Todd's big night

Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess

Former UT standout and current Colorado Rockies star Todd Helton

Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess

Former University of Tennessee star Todd Helton, right, has his No. 3 jersey retired by UT athletic director Mike Hamilton, left, and Vols baseball coach Todd Raleigh on Wednesday night at Knoxville Convention Center.

Todd Helton on the eve of his jersey retirement

Todd Helton on the eve of his ...

Todd Helton and Todd Raleigh are back on speaking terms.

In 1994, they were on opposite sides of first base and Helton wasn't in a talking mood.

Raleigh, first-year University of Tennessee baseball coach, was a young assistant first-base coach at Western Carolina. Helton was a sophomore superstar first baseman in the making at UT.

"True story," Raleigh told a sellout crowd at the 16th Annual Tennessee Leadoff Banquet at the Knoxville Convention Center on Wednesday night, "I was just trying to make small talk with him and he just looked at me - didn't say a word.

"I went back to the dugout and said, 'What's this guy's problem?' I told our pitcher when No. 3 comes back up, let's buzz it up there a little bit."

The crowd laughed. Helton just shook his head.

He didn't remember his first meeting with Raleigh, but he will always remember Wednesday night.

The Knoxville native and current star with the National League champion Colorado Rockies became the first UT baseball player to have his number retired.

He received a loud and long standing ovation from the crowd of more than 1,300 filled with family, friends and former teammates.

"It was truly my honor to put on the orange and play for Tennessee," Helton said. "To be recognized like this tonight, I truly am honored and blessed.

"And Coach (Raleigh), now that we're on the same team, we can talk."

For Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton, the evening capped off six months of talks with Helton and planning the jersey retirement.

"I think it was a great night," he said. "We understand most of these people were here tonight to celebrate Todd Helton, but it was also a celebration of Tennessee baseball and Coach Raleigh.

"What a class act Todd Helton is. It's great to have his number be the first retired for baseball."

Besides the jersey ceremony, Helton received a video congratulation from Rockies' manager Clint Hurdle, a "Todd Helton Dr." street sign and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam proclaimed it "Todd Helton Day."

He also spent 30 minutes on stage in a question-and-answer session with Vols' baseball play-by-play announcer John Wilkerson.

"I was worried I wouldn't be able to convey what it really means to me to have my number retired," Helton told the crowd. "I truly am honored to be sitting here in front of you and have that jersey with the University of Tennessee on it."

For Loudon native Aaron Everett, it means a switch in jersey numbers. The junior pitcher has worn No. 3 the past two seasons and Helton said he was fine with Everett finishing out his time at UT in No. 3. Everett declined, got a handshake from Helton, and was wearing No. 9 at the banquet.

For Raleigh, there was a strange symbolism in how things have gone full circle since that 1994 meeting in the NCAA Regionals.

"It's almost like we wrote this script," he said. "Me coming in my first year and Todd being a bona fide first-ballot Hall of Famer, going to the World Series this year, growing up in Knoxville.

"I think it's great our players get to see that. Here's a guy who played in the same stadium, had the same locker and hit in the same cages. Look at what he has done."

Jeff Lockwood was just one of the inspired Vols.

Like Helton, Lockwood is a Knoxville native (Halls High School), plays first, pitches and hits with power.

"Coach (Doug) Polston at Halls used to tell me about Todd and tell me someday I might have a shot to be as good as him," Lockwood said. "He's just a great player and this kind of night is what happens when you're that great.

"I'm not quite in his league yet. I have a long way to go before I'm even close, but that's what I'm working hard for. He's my idol and he's who I look up to."

Lockwood wasn't alone in that respect Wednesday night.

Tidbit: Raleigh vowed to upgrade the Tennessee schedule when he was hired and appears to be working in that direction already.

He said the Vols would open the 2009 season against two-time NCAA champion Oregon State as well as play games against Louisville, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

The Vols' open practice for this season on Friday.