Et Tu, Todd Helton?
Despite the Rockies’ problems, one thing we’ve mostly been able to avoid is bad behavior. Occasional instances like Eliezer Alfonzo‘s doping and Alex White’s drinking four thousand gallons of liquor in one night have been small blemishes on an otherwise sterling record of conduct. We could pretty much depend on our players to keep their pants zipped, their drinks infrequent, and their noses clean.
Drinking in the morning makes it awfully hard to field balls like this. Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
So what on earth is Todd Helton doing driving under the influence? He’s the Toddfather, the granddaddy of all well-behaving Rockies, the one who sets an example for the little guys and does it without even trying. I’m sure he’s frustrated that he gave his life to this team that will not win a championship with him on it, but I like to think his source of strength is not the bottle. I hope I’m right about that.
Helton is nothing if not ashamed of his behavior, as the mug shot clearly indicates. He also released a statement which left no room for excuses. I’m sure this is not going to become a habit for Helton, but I hope it’s not representative of a new trend the team is headed for. After all, isn’t that the whole idea behind that clubhouse culture thing?
It will be interesting to see if this incident has any effect on Helton’s play going into what could be his last season. Time will tell.