Not Everyone Can Be Todd Helton
Troy Tulowitzki is gone, and it may be in part because he simply lacked the patience of his former teammate Todd Helton. The five time All-Star shortstop who won a pair of Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers, and helped the Colorado Rockies to their only National League pennant has been shoved out the door.
He said he was shocked, and I take him at his word, but when the dust settles, I don't know that he will always feel the same way. And this next sentence is not a critique in any manner, merely an observation.
While Troy Tulowitzki is the very best at his position in all the game, he is no Todd Helton.
If he stays healthy, Tulo will be one of the best to ever play the position. He may yet obtain the championship rings he desires, and pile up many more silver and gold plated trophies. However, some guys can only be at their very best when in contention. The Rox have been unable to get themselves back into a title hunt, and that was wearing out the incredible talents of Tulo.
The Toronto Blue Jays need not be worried, they are in a race, at the very least for a wild card spot, so they will have an all-in Troy Tulowitzki. This isn't to suggest the oft injured All-Star didn't always leave it all on the proverbial field. I think he gave whatever he had, but his own words offered a different picture. After his 41-game on base streak had come to an end, he offered this line.
"Hopefully I can be into every single pitch and pretend like something is on the line."
And yes, I realize this quote is deemed old news in Denver. The blogosphere, radio stations and beat writers have all debated the merit and context of the quote, but taken with all the other evidence, losing was clearly a burden on Tulo.
I have another source, a former player who knew about the state of the Rockies' locker room last season. Tulo is an immensely competitive player who hated losing so much, it made the post game sanctuary a tough place to be. It is a great thing and a bad thing. No player I ever interviewed or coached ever enjoyed losing a game. I've never heard of any professional enjoying moral victories. Fans want players to always be this competitive.
However, in baseball, an intense spiral of head hanging and banging stuff around after every setback gets understandably old 90-100 times a season. I imagine it can be a bit suffocating. The very, very long season makes it more difficult, it makes baseball different. Losing 10 times in an NFL season would be brutal, but multiplying that by a factor of 10 could drive a competitor to have to pretend an at bat means something.
And that's the difference between Helton and Tulowitzki.
Helton wanted to win as well, most fans recall the now famous photo of him as the Rockies won the NL Championship in 2007 displayed his sweet relief.
However, Todd Helton's frustration never created a cloud of despair. Helton seemed to have endless enthusiasm for the game in a whole bunch of games that were no fun. His only frustration happened as the injuries piled up and his skills slipped a notch or two, but I always witnessed a player who kept his head up, despite the piles of loses.
Both Tulo and Helton led by example, I contend it got to Tulo far more than it did the original Toddfather. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts Helton hated losing as much or more, he just didn't let his frustration be felt by everyone around him. That type of leadership is unique.
It showed in Tulo's body language, his words after the loses, and a general agreement in the local media he wasn't having any fun. On the record, he didn't demand a trade, but behind the scenes paint a picture of a player who was tired of waiting for the Rockies to win.
This doesn't diminish anything about the incredible career of Troy Tulowitzki the baseball player. He loves the game, he loves to win and again, best shortstop in all of baseball. Which is why the trade to Toronto is still a bit confounding, as I have to concur with Nolan Arenado, who thinks the Rox may have been able to do better. Colorado obtained three good young pitching prospects, and a very expensive replacement in the infield. But prospects don't always pan out, no matter how hard they throw right now.
Ultimately, Tulo had to go, for his own sanity if anything else. May the Blue Jays always be in contention or find him a team that is. He is a player who deserves to win, as did Todd Helton before him.
On a team pushing for the playoffs, Tulo will have more fun and be more fun to watch.
I will miss the endless Tulo effort in the infield. I will miss those crushed pitches. I will miss the toughness. Heck, I'll even miss the little Tulo chant that got fans out of their seats so often in a key at bat. An at bat where no one had to pretend it mattered.
He said he was shocked, and I take him at his word, but when the dust settles, I don't know that he will always feel the same way. And this next sentence is not a critique in any manner, merely an observation.
While Troy Tulowitzki is the very best at his position in all the game, he is no Todd Helton.
If he stays healthy, Tulo will be one of the best to ever play the position. He may yet obtain the championship rings he desires, and pile up many more silver and gold plated trophies. However, some guys can only be at their very best when in contention. The Rox have been unable to get themselves back into a title hunt, and that was wearing out the incredible talents of Tulo.
The Toronto Blue Jays need not be worried, they are in a race, at the very least for a wild card spot, so they will have an all-in Troy Tulowitzki. This isn't to suggest the oft injured All-Star didn't always leave it all on the proverbial field. I think he gave whatever he had, but his own words offered a different picture. After his 41-game on base streak had come to an end, he offered this line.
"Hopefully I can be into every single pitch and pretend like something is on the line."
And yes, I realize this quote is deemed old news in Denver. The blogosphere, radio stations and beat writers have all debated the merit and context of the quote, but taken with all the other evidence, losing was clearly a burden on Tulo.
I have another source, a former player who knew about the state of the Rockies' locker room last season. Tulo is an immensely competitive player who hated losing so much, it made the post game sanctuary a tough place to be. It is a great thing and a bad thing. No player I ever interviewed or coached ever enjoyed losing a game. I've never heard of any professional enjoying moral victories. Fans want players to always be this competitive.
However, in baseball, an intense spiral of head hanging and banging stuff around after every setback gets understandably old 90-100 times a season. I imagine it can be a bit suffocating. The very, very long season makes it more difficult, it makes baseball different. Losing 10 times in an NFL season would be brutal, but multiplying that by a factor of 10 could drive a competitor to have to pretend an at bat means something.
And that's the difference between Helton and Tulowitzki.
Helton wanted to win as well, most fans recall the now famous photo of him as the Rockies won the NL Championship in 2007 displayed his sweet relief.
However, Todd Helton's frustration never created a cloud of despair. Helton seemed to have endless enthusiasm for the game in a whole bunch of games that were no fun. His only frustration happened as the injuries piled up and his skills slipped a notch or two, but I always witnessed a player who kept his head up, despite the piles of loses.
Both Tulo and Helton led by example, I contend it got to Tulo far more than it did the original Toddfather. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts Helton hated losing as much or more, he just didn't let his frustration be felt by everyone around him. That type of leadership is unique.
It showed in Tulo's body language, his words after the loses, and a general agreement in the local media he wasn't having any fun. On the record, he didn't demand a trade, but behind the scenes paint a picture of a player who was tired of waiting for the Rockies to win.
This doesn't diminish anything about the incredible career of Troy Tulowitzki the baseball player. He loves the game, he loves to win and again, best shortstop in all of baseball. Which is why the trade to Toronto is still a bit confounding, as I have to concur with Nolan Arenado, who thinks the Rox may have been able to do better. Colorado obtained three good young pitching prospects, and a very expensive replacement in the infield. But prospects don't always pan out, no matter how hard they throw right now.
Ultimately, Tulo had to go, for his own sanity if anything else. May the Blue Jays always be in contention or find him a team that is. He is a player who deserves to win, as did Todd Helton before him.
On a team pushing for the playoffs, Tulo will have more fun and be more fun to watch.
I will miss the endless Tulo effort in the infield. I will miss those crushed pitches. I will miss the toughness. Heck, I'll even miss the little Tulo chant that got fans out of their seats so often in a key at bat. An at bat where no one had to pretend it mattered.
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