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Helton finally is delivered

Rockies icon gets to World Series after grim decade

Lynn DeBruin, Rocky Mountain News

Published October 16, 2007 at midnight

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As September turned to Rocktober two weeks ago, the usually stoic Todd Helton could be seen hop, skip and jumping toward the pitcher's mound.

Monday night, after recording the final out of the National League Championship Series, it was his heart that probably tripped a beat.

"I can't believe it," Helton said, his daughter riding even higher on his shoulders.

"I'm just living the dream right now."

Forgive Helton if he's pinching himself.

The man who endured eight losing seasons in purple and black, a player who earlier this year was the subject of trade rumors, is going to the World Series.

Talk-show hosts, and even diehard Rockies fans, said he deserved to play for a contender, maybe even the Boston Red Sox. They said he deserved to play in a World Series.

Now he's going, whether it's to Cleveland or Beantown.

It won't matter.

The long wait paid off.

Just as it did for John Elway 10 years ago, in his 15th season with the Broncos, after so many black-and-blue years that ended not in champagne but with disappointment.

No. 7, not coincidentally, was at Coors Field on Monday night, a guest of Rockies owners Charlie and Richard Monfort.

Just as Elway smiled that smile when he finally held the trophy aloft, No. 17 is letting the kid in him come out, at age 34.

"It's brought out emotions in me that I didn't even know I had," Helton said.

His teammates couldn't be happier.

Just like the Broncos wanted to win one for John and the Avalanche wanted Ray Bourque to hold that sterling trophy aloft, the Rockies want Helton to go where no Rockies player has gone before.

"He's the rock, the foundation," infielder Jamey Carroll said. "The baseball gods looked down on him and gave him patience.

"I'm so happy for him. It couldn't happen to a better guy, a guy who worked so hard. I can't wait to pour champagne on his head."

Though Helton didn't deliver the big hit Monday night, in Game 4, it was his bat that got the Rockies going when they seemed down for the count late in the season.

It was Game 3 in this streak of all streaks, when the Rockies and Helton, down a run in the bottom of the ninth with two out against the Los Angeles Dodgers, delivered.

His emotional two-run, walk-off home run showed the Rockies that anything is possible.

Now, after stretching out to dig the final throw out of the dirt, he raised both arms in the air and looked skyward.

The long wait was over.

"Worth every second," he said.

And the smile grew wider.