"Reporters covering the Rockies call it the CarGo Shuffle.

Every day, writers from media who don't normally cover the Rockies wear a path in front of Carlos Gonzalez's locker hoping to grab a few minutes with the Rockies' resident Triple Crown threat. If it isn't Gonzalez, it's Troy Tulowitzki, or Ubaldo Jimenez. They aren't just franchise players. They've become sound bites waiting to happen.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the clubhouse, Todd Helton watches it all play out with more than a little smirk on his face. If somebody wants to talk to him, it's usually his hunting buddy, Rockies reliever Matt Belisle.

"Absolutely," said Helton, when asked if he was enjoying his newfound anonymity. "It works out well for me. Fits my personality."

For more than a decade, Helton was the face of the franchise. This spring, you wouldn't notice him walk in the clubhouse if it weren't for those neon-orange running shoes, a testament to his Tennessee roots.

So, he was asked, are you glad there aren't so many microphones around?

"I was till about 30 seconds ago," Helton said.

But seriously, he added: "It's fun to come to work and be able to do your work and not talk about all the other stuff. If something comes up, they get to answer the questions now."

Being in the shadow of Gonzalez, Tulowitzki and Jimenez isn't just something Helton enjoys, it's something he needs in the twilight of his career. He hasn't just found anonymity there. He has found solace in the aftermath of the most difficult year of his career.

If nothing else, Helton is a prideful man. He burns to rebound from a 2010 season in which his back and his bat betrayed him. But the last thing he wants to do is talk about it."