Helton should be first Rockies honoree
Each year there is a discussion of the Rockies creating their own Hall of Fame.
It’s an idea worth considering.
And here’ s a suggestion to the Rockies management: move ahead with plans to create a Rockies Hall of Fame, and then put it on hold. The idea is open the Hall of Fame the year after Todd Helton retires.
That would provide a real significance to the opening of the Hall of Fame.
Helton would be the inductee in that first year. The Rockies also could retire his No. 17 as part of the ceremony.
Then the Rockies could honor other former players who have created special feelings at Coors Field, including originals such as Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla and Andres Galarraga, and former outfielder Larry Walker.
Helton, however, deserves top billing. He is the face of the franchise. He’s the first home-grown player to attain superstar status.
In retiring Helton’s number, the Rockies would establish a level of excellence that can be used in deciding whether to retire other numbers in the future.
What’s your opinion?
Absolutely….agree 100%.
I absolutely agree about Helton, but I’ve thought for a while that it’d be worthwhile for the club to retire #33 in honor of Larry Walker. Have they given any thought to that?
Couldn’t agree more. Helton’s 13 season + now 2 year extension give him the longest career with the club, and hopefully a coaching position when he’s finished playing.
No doubt about it. I believe he deserves to be the first number retired and placed in the Rockies HOF
I don’t mind #33 being retired, but I’d rather see #17 get there first.
I know the standard response on the internet when you agree with an idea is by saying “+1″, but I agree with this idea so much I have to say, “+17″!
Great idea.
Now that Todd Helton is destined to remain a Rockie for his entire career, and possibly will even have made a strong case for a spot in Cooperstown, it is fitting that a Rockies HOF be be born and christened with Todd as the initial entrant.
Follow that up in later years with the likes of the Blake Street Bombers, and the Rockies HOF idea can really take off – building generations of Rockies followers with not only fond memories of the past, but looking ahead to future HOF possibilities like Ubaldo and Tulowitzki and more.
I wrote an article about this on RockiesReview.com. I definitely think that Helton should be the first Rockie honored, whether that is a “Rockies Hall of Fame” or having his number retired, or both. He deserves the highest honor from the Rockies.
Not only would that be the right thing to do, but it would be a great gesture by an ownership that seems to get chided too often. Helton should be honored for so many reasons. Many of franchises would have been lucky to have a player like him.
I agree with retiring his number, however, I think we should honor some of the other players who have retired in the mean time. This would not in any way take the honor away from Helton.
Perfect idea throw in a statue and rename the seats above the score board in right field after him and we are set
I’d like to see the Blake Street Bombers go in collectively, given that they generated so much excitement and earned the Rock’s first playoff birth. And how about Don Baylor? He is a class act and helped shepherd the Rockies through an extended period of excitement in Denver. Helton first? By all means. But I liked Galarraga and his bunch a lot too.