Colorado Rockies great Todd Helton, is set to call it career following the season after 17 years with the organization, according to Yahoo! Sports.
The decision was announced after a 9-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night. The 40-year-old first baseman is the franchise leader in many offensive categories, hitting .317 with 367 home runs, 1,397 RBIs, 1,394 runs, a .415 on-base percentage and a .539 slugging percentage in 2,235 career games.
”For 17 years number ’17’ has been the icon of Colorado Rockies baseball,” Rockies owner Dick Monfort said in a statement. ”Todd will be missed and our hope is he will be a part of our Colorado baseball family for many more years to come.”
Helton has had another poor season offensively after struggling in 2012, due in part to recurring back issues.
”If I could play 81 games at home next year, I could do it. I could do it for a couple of more years,” Helton told The Denver Post on Saturday. ”And if they had the games scheduled for the same time so I could get a sleeping pattern, I would have a chance.
”I am sure come next February, probably even in December when it’s usually time to start getting ready, it will be tough. I don’t know how I am going to react. It will be weird. But I have other things in my life besides baseball.”