Rockies icon earns spot in Cooperstown in 6th year on ballot

2:59 AM UTC

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Once upon a time, Todd Helton thrust his fist skyward, and Rockies nation rose with it to unprecedented and since-unmatched heights. When Helton’s fist went up as his phone rang on Tuesday afternoon, he ascended into baseball immortality.

Not long after answering the call, Helton pumped his fist again, confirming that he had been elected to the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame class. Shortly thereafter, there were tears and hugs with his wife, Christy, and daughters, Tierney Faith and Gentry Grace. He shared a special moment with his mother, Martha, who later said, “I didn’t see any of this happening until it happened — I was just happy he was out there playing ball, and he liked it.”

He loved it and, in his sixth year of eligibility, voters from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America showed Helton love in return. After finishing 11 votes shy of the 75 percent threshold last year, Helton appeared on 79.7 percent of this year’s ballots.

The memorable long-ago fist pump occurred on Sept. 18, 2007. Helton’s walk-off homer against the Dodgers’ Takashi Saito, whom Colorado had barely touched previously, completed a doubleheader sweep that propelled the Rockies to wins in 14 of their final 15 regular-season games and 21 of 22 overall until they were swept by the Red Sox in the World Series.

In his spacious living room on Tuesday, the years melted away. Just like during the magical Rocktober run of 2007, Helton, 50, smiled so broadly he could barely speak, folded his arms and rocked foot to foot. The whole time, then and now, he joyfully winced as if reality had surpassed dream.

But how’s this for reality? During Helton’s welcome-to-the-Hall call, the clock in his home ticked to 5:17 EDT — fitting for the Rockies’ forever No. 17, who spent all 17 seasons of his career with Colorado.

“It’s just too good a thing to happen to me, I guess,” Helton said. “It’s the greatest honor you can get as a baseball player. To me, getting your number retired as a player and making the Hall of Fame are the two greatest achievements you can get.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m way happier than I’m letting on … I’m going to go crazy later on.”

Helton will join Adrián Beltré, who enters on the first ballot after receiving 95.1 percent of the vote, and longtime Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who appeared on 76.1 percent of ballots in his first year, as players being inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 21 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Managerial legend Jim Leyland, who managed Helton during his 1999 stop in Colorado, was elected by the Contemporary Era Baseball Committee last December and will be inducted with the players in July.

The vote ended weeks — years,

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