The baseball world will see many prominent retirements at the conclusion of the season in the coming weeks, though some names are bigger than others.
The Yankees’ Mariano Rivera may be the most notable, as he has had a farewell tour throughout his final season and has received gifts such as a “42” from the Fenway Park scoreboard, an MVP at the All-Star Game and a chair made of broken bats from the Twins.
This year has been an amazing send off for an amazing player, but what about the other big names? Another player is one that ranks 16th all-time in doubles and 97th in total hits, which ranks him above players such as Sammy Sosa, Mickey Mantle, Kenny Lofton and Frank Thomas. He also stayed with one team for 17 years, through good times and bad ones.
That man is Todd Helton.
He is a lifetime .316 hitter, has hit 589 doubles, 368 home runs and 1398 RBIs on his way to four Silver Slugger titles. Helton has also won three Gold Gloves and is a five-time All-Star.
Helton isn't just a role model on the field, but his off-the-field work and character should be a staple for athletes everywhere. Despite playing the majority of his career during what has been dubbed the “steroid era” in baseball, Helton was never mentioned in any reports of allegations.
He stayed clean during his entire career and showed that hard work, not supplements, helped him put up fantastic numbers. Helton was also featured during a 2006 episode of ESPN's My Wish series, which resulted with a huge smile from a Wyoming's boy’s face, and Helton was also one of the few Rockies to visit hospital victims after the shooting in Aurora, Co. in 2012.
When I think about Rockies baseball, Helton is usually the first person that comes to mind, because his class and character make him the athlete I always wanted to become.
He didn't want a farewell tour or anything flashy on his way out the door — he just wanted to play. Helton announced his retirement in the least surprising way, a random Sunday at the end of the season while the Broncos playing the Giants in the "Manning Bowl".
Drew Goodman, the play-by-play broadcaster for the Rockies, said after Helton got his 2,500th hit saying, "Another goose bump moment from Todd Helton," who over the past 17 years has often given Colorado fans goose bumps, and I expect more this coming Wednesday when he plays at Coors Field the last time.
So let me be one of many to say thanks, Todd, for everything you've done for Colorado, the team and the game of baseball.
Paul Holden is a sports writer for The Post and a freshman studying journalism. Do you also love Todd Helton’s work ethic and great play? Email Paul at ph553412@ohiou.edu or tweet him at @PaulHolden33.
