Todd Helton played baseball for the Rockies for 17 years – and seven short months after retiring he is set to be inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.
"I've very honored that it did happen especially so quickly after I retired," the longtime Colorado first baseman said.
Helton recorded a career .316 batting average, 2,519 hits, 369 home runs, and 1,406 runs batted in during his time in a Rockies uniform. But as Helton moved on into the next phase of his life – his final home game at Coors Field was stirred with emotion – he's learned that he enjoys doing more than just playing baseball.
"It's been busy," Helton said. He enjoys being outdoors – hunting and playing golf are among his hobbies. "I've found that there are a lot of things that I like to do and that takes up a lot of my time, along with family and the kids. Everything is great and it's been a lot of fun."
It's odd though – for Helton and everyone in the community – to not see him on the field. It was the first time since 1997 that the first baseman was not in the lineup on opening day.
"I did it for the last 17 years – it's what I knew, what I loved – and to not to be doing it I had to make sure I had something else to occupy my time," Helton continued.
He has no plans beyond savoring retirement with his family and free time, but he won't rule out returning in some capacity – it just may not happen any time soon.
