[niss]

Two things.

1. Since 2000, Helton has had as many as 59 doubles in a season. Even in what some consider to be his "down" years (the last two, in which his HR and RBI totals are way down), he has had at least 40 doubles. So to say his doubles will go through the roof implies that he will have, say, more than 60 doubles a year, given his recent stats. That's nuts.

2. There's little dispute that Helton is not a speed demon. His big doubles numbers are largely influenced by the large outfield in Coors, where his line drives into the gaps run forever (and where outfielders have a whole lot more turf to cover) and give him ample time to get to 2nd (he's even had as many as 5 triples in a year, which for a slow guy is pretty incredible). I am not an AL fan and do not watch much AL baseball, so I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong -- but I can't see how (a) the smaller ballpark and (b) the green monster will result in *more* doubles for him. Those balls that in Coors roll forever seemingly would, more often than not, come back to the outfielder a whole lot more quickly in Fenway, which can't help the slow-footed Helton.

These are my thoughts. I'm happy to hear why I'm wrong.