Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton misses HOF nod again
Todd Helton #ToddHelton
DENVER (KDVR) — Former Colorado Rockies franchise first baseman Todd Helton came so close to making it into the Baseball Hall of Fame but once again, did not get the nod.
Helton became eligible for HOF induction four years ago and has come up short every year. The members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America decide which players get a plaque in the Cooperstown shrine.
In his 17 years with the Rockies, Helton played 2,247 games and in his 7,962 at-bats, he cranked 369 home runs. He earned a spot on the All-Star team five times and was awarded the Silver Slugger Award four times.
While Coors Field is notoriously known as a batter’s paradise, Helton held his own even on the road. In 4,612 appearances at the plate outside Coors Field, Helton hit 142 homers. He also played superb defense which is evident by his three Golden Glove Awards.
Helton’s best year was 2000 when he led the MLB with 147 RBIs and a .372 batting average but still missed getting the most valuable player award.
Fred McGriff was already chosen to join the HOF Class of 2023 in December and third baseman Scott Rolen beat out Helton to join him. Helton missed the election by 11 votes.
Rules for election to HOF ballots
According to the Baseball Hall of Fame website, BBWAA election rules list the following requirements in order for a player to be an eligible candidate:
Lone Rockies player in HOF
Former Rockies outfielder Larry Walker is the only Rockies player inducted into the HOF. He earned the spot in 2020 after receiving 76.6% of ballots. Walker, however, was not a franchise player. Although he spent a decade of his career with the Rockies, he ended it in St. Louis with the Cardinals.
Walker joined Derek Jeter, Ted Simmons, and the late Marvin Miller as part of the class of 2020.
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