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Todd Helton, Hall of Famer and Colorado Rockies legend, has something to say about this year鈥檚 sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Isotopes.

鈥淚 see a lot of drive. I see hunger. I see guys wanting to soak up every ounce of information to make themselves better,鈥� he said Thursday at Isotopes Park ahead of the Triple-A squad鈥檚 day game against the Salt Lake Bees.

Helton, now a special assistant to Rockies General Manager Bill Schmidt, is tasked with helping guide Colorado鈥檚 minor-league affiliates 鈥� including the Isotopes. He called the opportunity rewarding.

鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 to see their success, to see them move up a league, just to watch them get through the battles that I went through,鈥� Helton said of what in his job motivates him. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see young kids get better 鈥� some of them look like real baseball players.鈥�

Helton played 267 games over three seasons with Rockies single-A, double-A and triple-A affiliates before getting called up to the majors. Then, the first baseman embarked on a 17-year career in the majors, winning three Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers and making five All-Star teams. So, when Helton talks, players listen.

鈥淚 would tell them (the minor-leaguers) to not to take anything for granted, somebody鈥檚 always watching,鈥� Helton said. 鈥淕o out there with the attitude that this video is going to be seen by a lot of people.鈥�

Two Isotopes players that have caught Helton鈥檚 eye are center fielder Sam Hilliard and shortstop Ryan Ritter.

Hilliard, who has bounced around between the majors and minors, has thrived in sa国际传媒官网网页入口, becoming the city鈥檚 all-time home run king last week. On Thursday, he hit a single and double to extend his on-base streak to 29 games and raise his average to .280.

Ritter, meanwhile, is working through a cold stretch. He鈥檚 hitless in his last four games and batting .216. But Helton sees star potential.

鈥淚 love Ryan Ritter. He鈥檚 a guy that I can see making it to the next level and having an impact,鈥� Helton said.

In fact, the last time Helton stepped into the batter鈥檚 box in sa国际传媒官网网页入口, he looked a lot more like Ritter than Hilliard. According to Journal sports archived box scores, Helton, then a member of the Sky Sox, played the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Dukes in a four-game series in June 1997. He went 4-17 at the plate (.235 average), with one double, one RBI, three runs scored and one error. The Dukes won the series, 3-1.

Obviously, that one series didn鈥檛 set a tone for his career. And that鈥檚 the message Helton is trying to impart.

鈥淓verybody鈥檚 going to struggle in the game of baseball,鈥� he said. 鈥淓verybody sits part of the game. Instead of (players having) a two-week slump, I鈥檓 here to help so they can keep it down to four or five days.鈥�

And the Isotopes have some players in need of turning things around. The team has lost six of its past seven games, including Thursday鈥檚 8-3 defeat to Salt Lake, to drop to 12-18 and second to last in the 10-team Pacific Coast League.

Maybe a little Helton hustle and clubhouse wisdom is just what this team needs to shift momentum.