Tulo on the Rockies: ‘I really feel like it’s my team’
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Troy Tulowitzki’s voice is coming in loud and clear at last. Entering his sixth full major-league season, the all-star shortstop is prepared to be the Rockies’ leader after a quiet passing of the baton this spring by Todd Helton.
“This is the way I have always wanted to express myself, but for the first time in my career I really feel like it’s my team,” Tulowitzki told The Denver Post on Wednesday. “And the reason is Todd.”
Helton recently pulled Tulowitzki aside, a talk that strengthened their relationship and changed the clubhouse dynamic. The first baseman and most accomplished player in Rockies history told Tulowitzki that he should assume a larger role. Teammates have fed off Tulo’s intensity, but rarely his words. Helton, 38, gave him his blessing to speak out, something the 27-year-old has done frequently this spring during infield drills and meetings.
“I didn’t want to step on his toes or overstep my boundaries. My respect for him is unbelievable,” Tulowitzki said. “I believed that the locker room was still his, and I didn’t want to make it where it was my guys and his guys. It was never going to be like that with me. I’d play hard, but I’d bow down to Todd because it was his team. This is the first year where I have felt it’s all on me. He’s letting me do what I want. He wants me to police guys. And that’s a huge step for him and a huge step for me.”