Here’s how Todd Helton became a Colorado Rockie

EDITOR’S NOTE: In his fifth of 10 years of eligibility, Todd Helton surged within 2.8 percentage points of induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. The following, which features the Rockies’ first general manager, Bob Gebhard, is excerpted from Denny Dressman’s book Walk-Off!

The most momentous player decision in the Rockies’ first quarter-century was made on June 1, 1995. It came together quickly, in late May as the third-year team was in the midst of losing six of seven to fall to .500 at 16-16 and out of first place for only the second time since the Coors Field opener.

“I was in Asheville or Salem, with one of our minor league teams,” said Bob Gebhard, recalling the moment he heard from Scouting Director Pat Daugherty. “Pat called me and said, ‘Why don’t you go over and see Todd Helton play?’ They were playing a night game, and I’m about 80 miles away. So, I said, ‘Sure.’ Pat always asked me to go out and see the top seven or eight that we might have a shot at.”

. . . . “So, I drive over to Knoxville,” Gebhard continued. “I want to get there for batting practice and whatever . . . I get caught speeding.”

By then, Todd Helton was everybody’s son in Tennessee—even bigger, at that point, than Peyton Man-

'Hey, can you pitch?

SOLD o BELMAR PLAZA PENTHOUSE: THE BEST OF EVERYTHING. PREMIER SOUTHWEST CORNER

PANORAMIC MOUNTAIN VIEWS, 2500 SQ FT. $1,195,000 SOLD o 4081 CHESTNUT, THE PRESERVE EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY AND STYLING. BEDROOM ON MAIN

EUROPEAN AMBIANCE. $2,895,000 SOLD o CHERRY HILLS PERFECTION: 5000 S ALBION ST. EXQUISITE WALKOUT RANCH BACKING TO THE HIGHLINE CANAL. SUPERB ATTENTION TO DETAIL, SPACIOUS, FLOWING FLOORPLAN.

$2,995,000 SOLD o PINE VALLEY ESTATES: 8533 MONMOUTH PLACE EXCEPTIONAL TRI-LEVEL. HARDWOOD FLOORS, DESIGNER BATHS, EXTRAORDINARY LANDSCAPING AND OUTDOOR KITCHEN. $650,000 SOLD o 10955 E CRESTLINE PLACE, THE HILLS AT

#1 DENVER BOARD OF REALTORS 12 YEARS STRAIGHT TOP 1.5% OF AGENTS IN THE USA #44 OF 1,350,000 AGENTS IN THE USA (THE WALL STREET JOURNAL) ning. (Though not bigger than Manning would soon become with fans of the Volunteers.)

Since their inception in 1993, the Rockies had never asked a position player to pitch in one of their games. But in the 12th inning against the Atlanta Braves on August 22, 2000, they had no choice.

“Cop pulls me over and I get out. He sees my Colorado Driver’s License and says:

“Colorado? What are you doing here?”

The conversation that followed went like this:

“I’m going over to the University of Tennessee to see a baseball player.”

“You’re going to see Todd Helton, aren’t you.”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, I know him. High school quarterback, University of Tennessee. I live a few blocks away from his mother.”

They stand on the side of the road for half an hour, the police officer telling Gebhard at length what a great kid—what a great athlete— Todd Helton is.

“I finally said, ‘Officer, I gotta go. I’m going to miss batting practice.’ I’m thinking I’m going to get out of the ticket.

“He says, ‘Well, let me write your ticket up, then you can go.’”

. . . . that evening, at the game “Second inning, maybe third, I hear, ‘Hi Bob. How are ya?’ It was the policeman and his wife, walkin’ in! I still had the ticket in my shirt pocket.”

Gebhard doesn’t remember the opponent, the final score or even who won. But he’ll never forget what he thought of Todd Helton.

“Of the guys I had seen who Pat pointed out as might be available . . . for me, Helton just jumped to the top. He was impressive. Great at first base.

“You could tell he had been a quarterback because he was a leader on the team. Pitcher got in a little trouble—Todd went to the mound. He was just kind of directing traffic, things you’d assume a catcher would do.”

It takes some luck along with great scouting, though, to land a franchise player. When Gebhard watched Todd Helton, it seemed unlikely the Rockies would wind up with him.

“We were kinda set on getting a pitcher, because they were so hard to find.

Oakland drafted ahead of us, and they were set on Helton. But about four or five days before the draft, Sandy Alderson (Oakland’s GM) had a change of heart. He said, ‘We need some pitching, college pitching that can help us in a short period of time.’”

When Oakland’s turn came at number five, the A’s backed away from Helton and, as Alderson had told Gebhard he might, went for pitching. He took Ariel Prieto, a Cuban right hander who was pitching for an Independent League team in Palm Springs . . . After picks by the Marlins and Rangers who would turn out to be duds, the Rockies made Todd Helton their first top pick in history who was not a pitcher.

“He was also a pitcher (a school record 11 saves in 1995),” Gebhard acknowledged, “but we liked him as a hitter.”

(The 17th player chosen in the first round of the 1995 MLB amateur draft was future Hall of Fame pitcher Roy Halladay from Arvada West High School, selected by Toronto. And the 507th player chosen—by the Montreal Expos in the 18th round—was a high school catcher named Tom Brady . . . )

16 Pitches tells how catcher Brent Mayne, who had never pitched at any level, became the first fielder since the Yankees' Rocky Colavito in 1968 to be the winning pitcher in a Major League game, and the storybook way Colorado won for him. Order at Amazon.com.

Denny Dressman is a veteran of 43 years in the newspaper business, including 25 at the Rocky Mountain News, where he began as executive sports editor. He is the author of 15 books, nine of them sports-related. You can write to Denny at denny dressman@comcast.net

How to cover dental care in retirement

Dear Savvy Senior, I had dental insurance through my work for many years but lost it when I retired and joined Medicare. Where can retirees find affordable dental care?

Uninsured Al

Dear Al, Unfortunately, about two-thirds of U.S. retirees don’t have dental insurance today. Without coverage from traditional Medicare, and with private dental insurance typically costing too much to be feasible, most seniors are stuck paying full out-of-pocket prices every time they visit a dentist. While there’s no one simple solution to affordable dental care there are a variety of options that can help cut your costs. Here’s where to look.

BY JIM MILLER

in your area visit Medicare.gov/ plan-compare or call 800-6334227.

Dental insurance: If you have gum problems and need extensive dental care, a dental insurance plan may be worth the costs versus paying for care yourself. Monthly premiums for individual plans range from about $20 to $80. A typical plan includes two or three cleanings and checkups per year, but these plans will likely have a waiting period – anywhere from a few months to a few years – before coverage for more expensive procedures kicks in. To find dental plans in your area, see eHealthInsurance.com

Veterans’ benefits: If you’re a veteran enrolled in the VA health care program or are a beneficiary of the Civilian Health and Medical Program (CHAMPVA), the VA offers a dental insurance program that gives you the option to buy dental insurance through Delta Dental and MetLife at a reduced cost. The VA also provides free dental care to vets who have dental problems resulting from service. To learn more about these options, visit VA.gov/dental or call 877-222-8387.

Portico Penthouse

Medicare Advantage: While dental services are mostly excluded under original Medicare, many Medicare Advantage plans do provide coverage for dental care, but it’s usually very limited. Medicare Advantage plans are government approved health plans (usually HMOs and PPOs) sold by private insurance companies that you can choose in place of original Medicare. To shop and research Advantage plans

Dear Readers,

What are the benefits of a Revocable Living Trust?

A Revocable Living Trust has numerous advantages if it is set up properly and fully funded, meaning that all of the settlor’s assets are placed in the Trust. The benefits are as follows: challenges to your Estate Plan;

Dental savings plans: While savings plans aren’t as comprehensive as insurance, they are a good option for those who don’t have dental insurance. How this works is you pay an annual membership fee – around $80 to $200 a year – in exchange for 10 to 60 percent discounts on service and treatments from participating dentists. To find a savings plan, go to DentalPlans. com (or 888-632-5353) where you can search for plans and participating dentists, as well as get a breakdown of the discounts offered.

BY DONALD PETERSON

• A fully funded Trust eliminates the need for probate of all assets transferred to the Trust;

• A Colorado resident who owns real property in another state can put that real estate into a Living Trust and thereby reduce or eliminate the need for probate in the other state. This is an especially important reason when the probate system in the other state is expensive and cumbersome;

• Allows the Trustee to manage and have total control over the assets of the Trust during your life. Note, in most cases, you are the Trustee of your Trust, with the option to designate a Successor Trustee;

• Conveniently allows you, for any reason, to delegate the dayto-day operation of your Trust;

• Creates a prompt, flexible and efficient method to distribute your assets after death;

• A Living Trust may avoid the need for a conservatorship for the settlor, if he or she becomes legally disabled and the settlor has funded his or her Trust.

(Note: a Living Trust cannot avoid a guardianship proceeding, because the Trustee of a Living Trust cannot make medical or care decisions for the settlor, unless the Trustee is the named agent for the settlor under a separate medical power of attorney document);

• Reduces the risk of a Will contest and expensive court

• The terms of a Living Trust are generally private, unlike a Will, where the document is delivered to the court as part of the probate proceeding. For instance, many individuals may not want the “world” to know the terms of their distributions to their heirs, as would be the case with the use of a Will deposited with a court;

• Trusts are an excellent tool for tax planning, to avoid or reduce death taxes, depending on the size of your estate. Some Trusts are designed specifically to minimize federal estate tax. The terms of the Trust dictate the distribution of the Trust assets to utilize the currently effective estate tax exemption, or use the marital deduction to avoid any tax at the first spouse’s death. There are also trusts that are designed to be funded with specific assets, such as a residence or life insurance, which can create favorable tax consequences for the settlor and the beneficiaries; and

• Trusts can be used to accomplish asset protection for individuals and their beneficiaries.

Third-party asset protection Trusts can be created for beneficiaries. This type of Trust protects an inheritance from a beneficiary’s creditors, a beneficiary’s divorce, or a spendthrift beneficiary. First-party asset protection Trusts can provide some creditor protection for individuals, but these Trusts must be set up with a great deal of care, as there can be unfavorable consequences if they are set up incorrectly.

It is always best to consult with an experienced estate planning attorney regarding the best Trust and other estate plan documents to use,

Cheaper dental care: Because prices can vary by dentist, one way to ensure you get a good deal on your dental care is to call multiple provides and compare prices. To get an idea of what different dental procedures cost in your area, see FairHealthConsumer.org to legally accomplish your goals. What are the four key medical/ estate plan documents you need now?

If you’re paying cash, it’s also perfectly reasonable to ask your dentist for a discount.

There are also a number health centers and clinics that provide low-cost dental care to those in need. And all university dental schools and college dental hygiene programs offer dental care and cleanings for less than half of what you would pay at a dentist’s office. Students who are supervised by their professors provide the care. See TeethWisdom.org to search for a center, clinic or school near you.

Many of my clients have asked what are the critical documents needed, particularly in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Simply being married does not give you the legal right to gain access to your spouse’s medical records or make medical decisions on your spouse’s behalf, even in an emergency. To avoid this problem and to help others care for you and to achieve your overall estate planning goals, the following documents create an effective medical/estate plan package:

1. Healthcare Power of Attorney;

2. General Financial Power of Attorney;

3. Advanced Directive for Medical/ Surgical Treatment (“Living Will”); and

4. Will (or a Will with a Trust).

Careful medical/estate planning should include preparation and signing of these documents, to accomplish your goals and protect you, both during your lifetime, and at the time of passing. The Power of Attorney documents allow you to designate those agents whom you authorize to help you on your behalf during your lifetime, and the Will/Trust documents allow you to nominate others to help with your estate after your passing, as well as to identify the beneficiaries and the distributions to them, to accomplish your estate planning goals.

2787 SQ FT, PANORAMIC MOUNTAIN AND CITY VIEWS, GLEAMING WALNUT FLOORS, 20 FT CEILINGS IN AN AMENITY FILLED BUILDING: 2 POOLS, SPA, FITNESS CENTER, SAUNA,STEAM ROOM. 3 PARKING SPOTS, EXQUISITE !! $2,100,000

Highlands Ranch

HIGHLANDS RANCH GOLF CLUB: PATIO HOME. RARE MAIN FLOOR MASTER SUITE. PERFECTION. OVER $150,000 REMODEL. $800,000

Foxridge West

FOXRIDGE WEST 7683 S. OLIVE CIRCLE EXCEPTIONAL TRI LEVEL WITH FINISHED BASEMENT. FORMER MODEL HOME, CHERRY CREEK SCHOOLS. PRICED TO SELL $675,000 PLUS $25,000 in closing costs or loan discount points

HUNTINGTON

Acres

9230 EAST LAKE PL. IN HUNTINGTON ACRES, GREENWOOD VILLAGE. SPECTACULAR TWO-STORY WITH LOW MAINTENANCE YARD AND HUGE DECK. $1,495,000