Rockies Fans Finally Have Reason to Celebrate: Todd Helton Bobblehead Day

Todd Helton was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this year. Holly Harris

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It's been almost 4,000 days since Todd Helton played his final game for the Colorado Rockies, but on Saturday, August 17, the team is set to celebrate one of the game's greatest one more time (and give away a bobblehead worthy of Cooperstown).

Less than a month ago, Helton was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame after six years on the voting ballot, cementing himself among baseball’s greatest and further establishing his legacy not only within the game of baseball, but in Colorado sports history, as well.

Helton's accolades during his seventeen-year career include being a five-time All-Star, a Batting Title champion, a three-time Gold Glove award winner and a four-time Silver Slugger. Within the Rockies franchise, Helton ranks first all-time in games played (2,247), hits (2,519), home runs (369), RBI (1,406) and walks (1,335), among other categories where he finds himself at the top.

Helton was the Rockies' first-round draft pick in the 1995 Amateur Draft out of the University of Tennessee. He was a dual athlete in college, splitting time between the baseball diamond and the football field, appearing in twelve games for the Volunteers as a quarterback alongside another Colorado sports legend: Peyton Manning.

The weekend matchup against the San Diego Padres will have a pre-game ceremony for Helton and his family, featuring former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle and Manning, a close friend of Helton’s. A golden ring representing his achievement will be unveiled around Helton’s retired number 17 above the fountains in center field, joining Larry Walker as the second Rockies player to be accepted into Cooperstown.

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The first 30,000 fans inside Coors Field will get this Todd Helton bobblehead on August 17.

Colorado Rockies

Festivities include the opportunity to view Helton’s Hall of Fame plaque, which will reside among the greats in Cooperstown, and the first 30,000 fans through the gates will be able to take home their own piece of history: a bobblehead depicting the infamous photograph of Helton exuding joy when the Rockies clinched the National League Pennant during the team’s 2007 World Series run (with the Baseball Hall of Fame logo added for the occasion).

The Rockies have given away plenty of bobbleheads throughout the years, many of them including Helton, but what could be the last is certainly shaping up to be Helton's best yet.

While the Rockies may be having the opposite of a celebratory season, August 17 is a day when all fans can cheer, as the organization celebrates the man known as “The Toddfather.” For decades, Helton has been synonymous with baseball in Colorado.

The Colorado Rockies face the San Diego Padres at 6:10 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, at Coors Field. The first 30,000 fans will get a Todd Helton bobblehead, so arrive early.