Helton humbled by permanent reminder of his greatness at statue unveiling

DENVER – While growing up in a humble and hard-working family in Knoxville, Tenn., Hall of Famer Todd Helton had to dream of the Major Leagues.

“I never saw a professional game until I played in one,” Helton said.

Now, no game will be played at Coors Field without Helton, or at least his bronze likeness.

The Rockies conducted unveiling ceremonies for a statue of Helton – depicting him raising his hands to the sky after putting away the out that sent the team to the 2007 World Series – in front of a large crowd that basked outside the park’s home-plate entrance on Saturday afternoon before Colorado’s game against the Mariners.

Helton’s representation stands along with that of Larry Walker – the Rockies’ other Hall of Famer, whose statue was unveiled last month – and the longstanding statue of “The Player.”

The statue, produced by Loveland, Colo., sculptor George Lundeen (also responsible for the Walker statue), weighs 1,000 pounds and is 17 feet tall from base to tip, with the actual trophy standing 13 feet.

In his speech of roughly 13 minutes, Helton humbly thanked all who built him. He always felt others shared a piece in his career, and therefore were part of the statue.

“Winning with a team is something,” Helton said later. “To be able to experience that is something very special. It’s a lot of people pulling in the right direction, and a lot of things to go right to win – especially at this level. That was big for me, because my youngest daughter was there and got to see.

“To win in the big leagues, to win with good teammates, just to see the look on your teammates’ faces and realize what y’all have done, you know you’re doing things right.”

Helton’s day, which culminated in first-pitch ceremonies and another rousing cheer, was important for a franchise that has accumulated history and wants to show pride in it.

With the baseball world having taken decades to understand not just the offensive enhancements but the home-road challenges of a team playing at mile-high altitude, it took until Walker’s final year on the ballot to earn election to the Hall. The franchise hasn’t had many successful years, but the run to the 2007 World Series stands as a high point. And Helton, simply, was one of the best players of his era.

It’s time to celebrate the best of 34 seasons. Why not do it with permanent markers?

“It’s amazing to think about the winter months – it’s snowing out, and it’s freezing cold, and those things [the statues] are going to be standing there,” Walker said. “It’s not a seasonal baseball thing.

“Teams go through decades and decades, centuries in some cases, of not winning. It’ll happen here one day, and hopefully that happens while I’m still here, and I’ll be watching that parade – and that parade will be going by our statues.”

Clint Hurdle, the Rockies’ manager for much of Helton’s career, said the bronzed moment – after Helton received a throw from shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to retire Arizona’s Eric Byrnes and touch off Rocktober bedlam – was perfect.

“It could have been a fly ball to center; it could have been a punchout; it wasn’t,” Hurdle said.

Hurdle added, “When you talk about a legacy or history, more often than not, it’s recency bias. It’s who’s the newest, the freshest that’s doing it today, or last year.”

Ties to Helton in the current organization are few. Charlie Blackmon, who spent his full 14-year Major League career with the team, is one.

“He was just bigger than life to be around as a teammate,” Blackmon said. “It was hard not to be a fan at the time. And I’ve gotten to know him and I’m so happy for all the success. He did so great in his speech, and I’m very honored to be invited to be close to the ceremony.”

Blackmon, now a special front-office assistant, put on a uniform to work with players pregame and was in the dugout for Saturday night’s game against the Mariners – continuing his presence.

Helton is listed as a special assistant, as well. He briefly traveled the Minors with Hurdle, also a special front-office assistant. Changes in the front office and Helton’s list of engagements as a Hall of Famer took up much of his time.

But he wants to impact the Rockies’ future in flesh and blood, not just with a dream-inspiring statue.

“I’m doing fine,” Helton said. “The only problem I work with is purpose. You know, ‘What’s your purpose?’ My purpose was always to be a baseball player. Finding another purpose is being a dad. But I need to get back to helping these young kids, helping the Rockies a little bit more.

“I kind of got sidetracked a little bit from it, but I look forward to jumping back into that.”