Todd Helton Pleads Guilty To DUI

Other than his now infamous mug shot, Todd Helton has not caught too much negative attention for his DUI this past spring. He was lumped in with other players who have received DUI’s as commentators noted the lack of severe penalties. I would also like to think Helton’s sincere apology and accountability weighed into the fact that he is still held in high regard.

The incident is officially done and dealt with as of today, as Helton entered a guilty plea to his DUI charge. He received one year of probation, 24 hours of community service, and a $400 fine. One would hope that he would take it upon himself to contribute much more than those 24 hours and those 400 dollars given his stature in the Denver community, but that’s on him.

Helton. Image: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

One other thought: Helton’s disinclination to indulge anything like a “farewell tour” is probably benefiting all of us at this point. The last thing I want to see is Helton ending his career on a sour note. If he were being honored at each park, people might note their discomfort with celebrating somebody who so recently got a DUI. That would also make for a double distraction, which we all know is the last thing Helton would ever want to create.

It happened, we were all really disappointed, he apologized the best he could, and now we can all focus on baseball and watching the Toddfather go out on his terms where it matters most: on the field.