Milestone No. 29: Todd Helton get enshrined in Cooperstown
Mar 4, 2025, 7:15 AM | Updated: 8:22 am
The Fan is turning 30! For three decades, the station has been covering Denver sports, serving as a media outlet of record for the biggest events over the past 30 years.
There have been a lot of them. From championships to MVPs, from historic seasons to improbable victories, The Fan has been there for all of them.
What were the best of the best? During a six week span, Denver Sports will chronicle the moments that stood out the most. It’s a countdown from No. 30 to No. 1, in a series called “Mile High Milestones.”
Enjoy the trip down memory lane!
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He wasn’t the first Colorado Rockies player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame; that honor went to Larry Walker in 2020. But it felt different when Todd Helton got the call.
Walker was great during his 10 years in Colorado. He was a four-time All-Star and won the National League’s Most Valuable Player award in 1997, the only Rockies player to ever receive that honor. But he started his career in Montreal. And he finished it in St. Louis.
Helton, on the other hand, only knew the purple pinstripes. He was the Rockies first-round pick in 1995, selected No. 8 overall out of Tennessee. He made his big-league debut two years later and was a fixture at first base for the next 17 seasons.
During that time, Helton dazzled at every turn. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, was selected to five All-Star Games, won three Gold Gloves and finished in the top-20 of MVP voting on six different occasions.
His numbers suggest why. Helton played in 2,247 games in a Colorado uniform. He had 2,519 hits, batted .316 for his career, belted 369 home runs and drove in 1,406 RBIs. He holds dozens of franchise records, many of which will be hard for anyone to break.
That’s why Helton is largely considered the greatest player in franchise history. He’s certainly one of the most popular, as he’s beloved by the Rockies faithful and his No. 17 jersey is still littered throughout the stands at Coors Field.
He’s the player most synonymous with the club. He was the face of the franchise for nearly two decades. His celebration when the Rockies clinched a spot in the World Series is perhaps the most-iconic image in the history of the organization.
In a lot of ways, Todd Helton was and is the Rockies. He’s Colorado’s version of Ernie Banks, Stan Musial or Carl Yastrzemski. So when he finally got the call in 2024, 11 years after his playing days ended, it just hit different. It was a signature moment for every baseball fan in the Rocky Mountain region, knowing that their team had finally earned a spot in Cooperstown.
Todd Helton gets the call to the Hall of Fame 💜 pic.twitter.com/c16Lm0eRsm
— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) January 23, 2024
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THE COUNTDOWN
30: Ubaldo Jimenez has a magical season
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Wanna hear more about this Mile High Milestone? Tune into “The Rundown” at noon or check out the show on YouTube to hear Richie Carni and a special guest take a walk down memory lane.
