August 2, 1997: Todd Helton homers in major-league debut, but Pirates edge Rockies

In 1997 Todd Helton was one of baseball’s most prominent prospects – and a subject of controversy in the Colorado Rockies’ struggle to sustain their early-expansion success. Mundane matters triggered his big-league debut that summer: one player’s looming disciplinary action, another’s batting slump, and a calf injury to a third. But Helton’s takeover of the Rockies’ franchise leaderboards began right away with two hits, including a home run, in a 6-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 2 at Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium.

Helton had batted and pitched the University of Tennessee to its first College World Series appearance in 44 years when the Rockies selected him eighth overall in the June 1995 draft.1 A .407 hitter with a 1.66 ERA, he received the Dick Howser Award for college player of the year.2 Helton reached Triple A in July 1996,3 and Baseball America ranked him the game’s 16th-best prospect going into 1997.4

During the 1995 season, as Helton was joining Colorado’s organization, the “Blake Street Bombers” – left fielder Dante Bichette, right fielder Larry Walker, third baseman Vinny Castilla, and first baseman Andrés Galarraga – were combining for 139 home runs to lead the three-year-old Rockies to the National League’s wild-card berth.5 Another winning record followed in 1996. In July 1997, however, Colorado wallowed under .500, barely alive in the postseason chase.6

Helton was hitting .352 in the Pacific Coast League, but the Rockies had the popular Galarraga at his primary position.7 Galarraga had won batting, home run, and RBI crowns with Colorado and was headed for another RBI title at age 36.8 His pending free agency and the Rockies’ efforts to retain him were hot topics in Denver.9

The Rockies considered calling up Helton in June, when outfielder Ellis Burks went on the disabled list. Helton, however, was himself sidelined with a foot injury, and the opportunity passed.10

As July turned to August, circumstances aligned to give Helton another chance. Galarraga had appealed a three-game suspension for charging the mound against the Florida Marlins in May, and NL President Leonard Coleman’s ruling was imminent.11 John Vander Wal, Galarraga’s likely substitute at first, was batting just .171.12 On July 31, after losing the opener of a four-game series in Pittsburgh,13 the Rockies promoted the 23-year-old Helton and sent Vander Wal to Triple A.14

Helton was on the bench for Colorado’s 7-6 win on August 1.15 The next day’s Denver Post featured Mark Kiszla’s barbed column, recounting several Rockies players’ pleas for more pitching and asserting, “Helton could’ve been used to acquire the pitcher the Rockies can’t win without.”16

Kiszla’s focus then shifted to Galarraga’s future. “Helton could get used as the reason the Rockies chase Galarraga out of town,” he speculated. “Helton is the hammer [general manager Bob] Gebhard is waving over the head of the most popular player to wear a Rockies uniform.”17

Meanwhile, Galarraga’s suspension was upheld and scheduled to begin on Sunday, August 3.18 Helton was expected to start at first during Galarraga’s absence.19 On Saturday, however, Bichette’s calf was sore.20 Helton had played a handful of games in left in the minors,21 and manager Don Baylor inserted him in Bichette’s spot, batting fifth.

Walker had hit two home runs on Friday, including the tiebreaker in the ninth inning. He continued to batter the Pirates, whose surprising run of NL Central Division contention had drawn an afternoon crowd of 32,388 and FOX’s network television cameras.22 Against right-hander Francisco Córdova, the .385-batting Walker unloaded his NL-best 33rd homer with two outs in the first, driving it 473 feet into the second deck of seats above right-center for a 1-0 lead.23

Helton was tested immediately on defense. Leadoff hitter Tony Womack hit starter Bill Swift’s third pitch of the game to left. Helton took a step forward, then reached up for the catch.24

Both teams failed to capitalize on early-inning opportunities. Even when Joe Randa’s leadoff single and Jason Kendall’s RBI double tied the game in the second, Kendall remained at second while Swift retired the next three Pirates. Randa got into scoring position with one out in the fourth on rookie shortstop Neifi Pérez’s error and a wild pitch but was stranded at third.

The Rockies threatened to expand their lead in the fourth. Galarraga was on first with one out when Helton blooped his first big-league hit into left, sending Galarraga to third. Castilla – bound for his second career Silver Slugger Award – hit a hard bouncer to Córdova.25 Galarraga broke for home, but Córdova’s throw to catcher Kendall was in time for the tag. Jeff Reed flied out to end the inning.

Colorado’s Quinton McCracken opened the fifth with an infield single between first and second. It was a fateful moment for the Pirates: First baseman Kevin Young, whose three-run homer was decisive in the series opener, sprained his right thumb diving for the ball.26 Young remained in the game, but the injury kept him out for the next six weeks.27 Kendall threw out McCracken stealing, and the 1-1 tie held.

Swift had limited Pittsburgh to one run through four innings. In the fifth, his control waned. Eighth-place hitter Kevin Polcovich drew a four-pitch walk and took second on Córdova’s sacrifice. Womack also walked on four pitches.

Jermaine Allensworth pulled a grounder to third, a ball that Baylor labeled a “routine double play.”28 But second baseman Eric Young dropped Castilla’s throw for an error. Polcovich scored to put Pittsburgh ahead, 2-1.

Swift’s third walk of the inning, to Al Martin, loaded the bases. Young’s sacrifice fly drove in Womack.

Randa hit a liner to right center, and Walker, awarded his third career Gold Glove in 1997, was unable to see it off the bat. “There were a lot of white shirts [in the stands], but that’s no excuse,” he said.29

The ball dropped in and bounced over Walker’s head. He chased it down as Allensworth and Martin scored on the triple. When Kendall singled Randa home, the Pirates – who had just five hits all game, all by Randa and Kendall – had five unearned runs and a 6-1 lead.

Córdova, who had pitched nine innings of Pittsburgh’s 10-inning combined no-hitter three weeks earlier on July 12, put up scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh. Helton’s two-out walk, following Galarraga’s single, gave Castilla two runners on base in the sixth, but a groundout ended the inning.

At 97 pitches, Córdova told manager Gene Lamont his shoulder was tired.30 Lamont called on right-hander Marc Wilkins, a reliable set-up man who had allowed just two runs in his last 13 appearances. Pérez led off the eighth with a single and took third on second baseman Womack’s throwing error. Walker’s book-rule double, hopping over the center-field wall, drove in Pérez, and Galarraga’s groundout moved Walker to third for Helton. Kendall muffed Wilkins’ pitch for a passed ball, and Walker scored.

Helton had impressed as a contact hitter in the minors, but nearly 600 at-bats in his first two professional seasons had netted just 10 home runs.31 Sixteen homers at Triple A in 1997 suggested he had some power potential. With the count 1-and-1, Wilkins threw a changeup, and Helton drove it into the brown seats in right-center.32 It was a 6-4 game, and Helton had his first big-league homer.

The Rockies continued to rally. Castilla doubled. Lamont brought in left-hander Jason Christiansen to face the lefty-batting Reed, and Baylor sent up Bichette to pinch-hit. Bichette’s single scored Castilla, cutting the deficit to one run.

McCracken’s single pushed Bichette to second. Christiansen struck out Jason Bates for the second out. Baylor summoned Burks for the pitcher’s spot, and Lamont countered with righty Clint Sodowsky, who walked Burks to load the bases. But Pérez bounced a first-pitch slider to Young to end the inning.33

Pirates rookie closer Rich Loiselle came in for the ninth. Walker’s walk put the tying run on base, but Galarraga hit into a force. Helton flied to left, and Castilla fanned on a 1-and-2 pitch. Pittsburgh had a 6-5 win.

With Galarraga serving his suspension, Helton started the series finale at first. He hit another home run, off Jon Lieber, but the Pirates beat the Rockies again.34 Helton was in the lineup for six straight games, playing left and right after his three-game stint at first. He appeared in 35 of Colorado’s final 52 games and batted .280 with 5 home runs.35

In November 1997, Galarraga signed a three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves.36 “Now we’re going to find out if Todd Helton is worth not trading for an established starting pitcher and worth not bringing back the Rockies’ No. 1 home run hitter and RBI producer of the club’s five-year history,” wrote the Denver Post’s Woody Paige.37

Helton became the Rockies’ starting first baseman in 1998 and remained there for 16 seasons, making five All-Star teams and receiving four Silver Slugger Awards and three Gold Gloves. He retired in 2013 as Colorado’s all-time leader in most offensive categories, including hits (2,519), home runs (369), runs scored (1,401), and RBIs (1,406). Helton was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.

Author’s Note

The author was at Three Rivers Stadium for both of Todd Helton’s first two major-league games.

Acknowledgments

This article was fact-checked by Kurt Blumenau and copy-edited by Len Levin. The author thanks SABR member Andrew Terrick for the research assistance. Gary Belleville and Kurt Blumenau provided insightful comments on an earlier version of this article.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org for pertinent information, including the box score and play-by-play. The author also reviewed game coverage in the Denver Post, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspapers.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT199708020.shtml

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1997/B08020PIT1997.htm

Photo credit: Todd Helton, Trading Card Database.

Notes

1 Irv Moss, “Rockies Opt for Some Pop with Helton,” Denver Post, June 2, 1995: 1D.

2 Dan Flesner, “Helton Adds to Collection of Awards This Season,” Knoxville (Tennessee) News-Sentinel, June 7, 1995: D3.

3 Nick Gates, “Helton Big Hit in AAA: Ex-UT Star Promoted by Rockies,” Knoxville News-Sentinel, August 9, 1996: C1.

4 Robin Brownlee, “Helton Aims to Climb Rockies’ Mountain: Colorado Draft Choice Considered a Blue-Chip Prospect for the Big Leagues,” Edmonton Journal, April 22, 1997: D6.

5 In 1995 Bichette hit 40 home runs, Walker hit 36, Castilla hit 32, and Galarraga hit 31.

6 Mark Kiszla, “All Gebhard Has Built Is Pile of Rubble,” Denver Post, July 24, 1997: 1D. As of July 31, Colorado was fourth in the four-team NL West, 8½ games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, who were tied for first. The Rockies were 11½ games behind the Florida Marlins for the NL’s wild-card spot.

7 Michael Farber, “Cat Quick: He May Have a Fast Bat, But the Rockies’ Andres Galarraga Is Even Faster to Flash a Smile,” Sports Illustrated, Jun 2, 1997: 68.

8 Galarraga was the 1993 NL batting champion with a .370 average. He led the NL with 47 home runs in 1996; his 150 RBIs that year were first in the majors. His 140 RBIs in 1997 topped the NL.

9 Jerry Crasnick, “Catcall: Galarraga Seeks Long-Term Deal,” Denver Post, February 20, 1997: 1D; Tony DeMarco, “Rockies Want Big Cat Back,” Denver Post, June 18, 1997: 5D.

10 “Hurting Burks Put on D.L.” Denver Post, June 29, 1997: 19C.

11 John Henderson, “Rockies Call for Helton: Vander Wal Sent Down in Shakeup,” Denver Post, August 1, 1997: 1C; Barney Hutchinson, “Helton Joins Rockies; Vander Wal Sent Down,” Boulder (Colorado) Daily Camera, August 1, 1997: 2C.

12 Since the beginning of the 1994 season, Galarraga had been out of the Rockies’ starting lineup only 27 times, and Vander Wal had started at first in 19 of those games.

13 John Henderson, “Clock Strikes Midnight for Rockies in 4-1 Loss to Pirates,” Denver Post, August 1, 1997: 7C.

14 Henderson, “Rockies Call for Helton”; Barney Hutchinson, “Promotion to ‘Bigs’ Surprises Hutchinson,” Boulder Daily Camera, August 2, 1997: 3C.

15 John Henderson, “Walker Road Show Wins,” Denver Post, August 2, 1997: 1C.

16 Mark Kiszla, “The Pressure Cooker Is Now Set on High,” Denver Post, August 2, 1997: 1C. A Denver-area newspaper reported that the Toronto Blue Jays had asked for Helton in return for reliever Mike Timlin, and a Kansas City newspaper linked Helton to discussions about Royals starter Kevin Appier. Barney Hutchinson, “Rockies Sit as Giants Improve,” Boulder Daily Camera, August 1, 1997: 3C; La Velle E. Neal III, “Robinson Won’t Mind Sitting Tight: Royals Might Go Quietly into Trading Deadline,” Kansas City Star, July 30, 1997: D-1.

17 Kiszla, “The Pressure Cooker Is Now Set on High.”

18 John Henderson, “Suspension Holds for Cat,” Denver Post, August 2, 1997: 7C.

19 Barney Hutchinson, “Big Cat’s Suspension Upheld,” Boulder Daily Camera, August 2, 1997: 3C.

20 John Henderson, “Burks’ Injury Bugs Baylor,” Denver Post, August 3, 1997: 15C.

21 “Todd Helton … probably already is a better left fielder than Bichette,” claimed a July 1997 Denver Post column advocating that the Rockies trade Bichette. Terri Frei, “In Sports, Being Nice Comes Last,” Denver Post, July 20, 1997: 4C.

22 Projecting heavy financial losses, Pittsburgh had begun trading veterans for younger players or prospects in August 1996 and continued cost-cutting through the offseason. Manager Jim Leyland, at the helm for three straight division titles from 1990 through 1992, moved on to manage the Marlins. Pittsburgh’s Opening Day roster in 1997 included few players with more than a season or two of big-league experience. The total payroll was $9 million, lowest among the 28 major-league clubs. As late as July 17, the Pirates were tied with the Houston Astros for first place in the division, but they entered this game in second place, six games back. Associated Press, “Mad Money: Belle’s $10 Million Salary Will Surpass Pirates’ Entire Payroll,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 3, 1997: B-1; Robert Dvorchak, “A Baseball Season to Cherish and Cheer,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 21, 1997: Special Section, 2.

23 Paul Meyer, “High and Low: Young’s Potential Season-Ending Injury Dampens Nail-Biting Victory,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 3, 1997: C-1. Walker went on to win the NL MVP Award and lead the league with 49 home runs. His .366 batting average was second only to Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres, who hit .372. His 130 RBIs were third to teammate Galarraga (140) and the Astros’ Jeff Bagwell (135).

24 Jack Etkin (Scripps-Howard News Service), “Helton Homers in Debut,” Knoxville (Tennessee) News-Sentinel, August 3, 1997: C1.

25 Rob Biertempfel, “Bucs Make Most of Modest Output: Timely Hits Knock Off Rockies,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, August 3, 1997: D1.

26 Meyer, “High and Low.”

27 Young’s .315 batting average and team-high 16 home runs were key to the Pirates’ unexpected contention in their division. He did not bat again until September 15. Paul Meyer, “The Final Word: Young Hits Winning HR Day After Ripping His Mates,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 16, 1997: C-1. Pittsburgh lost 22 of 39 games in Young’s absence and finished second in the division, five games behind the Astros.

28 Alan Robinson (Associated Press), “Pirates Get More out of Less in 6-5 Win Over Rockies,” Indiana (Pennsylvania) Gazette, August 3, 1997: C-1.

29 John Henderson, “Helton Receives Little Help in Loss to Pirates,” Denver Post, August 3, 1997: 1C.

30 Meyer, “High and Low.”

31 Jerry Crasnick, “Helton’s Power Surprising,” Denver Post, August 4, 1997: 5C.

32 Etkin, “Helton Homers in Debut.”

33 “Between the Lines,” Denver Post, August 3, 1997: 15C.

34 As of July 2024, only 28 players in National or American League history have hit home runs in their first two major-league games, including Hall of Famers Helton and Earl Averill and 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge. Kyle Lewis of the Seattle Mariners began his career with home runs in three straight games in 2019; the Rockies’ Trevor Story hit home runs in his first four games.

35 Buoyed by 30 wins in 44 games from August 5 through September 23, the Rockies attained their third straight winning season.

36 Tony DeMarco, “The Cat Walks: Atlanta Antes Up $24.75 Million over Three Years,” Denver Post, November 21, 1997: 1D.

37 Woody Paige, “Galarraga Biggest, Best for Rockies,” Denver Post, November 21, 1997: 1D.