The singles hitter formerly known as slugger Todd Helton wore a black T-shirt and walked slowly through the Rockies clubhouse, past teammates he has repeatedly left on base and too often let down.

The slumping Helton bats cleanup in the Colorado batting order on reputation, not merit.

Something needs to change.

How do you tell the best player in franchise history that at age 34 he lacks the oomph to generate the thump required by the heart of the Colorado batting order?

This thorny issue is not easy to confront for Rockies manager Clint Hurdle or anyone who has watched Helton belt nearly 2,000 hits in his major-league career.

"Are you asking me if you think Clint Hurdle should switch me in the lineup?" Helton said Sunday, after weak offense cost Colorado a 3-1 loss to the New York Mets.

"I think you have to earn your spot in the lineup. And as long as I'm not batting eighth or ninth, I'm going to do whatever it takes to help us win."

Helton gets grief for two ugly statistics.

His $16.6 million annual salary is a pile of money for the Rockies to invest in a bat that has lost its pop. But justifying his paycheck is not a concern among teammates, who love Helton like a big brother.

The number that is so irritating to Helton? Nearly halfway through the season, the Rockies' cleanup hitter is stuck at 27 runs batted in. Helton is a prideful man who approaches his job with square-jawed seriousness. So his mood can turn as black as his T-shirt when he considers the lack of productivity.

"It's not cutting it," Helton said.

During a seven-game homestand in which the Rockies scored four times in their three losses, Hurdle openly acknowledged the need to be proactive in firming up the middle of Colorado's batting order.

"I just show up and play," said Helton, stuck in a 9-for-49 slump that has dropped his batting average to .275. "Where (Hurdle) puts me in the lineup is his decision."

There will be no graceful time to
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remove Helton from the No. 4 spot, especially because you must consider his steadily declining power numbers during recent seasons indicate a reduction in Helton's offensive responsibilities, and might need to be more permanent than temporary.

But this might be the quiet moment when Hurdle can approach Helton with the idea of dropping down to sixth in the lineup, or using his healthy on-base percentage as an asset in the two hole, what with the Rockies headed off on the road for six games in American League ballparks, where a designated hitter can be added to a 32-44 team whose inability to score runs on a consistent basis has been its most unexpected disappointment.

At this point, seeing his name at a different spot in the batting order would not surprise Helton.

"It's kind of been hinted," said Helton, whose seven home runs this season make the 49 dingers he belted in 2001 seem like a distant memory.

For a franchise with strict budget limitations, it's hard for the Rockies to swallow a star being paid $275,000 per RBI at Helton's current rate of productivity.

But here's one strong vote for the idea that Helton remains extremely valuable to this team.

At first base, the glove of Helton still shines like gold. He sets a standard of professionalism that is priceless in the long grind of 162 regular-season games. And history suggests his bat will get hotter as the days of summer grow warmer.

"There's no doubt in my mind, I'm going to get better," Helton said. "So whether I turn it around in the six hole or the two hole or leading off, I don't care."

For now, the Rockies should leave cleanup duties in the more capable hands of Matt Holliday or Garrett Atkins.

"I'm not at a point in my life where I starve myself if I don't get a hit," Helton said. "It's tough, though, when you don't live up to the standards everybody else has for you, but also don't live up to what I expect out of myself."

We all fondly remember the days of Beltin' Helton, when he rocked a loud, steady beat in the heart of the Colorado batting order.

Those glory days, like Helton's power, seem long gone.