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How to watch the Cooperstown Hall of Fame announcement as SEC star is in the mix
By Keith Farner
Published:
This may be the year for Todd Helton.
The former Tennessee player, who starred for the Colorado Rockies, is in line to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
At 6 p.m. on Tuesday on MLB Network, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America will announce the results of its 2024 Hall of Fame vote live from Cooperstown. Any electees will be inducted during Hall of Fame Weekend on Sunday, July 21, at 1:30 p.m. on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown.
Helton, a five-time All-Star, batted .316 with 369 homers and 1,406 RBIs with Colorado from 1997-2013. He won the 2000 NL batting title and 3 Gold Gloves. Helton’s vote percentage rose from 16.5% in 2019 to 52% in 2022. Last year, he was at 79.8% on the tracker ahead of last year’s announcement and fell 11 votes short at 72.2%, according to the Associated Press.
Helton was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 after he helped lead Tennessee to 3 straight NCAA Regional appearances, including a third-place finish at the 1995 College World Series. He was twice named to the NCAA All-Tournament team and earned a complete-game pitching victory over Clemson in the first round of the College World Series. Helton holds numerous school hitting records and the SEC’s mark for consecutive scoreless innings pitched with 47.2 in 1994, according to his HOF bio.
As a junior at Tennessee in 1995, Helton hit at a .407 clip while leading the league in home runs (20), RBIs (92), runs (86), doubles (27), hits (105), walks (61), slugging percentage (.775) and on-base percentage (.522). He also led the conference with a 1.66 ERA while compiling an 8-2 record with 12 saves.
Former Auburn star Frank Thomas is the only SEC player in the baseball Hall of Fame.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
