Todd Helton, altitude, and the scorching hot Rockies

Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton loves hitting at Coors Field, but, like his past and current teammates, the friendly confines don't define him. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Rockies’ games at Coors Field are an event. The field is at an altitude of 5, 277 feet–significantly higher than that of any other ball park–and balls fly out of it: studies have shown that the ball travels 9 percent at such an altitude than at sea level.

Since the stadium’s opening fourteen years ago, the Rockies have undoubtedly looked forward to each and every one of their 1, 601 home games, while their opponents circle their date at Coors on the calendar.

It all started in 1995 when Larry Walker was signed by the Rockies. That season, he came into his own: he hit 36 home-runs–13 more than his previous career high with the Montreal Expos–drove in 101 runs, and batted .306. He was injured the next season, but exploded in 1997 to the tune of 49 home-runs, 130 rbi’s, with an incredible batting average of .366 and on-base percentage of .452. During that season, he hit .389 at home, but hit 29 of his home-runs on the road.

It appears, power-wise, that he was more prolific away from the friendly confines, but Coors Field still had a great effect on him. In a three-year period from 1992-1994, Walker averaged 22 at-bats per home-run. In contrast, during 1997, he averaged only 11 at-bats per home-run. That season, he won his lone MVP award, and his third of seven Gold Gloves.

He was a gifted hitter, and will be remembered as such. Though, if his numbers were Hall of Fame worthy (he’s close, but he had too many injury-shortened seasons; he played over 150 games in a season just once during his 18 years in the majors), the writers who vote could possibly view his accolades during his prime with the Rockies as tainted. He was a career .313 hitter, had 313 home-runs, and drove in 1301 runs. To tarnish his career because of Colorado’s altitude would be an injustice.

The same could be said for current slugger Todd Helton. Coors Field, in past years, has gained the reputation as a stadium on steroids. It is similar in many ways (while the likes of Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire were clubbing 60-plus homers, Coors Field allowed a record 303 home-runs during the 1999 season), but the altitude, like steroids, don’t define a player’s career.

Helton, who has never been linked to steroids, has hit 190 of his 319 home-runs at Coors Field. Though the altitude, and steroids for that matter, may add power, a hitter still has to have tremendous bat speed, hand-eye coordination, and near perfect timing to send a pitch over the fence. I am not condoning steroid use–steroids users are criminals in my mind–but those who happen to play in high altitude shouldn’t be looked at similarly. It’s not Walker’s, nor Helton’s fault that Colorado was awarded an expansion team in 1993.

During that record-setting 1999 season, Colorado had a four-pronged attack that sent longballs into the mile-high sky. Walker hit 26 of his 37 home-runs at home; Helton hit 23 of his 35 home-runs at home; Dante Bichette hit 20 of his 34 home-runs at home; and Vinny Castilla hit 20 of his 33 home-runs at home. This foursome was clearly a threat, but each hit for average during the entirety of their careers–Walker’s was well over .300, as previously mentioned, Helton’s currently stands at .328, while Bichette’s was .299, and Castilla’s was .276–meaning launching home-runs at Coors wasn’t their only strength.

Walker, Bichette, and Castilla are retired, and all finished their careers elsewhere, but Helton’s still going strong. As his age as increased, his home-run rate has declined, but he’s still spraying hits, and hitting for average at home and on the road. He led the Rockies to the World Series in 2007 as a 33-year old, and batted .320 with 178 hits, 91 rbi’s.

A tell-tale sign of how incredible Helton is is the fact that though his power has waned, he has still produced at a Hall of Fame-worthy level. In 2000, his best season, he nailed 42 home-runs. He also smoked an unseemly 59 doubles. The following season resulted in a similar output, but though his highest home-run total since 2001′s 49 has been 33, he’s flirted with the 200-hit barrier multiple times, while clubbing 40 or more doubles five times.

This year should be no different. Now, at the age of 35, he’s still the Rockies most dependable hitter, and still shoots the gaps, lines balls off the wall, laces singles, drives in runs, and hits for average. On the 20th of May, he was a guest on Dan Patrick’s radio show. At that point, Colorado was 15-23 and and in last place–12 1/2 games back of the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. Yet, despite this reality, he said that the Rockies were starting to heat up, and could take advantage of Manny Ramirez’s suspension.

Since, he has helped the Rockies jump into contention. They are still 8 1/2 games back, but have won 19 of their past 22 games. During this stretch, which has taken up a majority of June, Helton has batted .333, with an on-base percentage of .448, and 20 rbi’s, 26 runs scored, 10 doubles, and a 19:15 strikeout/walk ratio.

The rest of the lineup has followed his tune. This month, the Rockies offense has tallied a batting average of .289, and has crushed 37 home-runs. Young shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has seven, five of which coming on the road. Similarly, 24-year old shortstop Ian Stewart has seven, with all but one on the road as well.

Colorado has a great chance to make a run at the division crown. Even if they don’t accomplish this goal, their ability to produce on the road just shows how gifted Walker’s, Bichette’s, and Castilla’s predecessors, as well as Helton and others that don Colorado purple and black, are.

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