July 21st 2024.
In Cooperstown, New York, Todd Helton, the face of the Rockies, took the stage to accept his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. For Helton, hitting a run-scoring double or making a tough catch at first base is second nature, but speaking in front of a crowd of thousands and talking about his own career is a whole different ballgame.
With the help of his wife, Christy, who assisted him in writing his acceptance speech, Helton delivered a home run at the Hall of Fame ceremony. Dressed in a sharp gray suit with a purple tie, the 50-year-old Helton showed off his humorous side, cracking jokes about his infamous superstitions and referring to his ranch in northeast Colorado as a "Redneck Disneyland."
But he also showed his emotional side, especially when speaking about his daughters, Tierney Faith and Gentry Grace, saying, "The pure tenderness of your heart, in each of you, blows me away at every turn. You both mean the world to me."
Joining Helton in the 2024 Hall of Fame class were Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre, and manager Jim Leyland, who led the Florida Marlins to a World Series title in 1997 and also managed the Rockies in 1999.
Helton was the first to speak, and he began by acknowledging that speaking about himself is not something he is comfortable with. He humbly stated, "Those of you who know me, know I would be more comfortable doing anything other than standing up here talking about myself. I'm just a ballplayer."
But he is not just any ballplayer. He is now a baseball immortal, joining the ranks of only 273 players who have been enshrined in Cooperstown. His former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, Larry Walker, summed it up perfectly in a video tribute before Helton's speech, saying, "Todd Helton is the greatest of the Colorado Rockies, and he's the greatest player who has ever played there, and he will probably be the greatest player who ever plays there."
Rob Rosen, a Denver resident who attended the ceremony wearing his purple Rockies jersey, described Helton's speech as "awesome." He added, "But I expected it to be shorter because that's just who Todd is. But I loved it. It was so heartfelt."
Helton took the time to thank numerous people, including his late father, Jerry, and his mother, Martha, who was in attendance. He also thanked his current and former owners, Dick Monfort and the late Jerry McMorris, respectively, and his close friend and team trainer, Keith Dugger, affectionately known as "Doogie."
Helton's routines and superstitions were a big part of his career, and he joked about them in his speech. He even shared a story about getting three speeding tickets on his way to a Triple-A game in Colorado Springs and how he took the same route and speed the next day because he had three hits after the first ticket and the same officer gave him another ticket. He laughed, "I didn't care. I got three hits that day as well."
Helton also expressed his gratitude for the support of Rockies fans, saying, "I did my best competing on the baseball field. It was where I thought I belonged. It was my church and where I felt the most comfortable."
After the ceremony, Helton was asked when it hit him that he was truly a Hall of Famer. He replied, "Standing back there, waiting to go on the stage, the guys were so kind. They all came by and offered me advice. They said, 'Don't worry about it, don't be nervous, you've got this.' For me, that was the beginning of me feeling like I belonged."
As he joins the ranks of the greatest players in baseball history, Helton's legacy as a beloved Rockies player and a humble and gracious human being will live on forever.
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