Todd Helton: A Bit Short of Cooperstown

So this is Matt's take on Todd Helton's Hall of Fame case, but what do you think?  Let us know by leaving a comment below, and then answering the poll at the top of the blog.  Also, take a look back at Adam's piece arguing for Helton's enshrinement into baseball immortality.

When a player can easily been labeled as the greatest hitter in franchise history, one would typically assume that the player is a lock to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, not every franchise plays half of its games in the friendly confines of Coors Field. Located in the Mile-High City of Denver, Colorado, the stadium quickly earned the reputation as the friendliest hitters park in the game following its inception in 1995, primarily because of the combination of the location’s high altitude and low air density.

There is absolutely no denying what Todd Helton accomplished throughout the course of his great career; five consecutive All-Star game appearances from 2000 to 2004, three National League Gold Glove Awards, four Silver Sluggers, and an NL batting title in 2000. However, after taking a quick look at his statistics, one can see the vast discrepancies between the numbers he put up at home as opposed to what he achieved away from Coors Field.

Throughout the course of his career, Helton has played just 33 more games at home yet his career batting average at home is a whopping .345 compared to his road average of a solid .287. In addition, he has scored 343 more runs, 84 more home runs, and a ridiculous 304 more RBIs in front of his home fans. His career Slugging Percentage at home checks in at a monster .607, compared to a pedestrian .469 away from Denver.

Moreover, as seen by ESPN's Park Factor statistic, which essentially compares the rate of a team’s statistics at home versus the stats on the road, Coors Field has finished in the top five every single year since this metric’s creation, displaying the advantage Helton has once again. Even with the so-called humidor, Colorado's hitting advantage was still the best in baseball.

While one may say that Helton led the Rockies on their improbable run to the 2007 World Series, that is not the case either. Helton finished fifth on his own team in home runs that year with just 17, and he batted a mere .220 in the postseason with 2 RBIs and no homers; in his only other playoff appearance he batted under the Mendoza line – an awful .188 average.

Since coming into the league with the Marlins back in 1993, the Rockies have had just one MVP and his name wasn’t even Todd Helton. It was Larry Walker, who prior to joining Colorado was nothing more than an average big leaguer. To refute Helton’s case even further, only twenty-two first basemen have ever made the Hall, and none have been inducted since 2006.

Although Helton will be the first player in Rockies history to have his number retired one day, he did nearly all of his damage early on his career. Had he never played a game in Coors Field he would have likely been considered just an above average, if not solid first basemen. Baseball writers are well-aware of Helton’s inflated statistics to the point when it is all said and done, the Toddfather will come up just a bit short of Cooperstown.

So Matt gave his take on Todd Helton's Hall of Fame case, but what do you think?  Let us know by leaving a comment below, and then answering the poll at the top of the blog.  Also, take a look back at Adam's piece arguing for Helton's enshrinement into baseball immortality. 

Todd Helton: Hall of Famer

 

So this is Adam's take on Todd Helton's Hall of Fame case, but what do you think?  Let us know by leaving a comment below, and then answering the poll at the top of the blog. 

No player from the Colorado Rockies has ever been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but Todd Helton certainly has the strongest case yet. Helton’s numbers speak for themselves and they speak volumes to the great professional that he was throughout his 17 year career in Colorado. With career numbers such as .316 batting average, .414 on-base percentage, .539 slugging percentage, and a .996 fielding percentage along with three Gold Gloves, five straight All-Star appearances, and a batting title, Helton seems to be a clear cut choice for the Hall of Fame.

The main knock against Todd Helton for the Hall of Fame is that he has played his entire career at Coors Field and the friendly hitting confines that come with it. This argument shows a small amount of merit after a full analysis of averages and other statistics. Todd's away numbers come in at .291 batting average, .392 on-base percentage, and .481 slugging percentage. These numbers are not to be overlooked. They prove that he was still a solid ballplayer on the road.

In addition, although Helton did play his entire career in Colorado, he certainly didn't play every game there and the other stadiums in the NL West aren't quite the hitters' paradise that Coors Field is. In fact, the Dodgers, Giants, and Padres ballparks are all known as prominent pitchers parks. Another factor that helps Helton's case is the Humidor that was installed in the park in 2002 to hold/store the game baseballs in order to keep them moist. This was done so the baseballs would not carry as far when hit. All this being said, hitting always has and always will come down to putting the bat on the ball and Todd Helton proved throughout his 17 year career that he was quite skilled at doing so.    

Todd Helton is the best player that the Rockies organization has ever had and he deserves to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. If a Rockies player is to ever get into the Hall it should certainly be the "Toddfather". When you think about the Colorado franchise the first name that comes to mind is always Todd Helton. He played a crucial role in their 2007 playoff run and helped guide the team to its only World Series appearance in franchise history.

Another important factor that is bound to play into the decisions of the voters is that Helton has never been linked to PED’s. Helton is not a first ballot Hall of Famer by any stretch but yet again not many people are, as only 7 players have gotten into the Hall in their first year of eligibility in the last 10 years, and these include the likes of Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn. With that being said, I do believe that Helton should eventually get the 75% of votes that are necessary to be enshrined in Cooperstown.

So Adam gave his take on Todd Helton's Hall of Fame case, but what do you think?  Let us know by leaving a comment below, and then answering the poll at the top of the blog.  And check back later in the week to see an opposing view.