Cincinnati Reds legend Tommy Helms dies at 83, remembered for his 2x All-Star, NL ROY-winning career
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer and 1966 National League Rookie of the Year Tommy Helms has died at the age of 83. The Reds Hall of Fame announced the passing of the team icon on Sunday afternoon.
Helms spent the majority of his 14-year career with Cincinnati. He was a two-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glover, and was named the 1966 National League Rookie of the Year — all of which happened during his stint in The Queen City.
"We are saddened to hear of the passing of Reds Hall of Fame second baseman Tommy Helms. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends." - @ Reds Museum
The North Carolina-native made his MLB debut with the Cincinnati Reds on September 23, 1964. He had a productive time in Cincinnati before being part of a mega deal that brought Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, Cesar Geronimo, Ed Armbrister, Jack Billingham, and Denis Menke to the Reds in exchange for Helms, Lee May, and Jimmy Stewart.
The second baseman bounced around from the Astros to the Pirates before finally ending his playing career with the Boston Red Sox in 1977. Two years later, he was enshrined in the Reds Hall of Fame.
Tommy Helms returned to the Cincinnati Reds in 1983 under skipper Russ Nixon as a part of the coaching staff. Helms would then make sporadic appearances as the club skipper in 1988 and 1989 after former teammate and then-manager Pete Rose was involved and ultimately banned from baseball due to gambling controversy.
Cincinnati Reds sweep Pittsburgh Pirates, take control of 2nd place in NL Central
After their 4-0 victory on Sunday afternoon against the Pirates, the Cincinnati Reds effectively took control of second place in the NL Central standings with an 8-8 record.
The rejuvenated squad, under the mentorship of two-time World Series-winning manager Terry Francona, has won five of its last six games. Their streak of hot form includes a massive 2-1 series win on the road against the powerhouse San Francisco Giants and the 3-0 sweep against NL Central counterpart Pirates.
Although the team's offense needs some work, it has been the pitching squad that has stepped up to begin the season. At the time of writing, the Reds' pitching crew has the third-best ERA in all of MLB with 2.87.
Hunter Greene has led the charge for the Reds with his impressive 0.98 ERA across four starts with 31 strikeouts. Nick Lidolo and Brady Singler have also done their part to uplift what once was a very unreliable starting rotation.
With the Cubs seemingly in a firm grip of the division, it will be interesting to see how Francona's Reds maneuver through the season and if the team can finally return to the postseason for the first time since 2020.