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All eyes on Rockies' Todd Helton
Colorado 1B still in hunt for magical .400 mark
The Associated Press * Sept. 1, 2004
DENVER – It’s early September and most sports fans in this Mile High City have turned their attention to football.
The Broncos are only days away from their season opener against the visiting KC Chiefs, and hopes again are high for another Super Bowl drive. As usual, the Colorado Rockies are near the bottom of the NL West, more than 10 games out of first place with just over a month to play.
But there still is at least one reason to visit Coors Field over the next month – first baseman Todd Helton. He’s currently flirting with becoming the first player since Ted Williams to finish the season with an average over .400. Williams batted .406 in 1941.
“It’s exciting,” said manager Clint Hurdle. “We all have a reason to be up for every game even though we’re pretty far down in the standings.”
Helton jumped into the limelight with a sizzling July, batting .451 for the month and wracking up 46 hits. He has 27 homers and 94 RBIs thus far as well.
Here is his month-by-month batting average:
March/April: 36-80 (.450)
May: 25-85 (.294)
June: 32-84 (.381)
July: 46-102 (.451)
August: 32-97 (.330)
“He’s just seeing the ball so well,” Hurdle said. “We all crowd up at the dugout fence whenever he’s up to bat. He’s one of the purest swingers I’ve ever seen.”
Helton says he’s not that concerned about reaching the .400 mark. “I just want to win more ballgames,” he said. “Realistically, we could get on a hot streak just like the Dodgers and climb back into the race.”
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