Helton Hoping For Delayed Milestone

Jason Kendall got his 2,000th hit Monday.

Todd Helton did not.

Yet.

Helton, and his Rockies teammates, thought he got No. 2,000 with a ninth-inning smash that Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar played like a matador, waving his glove at the ball as it shot past him.

But official scorer Jack Wilkinson (a long-time baseball writer whom I know, like and admire) ruled the play an error.

"I have never seen that ball ruled an error," Helton said. "I received 40 text messages saying it was a hit."

Official scorer Jack Wilkinson disagreed, leaving Helton's entrance into the 2,000-hit club in limbo. Manager Clint Hurdle will meet with Wilkinson today before the game to argue his case. So it's possible Helton will become the 255th player in the big leagues to reach the milestone - 18 hours after he swung the bat.

"A hit's a hit," Helton said.

Doesn't Clint Hurdle have bigger things to worry about?

Now, teams and players have protested calls forever. The usual protocol is for the manager or a coach to ask the team's public-relations/media-relations director to appeal to the scorer. And the scorer might review a replay and consider the request.

But now, Major League Baseball is more apt to take matters into its hands and away from the person who was at the game. MLB has already overturned an inside-the-park homer by the Angels' Howie Kendrick and an error on Mets third baseman David Wright.

Here's the official rule:

A player or club may request that the League President review a judgment call of an official scorer made in a game in which such player or club participated, by notifying the League President in writing or by approved electronic means within 24 hours of the conclusion or suspension of such game, or within 24 hours of the official scorer's call, in the event the official scorer changes a call within 24 hours after a game concludes or is suspended, as provided in this Rule 10.01(a). The party requesting review shall submit, before the close of the second business day of the league office following the request for review, any written explanation or other evidence (such as videotapes or electronic media) the player or club wishes the League President to consider in reviewing such request. The League President shall not consider any evidence submitted after the time for submission set forth in this Rule 10.01(a). The League President, after considering the evidence submitted and any other evidence he wishes to consider, may request that the official scorer change a judgment call or, if the League President concludes that the judgment of the official scorer had been clearly erroneous, may order a change in a judgment call. No judgment decision shall be changed thereafter. A league may impose a reasonable fee upon a party requesting such review in the event that the judgment call of the official scorer being reviewed is upheld.

(Of course, the position of League President no longer exists in the majors.)

"I should have hit it higher or somewhere else. I thought it was a hit. Oh, well," Helton said.

The Rockies did save the ball from that error, ready to inscribe it for Helton's trophy case if the call is changed. I mean, it could very well be Helton's 891st career hit away from Coors Field.