Oh, thank God for the end of the off season! And who better to hail it in but Colorado Rockies legend and fan favorite, Todd Helton! Our irreplaceable first baseman is largely responsible for the Rockies' NLCS run, so let's pray that he doesn't go anywhere (and that we possibly become back-to-back NL Champions, if not first-time World Series Champions). I had to do a Rockies Player Spotlight on him because if I didn't, I might not be considered a fan anymore.
So... more about Todd.
Personal Life:
Name: Todd Lynn Helton
Birthplace: Knoxville, Tennessee
College: University of Tennessee
Age: 34
Family: Wife Christy and daughter Tierney Faith
Lives: Brighton, Colo.
Baseball:
MLB Debut: August 2, 1997, Colorado Rockies
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Number: 17
Position: 1st base
Helton's been an All Star five times and is a four-time Silver Slugger. He's won three NL Gold Gloves and was a NL Batting Champion in 2000.
Helton is also only one of four players to reach 400 bases in 4 consecutive seasons; two other players who did so are Lou Gehrig (1930-1931), and Jimmie Foxx (1932-1933).
Stats thru May 5, 2008:
Batting Average: .331
RBI: 1098
Home Runs: 306
While attending the University of Tennessee, Helton was the backup quarterback. The starter? None other than Peyton Manning, who led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl. He claimed that if Peyton Manning had been a baseball player, Manning would have been
hisbackup. I guess we can all see that Todd has a sense of humor.