastly, Helton would likely have still been a .310+ career hitter away from Coors on a team like the Red Sox. Sure he would never have had the HR numbers, but he would have had a lot more protection and probably more RBIs (remember that in much of the Helton era, he was really the only great hitter in the lineup).
Helton is Hall of Fame quality because of his career average, his doubles total, and his incredibly defense at first base. Gold Gloves are an awful way of measuring his prowess; if you had watched him every day, you would really realize how good he is. This great defense is not enough to get into the hall, but that combined with his incredibly hitting ability is.
Rockies17
Total Comments (2)
Hit the nail on the head. The Coors Field Factor and why it is a completely bogus argument will be a blog of mine in the near future.
wtnelson = Big Chief
Fort Collins , CO
Total Comments (3641)
"First of all, people forget that the pre-Humidor days of Coors helped hitters immensely at home with HR's, but it also led to ridiculously bad numbers on the road as they couldn't adjust well. Until recently (in the post-humidor days), the Rockies were always a horrible hitting road team despite really good hitters in the lineup. That accounts for much of the large home-road splits."
So glad somebody said this! People assume that a guy who hits .345 at Coors and .295 on the road is really a .295 hitter, but that is a TERRIBLE assumption. We all know that hitting at Coors, especially pre-humidor, boosted power numbers in particular, and gave some good-but-not-great hitters (Bichette springs to mind) some great years stat-wise. But I'd LOVE to see somebody show statistically that these big gaps in Rockies home/road splits are due in equal parts to Coors adding 25 points at home, and actually hurting them just as much on the road. Try swinging at slick baseballs that don't break at that altitude for two weeks, and then going to sea level the next day and use that same swing at a ball that suddenly breaks an extra 6-8 inches... it's common sense that playing at Coors Field made it harder to hit on the road, especially early in road trips.
You can't watch Todd Helton at the plate and tell me he's a .295 hitter. That's a .320 hitter anywhere, in any era. Check out the home/road splits for Helton's 2000 season, when he finished 5th in the MVP. His ROAD stats (.353/441/.633) were better than the OVERALL stats of the four guys who finished ahead of him in the MVP voting (Bonds' slugging % excepted). He needs another 3-4 solid years and he needs to avoid steroid implications, but with those in place he should be the Rockies first HOF inductee.
fcjim
Fort Collins , CO
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