colorado rockies notes
Helton happiest about Colorado's strong start
http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_3715812

By Troy E. Renck
Denver Post Staff Writer

Todd Helton has teeth.
He actually is smiling. A lot. He can't help it. After spending just 243 days over .500 in his entire career, he's enjoying a season that featured the Rockies atop the National League West for 10 of the first 12 days.


"I've only been on one winning team (in 2000), and this is going to be a winning team," Helton said. "This is a good group of guys to be doing it with."


While much was made of his status as Todd of the Toddlers last season, it masked the fact that Helton didn't know most of his teammates. He never played in the minor leagues with any of them.
"Truth be told," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said, "I think he felt a little bit like the outsider."


Helton appears more comfortable in his role, a year after pressing to live up to his contract while struggling with a back injury. Said reliever Mike DeJean, "I have noticed a difference. He's a knucklehead just like the rest of us."
Helton entered Saturday hitting .406 and drove in his eighth run of the year in the first inning. Helton had just nine RBIs last April.


"As a team, we complement each other well," Helton said. "It makes it fun to come to the clubhouse every day."




Better Kim, struggling Kim
On the same day Byung-Hyun Kim inched back toward the Rockies' roster, fellow pitcher Sun- Woo Kim is running out of time to show he belongs.


Byung-Hyun Kim, who will rejoin the rotation when he returns, recorded 10 outs in 60 pitches for Triple-A Colorado Springs. He hasn't felt pain in his right hamstring since last Tuesday. He will start again Wednesday, earmarked for 80 pitches - followed by a 100-pitch outing, potentially his last before returning.


"He did fine. No problems," general manager Dan O'Dowd said.


The same can't be said for Sun-Woo Kim. The right-hander hasn't resembled last year's pleasant surprise since returning from the World Baseball Classic.


Inactivity and illness left him behind in spring training, but of more concern is his lacking breaking ball. Sun-Woo Kim has leaned heavily on his 94 mph fastball and has been punished, compiling a 19.80 ERA in five innings.


With Scott Dohmann closing in on his return, the Rockies can't wait forever on Sun-Woo Kim.


"We need him to get him going," O'Dowd said. "If he doesn't, we are going to have to make a difficult decision."




Footnotes
Tennessee royalty will share the Rockies' clubhouse Wednesday when Peyton Manning visits Helton. Manning, who took over quarterback duties at the University of Tennessee from Helton, will be in the area on business. ... Ryan Shealy's sore elbow is slowly recovering in extended spring training. He is serving as a DH and playing catch at 90 feet and soon will begin positional work at first base. ... Utility player Eli Marrero said he was available to pinch hit Saturday after missing two games with a respiratory illness. ... While the Rockies have struggled to homer at Coors Field, the Devil Rays are the first team to have three players - Jonny Gomes, Travis Lee and Ty Wigginton - with four homers apiece in a team's first 10 games since the 1997 Rockies trio of Larry Walker, Vinny Castilla and Ellis Burks.
Staff writer Patrick Saunders contributed to this report.