"Todd Helton arrived in 1997 out of a Norman Rockwell painting. He had the smile, the Southern drawl and a swing straight out of central casting.

For the better part of a decade, Helton was the Rockies. But the one thing you figured he might not be able to do better than everyone else was age. How could he? He never missed work, hit until his hands bled and dealt with pressure and demands foreign to nearly all of his teammates.

At 37, the kid from Tennessee arrived at spring training a week early determined to reach the Rockies' top one more time.

"I expect my worst day this year to be better than my best day last year," Helton said Wednesday as he sat in front his locker at Salt River Fields.

A prideful man, the Rockies' first baseman was embarrassed last season. His legs and back betrayed him. He hit .256 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs. Those numbers motivated Helton to completely overhaul his offseason routine.

He ripped the "Fragile" sticker off his back, working out with ferocity. He arrived in Scottsdale several days ago to train, leaving nothing to chance. His batting practice Wednesday provided a hint that an old Helton can still be the Helton of old.

"I may have changed my stance in the past because of my back. But not this year, I can promise you that," said Helton, who weighs a solid 220 pounds. "I am letting it go."

Make no mistake, Helton has abandoned caution. If this is the end, he's going out in a blaze of glory, not in a bundle of ice packs.

"To be totally honest, it's a little bit of both, proving to myself I can still do it and proving people wrong who doubt me," Helton said. "I have already proved to myself that I could physically prepare and get to this point feeling really good. That was a hurdle in itself.""