Denver’s baseball identity was essentially forged by the left-handed stroke of number 17. Drafted out of the University of Tennessee, where he had also starred as a quarterback, Helton brought a dual-threat athleticism and a surgical approach to the plate that made him an immediate icon. He occupied first base with a defensive elegance that earned him three Gold Gloves, but it was his offensive output during a historic five-year peak that turned him into a national phenomenon. He arrived as a high-pedigree prospect and instantly matured into the tactical heartbeat of the franchise.

Statistical dominance reached an almost mythical level between 1999 and 2003. During this window, "The Toddfather" authored a stretch of production that remains a benchmark for consistently eclipsing 30 home runs and 100 RBIs while maintaining a batting average well north of .320. His 2000 campaign stands as a monument to Rockies’ excellence as he swept the Triple Crown of the slash line, leading the National League in batting average (.372), on-base percentage (.463), and slugging (.698). He was a four-time Silver Slugger winner who navigated the unique hitting environment of Coors Field with a clinical precision that transcended the "altitude" debate.

Consistency became his legacy long after that initial power surge subsided. Helton remained the emotional and statistical anchor of the club for 17 seasons, leading them to their first World Series appearance in 2007. He concluded his career with 369 home runs and 1,406 runs batted in, but perhaps his most impressive feat was maintaining a career "3/4/5" slash line of .316/.414/.539 over nearly 9,500 plate appearances. He wasn't just a beneficiary of his home park; he was a pure hitter whose eye for the strike zone was among the best of his generation.

The debate over his place in Cooperstown was long and arduous, often clouded by the "Coors Field" stigma, but his undeniable volume and efficiency eventually won over the electorate. In 2024, the Hall of Fame finally called his name, validating what every fan in Colorado already knew: Helton was one of the premier first basemen of any era. This induction served as the ultimate capstone to a residency that saw him become the first Rockies player to have his number retired, a permanent tribute to the man who gave the franchise its soul.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential.  In basketball, the team sport with the least amount of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher.  In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.

We are now taking a look at the Gold Glove Award, given annually to the best defensive player in MLB in each respective position.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential.  In basketball, the team sport with the least amount of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher.  In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com have continued our expansion of our Baseball section with a look at those who will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. 

The following players will be the eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2019:

Andy Pettitte

Barry Zito

Brad Penny

Darren Oliver

Derek Lowe

Freddy Garcia

Jake Westbrook

Jason Bay

Jon Garland

Jose Contreras

Juan Pierre

Kevin Youkilis

Lance Berkman

Mariano Rivera

Michael Young

Miguel Tejada

Octavio Dotel

Placido Polanco

Rafael Furcal

Ramon Hernandez

Roy Halladay

Roy Oswalt

Ryan Dempster

Ted Lilly

Todd Helton

Travis Hafner

Vernon Wells

Yorvit Torrealba

A few things certainly stand out from this group.

Mariano Rivera, who without question is the greatest relief pitcher of all time is expected to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot. 

Roy Halladay, a two time Cy Young Award winner is also a huge name on the ballot, and conceivable the eight time All Star could also join Rivera on the first ballot. 

For our money, the most interesting name on the ballot is Todd Helton, who for a five year period was one of the top offensive players in the National League and has accumulatively put together a Hall of Fame resume.  Will the Coors Field bias affect him as it did Larry Walker?

Andy Pettitte is another intriguing candidate as his stats put him on the fence, but his admitted (though contrite) PED use could place him on the wrong side of the vote.

The third “Killer B”, Lance Berkman should also get a decent percentage of the vote.

Beyond those five, it is difficult to imagine anyone else making the second year of eligibility, though didn’t many peg Miguel Tejada as a strong contender once upon a time?

For what it is worth, there is also a healthy contingent of former World Series Champions from the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Gang, you know what we want you to do!

Take a look at the new entries and cast your vote and offer us your opinion.

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you for your support and we will continue to provide updates as often as possible.

You know how hard it is to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame? In 2013, with a ballot brimming with qualified candidates, not one player received the 75 percent of the votes needed for admission. (I identified 14 likely Hall of Famers on the 2013 ballot.)

Granted, 2013 was the first year of eligibility for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, both poster boys for performance-enhancing drugs (PED), bringing to a head the contentious debate about "cheaters" and their admission into the Hall. But there were certainly several "clean" players on that ballot, and a few of those, such as 3000-hit-club member Craig Biggio, would have been uncontroversial picks in any previous year.

And although 2014 saw the election of three players—Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Frank Thomas—it was merely the tip of a talent-heavy iceberg (I identified 18 likely Hall of Famers for that ballot), while providing a burn to Biggio yet again as not only did he miss election by one vote (he garnered 74.8 percent of the vote), but three first-time candidates leapfrogged him into Cooperstown.