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Hall of Fame Member Directory

Tommy Helms

Class of 1979

When the game's over, Helms doesn't ask how many hits he got, he has only one question, 'Did we win?'" That's the whole story of baseball. You must have the will to win in your heart.

- Dave Bristol, who managed Helms from 1966-1969

Tommy Helms was born in Charlotte, N.C., in 1941, and he made his Major League debut with the Reds in 1964. His first full season in the Major Leagues was 1966, and he won the National League Rookie of the Year that season. Helms was selected to two NL All-Star teams, and he was the starting second baseman in the 1968 game. He was a Gold Glove second baseman in 1970 and '71 before being traded to Houston as part of the Joe Morgan deal after the 1971 season. Helms became the first Cincinnati player to hit a home run in Riverfront Stadium on July 1, 1970 (Hank Aaron hit the first home run in the park during the inaugural game the day before). He also managed the Reds for two stretches in 1988 -- during Pete Rose's month-long suspension for shoving an umpire -- and in 1989 -- after Rose's banishment from baseball. Helms was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1979.

Tommy Vann Helms
Bats:
Right
Throws:
Right
Height:
5' 10"
Weight:
165
Born:
May 5, 1941, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
How Acquired:
Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1959
Debut:
September 23, 1964 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Final Game:
October 1, 1977 vs. Baltimore Orioles
Inducted
into the Reds Hall of Fame 1979
Reds Career Statistics
Career Statistics for Tommy Helms
G AB R H TB 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS
851 3191 271 858 1081 145 12 18 274 128 31 206 23 32 .269 .297 .339 .635
Full Career Statistics »
Player image for Tommy Vann Helms

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