ATLANTA — As a Little Leaguer, he was called the “Blond Bomber.” So good was he at the University of Tennessee they named a street after him. In the minor leagues coaches were instructed not to mess with his swing.
But the beauty of Todd Helton is that he is not “The Natural.” After a near miss Monday night on a controversial error, Helton reached the most significant personal milestone of his career Tuesday with accompanying calluses and rolled-up sleeves. With trademark intensity and vintage quick hands, the Rockies’ first baseman delivered his 2,000th hit in the third inning against the Atlanta Braves, a game which the Rockies lost 8-1.
For historians, the single to left field came against Braves pitcher Jair Jurrjens. With two outs and an 0-2 count, Helton lined an 82-mph slider into the outfield. Helton stood at first base after the moment as the game stopped and the ball was thrown to first base coach Glenallen Hill.
The Braves showed Helton on their JumboTron, announcing the feat as he received warm applause. There were scattered orange shirts in the Turner Field crowd, Tennessee fans driving three hours from Knoxville to see the most famous baseball player in Volunteer history.
His teammates hung over the dugout railing, applauding the accomplishment. To many of them, Helton is the Rockies. He owns every meaningful offensive record.
“You can tell when Todd walks to the plate that he’s done his homework. He’s put his time in at his craft and really perfected it as much as you can,” said Braves third baseman Chipper Jones.
“I have always looked at him as one of the elite hitters of the game. People can say what they want about him playing at Coors Field. He would have been doing the same thing elsewhere, trust me.”
He is the 255th player to reach 2,000 hits and the fourth active player to post them all with the same team, joining the Yankees’ Derek Jeter, Atlanta’s Chipper Jones and Garrett Anderson, who accomplished feat with the Angels.
Helton’s 2,000th hit came nearly 12 years after his first hit, a soft liner to left field off the Pirates’ Francisco Cordova on Aug. 2, 1997. Helton also homered in his debut, foreshadowing how special a player he would become.
“What I remember about that day is that I was nervous. It was a relief to get that first hit,” said Helton. “I did see my first home run recently when they were editing video on the plane. What did I think? That my bat was a lot younger and my bat was a lot quicker.”
Helton is one of four active players to record 2,000 hits with one team, joining Jones, Derek Jeter and Garret Anderson, who accomplished the feat with the Los Angeles Angels.
Helton had history delayed earlier by an E-6. The appeal of his near-2,000th hit in a game Monday against the Braves was denied this afternoon and the ruling was upheld. The play stands as an error on shortstop Yunel Escobar.
After reviewing the play, official scorer Jack Wilkinson did not reverse the ruling.
“It was a tough play, but I’m sticking with the call,” he said.
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle met with Wilkinson earlier in the day and Wilkinson agreed to review the play. Hurdle repeated his belief that the call should have been ruled a hit.
Many in the Rockies’ clubhouse were rooting for the call to stand as an error. They wanted Helton to be celebrated on the field for the most significant personal accomplishment in his career.
Rockies lose to Atlanta
Helton’s special night was dulled by sloppy play early.
The Rockies struggled to catch the ball in the second inning, a critical error by Clint Barmes particularly damaging. Barmes failed to handle a chopper from Jeff Francoeur for what should have been the second out.
It put pitcher Jason Hammel (six innings, six runs) in a tough spot. Six more batters came to the plate in the decisive three-run second.
That was all the support that Atlanta’s Jurrjens needed, surrendering just three hits over seven innings.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
