FanHouse Andres Galarraga

From the Windup is FanHouse's extended look at a particular portion of America's pastime.

The Hall of Fame talk has begun to die down and baseball fans are starting to look forward to that oh-so-exciting date -- February 15th, when pitchers and catchers report -- but before we get there, let's look ahead at the players who will be eligible for enshrinement in Cooperstown for the first time in 2010.

There was a time when Todd Helton's power numbers could make Rockie fans forget who their original first baseman was. There was a time when Todd Helton was a 40-home run hitter, nearly reviving the Blake Street Bombers. There was a time when 30 home runs was the least Todd Helton would produce.

Now, not so much. As Purple Row pointed out earlier in the year, Todd Helton has completely remade himself into a contact hitter with amazing bat control. Witness a 30 walk/11 strikeout ratio on the year. That impressive ratio is better than any other hitter in baseball, better than even Barry Bonds. As a result, Helton has the second highest batting average in baseball at .383, and the 5th best OPS in the game at 1.059 -- not bad for a guy who only has four home runs.

Helton's and all other Rockie offensive numbers were met with skepticism due to the Coors Field effect. Now, it's hard to make such an argument; Coors Field is averaging 1.29 home runs per game, which is sixth lowest in the major leagues. In fact, Helton only has one home run in 17 home games this year. Todd credits a new focus on maintaining a balanced diet and exercise routine as a big reason for his new success. Whatever the reason is for Helton's makeover as a hitter, you should take notice. We haven't seen this type of bat control and hitting superiority since Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs.

Rockies first baseman Todd Helton went 2-5 with 2 RBI in Friday night's 6-3 win over the Diamondbacks giving him 1,000 career RBI. While he has a ways to go to reach Hank Aaron's career record of 2,297, there's no denying that Helton has enjoyed a stellar career and even made Rockie fans forget about Andres Galarraga. But Helton's enjoyed even more success against Diamondbacks starter Brandon Webb who received his 2006 NL Cy Young Award Friday night, the same night his likeness was distributed throughout the stadium in the form of a bobblehead. Helton is 15-for-42 (.357) lifetime against Webb -- trailing only Moises Alou (.478) and Jimmy Rollins (.417) for a higher batting averages among players with at least 25 plate appearances against Webb. The Rox are 5-5 on the year and have taken three of four against Arizona thus far, but Helton knows they have work to do

"We need to step on somebody's neck right now," Helton said. "That's the attitude we have to have."

If the Rox are going to make a move -- which would be something new for Helton -- that's a pretty good approach to have. Cut throat and kick butt. Only deal is the Rox need to maintain the momentum throughout the year, and not flame out as the season goes on. And being one of the highest paid players in the league, Helton has a lot to live up to, but he's on his way to doing so.

If you're like me, you're probably still having a lot of trouble adjusting to the new look Rockies team which is -- as odd as it is to say -- more of a speed and finesse team. Long gone are the days of the Blake Street Bombers which used to feature half a lineup of 30 home run hitters e.g. Dante Bichette, Andres Galarraga, Ellis Burks, Larry Walker, Todd Helton, and Vinny Castilla. So yeah, in case you haven't caught on yet, the Rockies are now built with speed at the top (Taveras, Matsui), average/speed/power in the middle (Atkins, Holliday, Hawpe), and good starting pitching. Really.

In fact, the 4-4 Rox have seen every single one of their starters throw at least six innings per start, with seven of those eight starts yielding two or fewer runs. The staff has a 3.34 ERA and has only allowed six home runs and 17 walks in eight games, and is in the top part of the league in several other categories.

Last year Colorado set a franchise record for lowest team ERA at 4.66. Between emerging youngsters Aaron Cook, Jeff Francis (pictured), and Jason Hirsh, as well as the resurgence of Rodrigo Lopez and Josh Fogg, the '07 team should blow that mark out of the water. Will they be as sharp as the season goes on? Probably not. But what really matters is that this is a completely rebuilt team, with a new look, and some pitchers that can truly keep the team in every game.