Rockies Fans Speak of Todd Helton, Hall of Fame Induction
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (Jul. 21) — The Baseball Hall of Fame induction has brought thousands of fans into Cooperstown to witness the inductions of Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Jim Leyland, and Joe Mauer. There are Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Colorado Rockies hats, t-shirts, and jerseys up and down Main Street from fans who came to celebrate the festivities. Sport Relay caught up with a few Rockies fans inside the Hall of Fame Friday to ask them about Helton and about making the trek to Cooperstown.
What Does Todd Helton Mean to You as a Rockies Fan?
“I like the fact that he played his whole career with the Rockies. Quiet leader, led by example. Consistent. Never took a day off. We had seats right behind first base, so we saw a lot of him. We’re proud he was on our team.” — Mike, Denver
“Class act. A lot of hustle throughout his career. I can remember so many plays where it’s a tough season, we’re gonna lose the game by a lot, and he’s still trying to dive into the front row to catch a foul ball, just to get one more out. Always played hard, never took the game off, and was classy his entire career. Really, really fun to watch.” — Nick, Granby (Colorado)
“I was born in 1995. So I remember two or three years of Larry Walker, but Helton, I got a solid 12, probably. And he was my first favorite player. First Rockies shirsey I owed was a Helton shirsey. I got to see him hit a pinch-hit grand slam in his next-to-last season against the Mets, which was an incredible moment. He was the franchise.” — Ted, Los Angeles (originally from Colorado)
“I didn’t get into baseball until I was nine or ten. But then, by the time I was watching, Todd Helton was always there. There were some other guys cycling through and out. And he was not quite the elder statesman, but he was a strong presence, always there in the middle of the lineup. And the lasting image forever of 2007 is him with the final out (to win the pennant). I’ll always think of that first.” — Matt, Boulder (Colorado)
Memories of Todd Helton
“Before the big winning streak in 2007, Todd had that walk-off against the Dodgers, off Takashi Saito. They weren’t doing so hot at the time. That was the catalyst for the whole thing, and thinking about that run to the World Series — up to this point, that’s the only one that they have, and that’s probably gonna be the only one that they have for a while. At the time, you didn’t realize how big of a deal that was. But that was the huge catalyst for that run, winning 21 out of 22 games, making it all the way to the World Series. And then hitting the home run in his final game at Coors Field. Those two are gonna be the lasting impressions for me.” — Rio, Fort Collins (Colorado)
“I was at Game 162 against the Diamondbacks on that Sunday (in 2007), and I remember him leaping off first base and jumping around like a kid because it was his first chance to play for a chance to get in the playoffs. Seeing him at that point—because when you’re twelve, the last six years feel like forever. It’s half your life. So I saw my Rockies be bad, and I could relate to how happy he was, because I was happy. It was cool to see him show that much emotion.” — Ted
A Lifelong Todd Helton Fan
“(He’s) the epitome of a first baseman. We (he and his son) grew up watching, and she (his daughter) grew up watching him and has loved him.” — Dan Sauvageau, Firestone (Colorado)
What Made You Decide to Come See the Induction in Person?
“(Mike and I) have been talking about it. Watching him for his whole career, (we said), ‘If he ever makes it to the Hall, we’re going to go,’ And he did.” — Nick
“I followed his career ever since he was in the minor leagues when he got drafted by the Rockies in ’95. Followed him throughout and liked the way he played. He did things the right way and stayed with the Rockies for 17 years. So in January, when they announced that he made the Hall of Fame, we (he and his wife, Pam) looked at each other and said, ‘We’re coming to that.’” — Greg Colbert, Arvada (Colorado)
“We (Ted, Matt, and Rio) had a plan with some of our friends to go in 2020 (for Larry Walker) and even had an Air BNB booked and everything. It didn’t happen, obviously. So then when Todd got in… we hashed it out on a phone call maybe two months ago and decided we were actually going to do it. But I was always assuming I would do it whenever he got in, because I didn’t get to go to Larry’s.” — Ted
“It’s special seeing a guy that you grew up watching—I didn’t know a team without Todd Helton on it until I was 16. He was the franchise for me for a very long time. So being able to see the culmination of it—I can’t pass that up.” — Rio, who was born in 1997
Keeping a Promise
“She’s the biggest Helton fan there is; she’s a lefty first baseman. Number 17, playing college softball. We’ve watched Todd play. She has been to over 800 Rockies games at the age of 20.” — Dan, referring to his daughter
“We have a friend that’s with us. He has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. We brought him out. I always promised him that if (Helton) made the Hall of Fame, I was bringing him out, so he is with us.” — Dan
What This Meant to Helton
When asked about how it felt to see how many Rockies fans trekked to Cooperstown to watch the ceremony, Todd Helton had a look come over his face. It was a combination of awe, gratitude, and humility.
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He responded, “Rockies fans were very good to me for 17 years. They were kind, patient and they picked you up when you had a bad game—they didn’t get you down. So there’d be times I would go to games thinking I don’t know how I’m gonna play this game — injured, or tired, or whatever. Then you’d walk out and see the energy of the fans, and it energizes you. You want to go out and play hard for them, because they spent their hard-earned money to come watch you play.”
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