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NL DIVISION SERIES: ROCKIES v PHILLIES

October 8, 2009

Todd Helton

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Game Two

Q. Jim just talked about how your character plays as much, if not a bigger role, in the type of player that you are and the effect you have on this team. Is that something that's just always been engrained in you, the going in with the same face, the attitude that you've had, or is that something you've had to work at?
TODD HELTON: That's a tough question. I mean, I am who I am. I go out and play like I was taught as a kid. My dad is a hard worker, didn't come from much, but he put in a hard day's work. That's what I do. I mean, there's no secret to it.

Q. You guys as a club, resiliency has been maybe the best thing about you guys this year. Can you just talk a little bit about that and how that plays into the situation you're in now?
TODD HELTON: Well, I mean, we've been down and out before. A quarter way through the season, everybody thought that -- kicked us to the curb and thought we were done. But nobody in that locker room ever thought that. We always knew that we had the talent. It's a long season. We knew we had a chance to turn it around. And we did that.
Five-game series, we'd better turn it around in a hurry because we're going to be still seeing some very good pitching. We've got our work cut out for us in that regard. But nobody in that locker room thinks anything after one game.

Q. Is the plan against Hamels pretty much the same as against Cliff Lee yesterday? Obviously you want to execute a little better.
TODD HELTON: Whatever our plan was against Lee, it didn't work out too well. We may want to change that up a little bit.
I think honestly, we're just going to attack him, focus on all the things that we've done all year to get back to the playoffs, and that's just having good at-bats as a team, making the pitcher work. Obviously we didn't do that yesterday, but it happens. It's not going to happen every time out, because sometimes the opposing pitcher is going to beat you, and that's all right. That's the game. Beautiful thing is we get to go out today and get another crack at it.

Q. Could you talk about Troy Tulowitzki and what impresses you most about him as a teammate, as a player?
TODD HELTON: There's a lot to talk about there. He is definitely the most underrated shortstop. I don't know if it's where he plays or what, as far as Colorado, but the guy makes every routine play. He makes spectacular plays.
Defensively there's no comparison to him. I know you all like Jimmy Rollins over here, and he's a good player, he's a great player, obviously. But Tulo is very special. He's got a cannon for an arm. Shows up, ready to play every day. He's a really good teammate. To me that's the best thing that can be said about you as a baseball player is to be a good teammate. He is that.

Q. How important and even in a way surprising maybe is the success that Jason Hammel had from when you guys picked him up on the last day of spring training to get to this point?
TODD HELTON: As players we didn't know what we were getting whatsoever, him being in the American League. But he's a competitor. He's got really good stuff. He doesn't walk many guys, and he's very consistent. Usually you know what you're going to get with him. He's going to throw strikes, and as an everyday player he's very easy to play behind because you know he's going to give you a good effort every time out.

Q. You mentioned that maybe Troy was underrated because of playing in Colorado. For you having put up some of the best numbers in the last decade, did you ever think about or have a desire to be in a bigger market where maybe everything you've done would be noticed?
TODD HELTON: No.

Q. The media makes a very big deal with crowds and people in attendance and noise. Is that our creation, or does it matter to a player in an environment that's loud and sometimes nasty? Does it trickle down to what's actually happening on the field?
TODD HELTON: I mean, sometimes, yeah, I think it can. It kind of builds momentum. When things get going, the crowd gets into it, I know it really helps us at home when the crowd is into it and they're going crazy. You're coming up to bat and you know it's a big situation. Being on the road, I wouldn't say that it's a nasty crowd or anything like that. I mean, they're so loud you can't even hear the individual people yelling at you, which is usually the worst things that can be heard out there. But the crowd was great yesterday. It was fun to see them into the game. It's playoff baseball. I don't know if I answered your question.

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