The Helton influence

It's seems fitting that news of Todd Helton's return to Rocky Top to volunteer and help the Tennessee baseball team was simply released via a press announcement.

Low key is the Helton way.

But the reality is that Helton's return is anything but low key in terms of it's importance to the Vol baseball program.

To help understand it, think of it this way: Helton is Vol baseball's Peyton Manning.

Yes, Tennessee played baseball before Helton arrived on the scene and did so with good players like Condredge Holloway. But Todd Helton made Tennessee baseball an event. A destination on a Tuesday night as well as a Saturday night.

A local product who played on a team with other good players including other good local players, Helton was different.

He was the attraction.

Any Helton at bat could result in fireworks and he had plenty of flair for the dramatics. In 1996, Helton hit a game winning moonshot over the left wall to beat Arkansas that had Mike Keith so fired up the voice of Tennessee baseball about knocked me through the wall in the broadcast booth. As fun as he was to watch swing the bat, seeing him work the 8th and 9th innings as a relief pitcher was pure artistry. Helton could throw it at any speed at any different arm angle. He never got the credit he deserved for his work on the pitching mound.

How much Helton can help a guy hit or help a guy throw or how involved he will be with any of that is unknown. But where he will help Tennessee baseball is in their confidence, their swagger if you will.

Simply put, Todd Helton is one of the greatest winners I have ever been around and have ever covered.

He was the king of swagger.

No one wanted to be in the batter's box more with the game on the line than Helton. No one wanted the ball on the mound more to save a game than Helton. And for me that's always been the lasting image of Helton.

It's not that short compact swing with unbelievably fast hands. It's not the sidearmed curveball that broke so hard that both right handers and left handers thought they were going to get hit by the pitch.

For me, the images I will always was Helton's stare into the dugout from his first base post demanding the ball to ensure the win on the mound. It was Helton's warm up throws to a fellow infielder while Dave Serrano as a pitching coach paying a visit to the mound to see his pitcher.

Don't misunderstand, it wasn't that Helton didn't trust his teammates, he just trusted himself more.

Simply put, Todd Helton is a winner. And that's why Tennessee baseball got better Friday with the announcement that Helton is joining the program.

There's no question that Helton can help the program recruit. There's no question he can give players great advice on trying to make it to the show. He can help guys hit the ball better. He can show a few his famous knuckle curve.

But his biggest impact is his ability to help the program is the same ability that made him Tennessee's best and a 17 year major leaguer.

It's his competitiveness. His will to win. A will that has rubbed off on everyone that's ever played with him from his days at the Boys Club in Knoxville to Coors Field in Colorado.

A will that the Diamond Vols locker room will be better for knowing.

Welcome home number 3.