Beltin' Helton Back on Track

Don't worry, everybody.

Let out that breath you've been holding in.

Stop refreshing denverpost.com to check for updates on the Jay Cutler trade saga.

Everything is copacetic in Colorado.

How is that possible, you ask?

Todd Helton is back.

Though two and a half weeks remain before rosters are set for Opening Day, Helton is already partying like it's 2001 and we've all got spots on the guest list.

Since 2005, the last season in which Helton belted at least twenty home runs, his degenerative back condition had begun to take its toll on his performance. 

Once a perennial All-Star and batting champion whose prodigious offensive numbers channeled those of the late Ted Williams, among others, Helton's numbers dropped considerably as the injuries hampered his mobility and his ability to drive the ball to all fields.

Last season, the pain in Helton's back became so severe that it caused numbness in his left leg, further hindering the function of his legs. His once-powerful swing became one-dimensional and he was unable to hit pitches with the kind of authority we had grown accustomed to seeing.

On July 2, with his batting average at a paltry .266 and seven home runs to his name, Helton went on the disabled list, only to return for two pinch hit at-bats in 2008. 

Helton finally made the decision to go under the knife as he headed for Southern California to undergo arthroscopic surgery. 

Some were wondering if this surgery could be the end for Helton, who until Albert Pujols surpassed him, had been the active career leader in batting average and had spent his entire career loyal to the one organization that had drafted him and built their team around him. 

Helton, however, is not one to take news of his demise sitting down.

Months of rehabilitation both on and off the field have brought us to the present, with Helton's name being penciled in on Clint Hurdle's lineup two to three times a week.

In only fourteen at-bats this spring, Helton leads the team in home runs with three, which gives us an inkling that the once-almighty power stroke that has deserted him in recent years, might make a comeback in 2009.

Helton will most likely not take in a full week's worth of action until the season starts, and even then Skip Hurdle will be sure to keep him well-rested by giving him plenty of scheduled off-days like he has done in the past. 

Will we ever see the same Helton who averaged a .337 clip with thirty three home runs, 113 RBIs, and a .434 on base percentage during his first eight seasons?

Probably not.

But if Helton's back stays in shape and he can see action in 135-140 games, there's no reason why we couldn't see a similar line to his 2007 campaign in which he hit .320 with seventeen home runs, 91 RBIs, and a .434 on base percentage. 

In a year where the Rockies need multiple regulars to rebound from abysmal '08 seasons, Helton's resurgence would be the most satisfying.

A healthy Helton not only puts butts in the seats for fans who ache to root for their hometown hero, but it adds another dimension to a Rockies lineup in dire need of top-tier production to replace the departed Matt Holliday. 

Helton still commands a pitcher's respect and his plate discipline remains one of the greatest in the game. 

With Helton driving in Spilly and Tulo while setting the table for Atkins and Hawpe, the Rockies lineup could once again become a force to be reckoned with in the wide-open NL West.

So turn your attention from the turmoil in Dove Valley and start setting your sights on summer nights at Coors Field because Beltin' Helton is on his way back.