VFL Todd Helton inducted into National Baseball Hall of Fame

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (WJHL) – Four more men joined one of the elite fraternities in all of professional sports on Sunday – The National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, former Bristol Tigers manager, Jim Leyland – and VFL Todd Helton were all officially enshrined in Cooperstown.

The Knoxville native took down records in the early 1990s at UT. He finished his collegiate career with a .370 batting average, mashing 38 home runs and notching 230 RBI. He was the No . 8 overall pick of the Colorado Rockies in 1995 and played all 17 MLB seasons in the Mile High City.

He was a five-time All-Star as a pro, with a career batting average of .316. He amassed an astounding 592 career doubles and 369 home runs as a four-time Silver Slugger.

On Sunday, he said a big thank you to those in attendance that impacted in baseball journey. He also thanked one particularly special figure who was unable to attend.

“Dad passed in 2015,” he said. “This would have meant as much, if not more to him than it does me. When I was young, my dad taught me how to swing a bat and how to pitch a ball. But most importantly, beyond the relentless coaching, my dad made me believe I could stand up here today.”

Helton also thanked the Vols’ program and extended his congratulations to Tony Vitello and the Big Orange on their national championship this season.

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