View source for Rick Helling

{{Short description|American baseball player (born 1970)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Rick Helling
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1970|12|15}}
|birth_place=[[Devils Lake, North Dakota]], U.S.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 10
|debutyear=1994
|debutteam=Texas Rangers
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 9
|finalyear=2006
|finalteam=Milwaukee Brewers
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=93–81
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=4.68
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=1,058
|teams=
* [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{mlby|1994}}–{{mlby|1996}})
* [[Florida Marlins]] ({{mlby|1996}}–{{mlby|1997}})
* [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{mlby|1997}}–{{mlby|2001}})
* [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] ({{mlby|2002}})
* [[Baltimore Orioles]] ({{mlby|2003}})
* [[Florida Marlins]] ({{mlby|2003}})
* [[Milwaukee Brewers]] ({{mlby|2005}}–{{mlby|2006}})
|highlights=
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|2003}})
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders|AL wins leader]] (1998)
|medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport | Men's [[baseball]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{bb|USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Baseball at the 1991 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalBronze | [[1991 Pan American Games|1991 Havana]] | [[United States national baseball team|Team]]}}
}}
'''Ricky Allen Helling''' (born December 15, 1970) is an American former [[Major League Baseball]] [[pitcher]].

==Early life and college==
Helling attended Lakota High School in [[Lakota, North Dakota]] for three years, before graduating from [[Shanley High School]] in [[Fargo, North Dakota]]. He was a letterman in [[American football|football]], [[basketball]], and [[baseball]]. In football, he was a three-time All-Conference honoree. In basketball, he led the state in scoring.<ref name="wonderboy">{{cite news |last1=Ferguson |first1=John A. |date=17 June 1993 |title=A Prep Wonderboy, Helling Is Riding Baseball to Future |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123638964/a-prep-wonderboy-helling-is-riding/ |access-date=27 April 2023 |work=[[Tulsa World]] |page=B-3 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

Helling accepted a scholarship to play [[college football]] at [[North Dakota Fighting Hawks football|North Dakota]] but [[redshirted]] as a freshman and transferred to [[Kishwaukee College]] during his first semester in order to play [[college baseball]]. He performed well enough at Kishwaukee to earn a baseball scholarship to [[Stanford Cardinal baseball|Stanford University]].<ref name="wonderboy" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=DeVillers |first1=Greg |date=11 June 1992 |title=Helling took long road to first round |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123638991/helling-took-long-road-to-first-round/ |access-date=27 April 2023 |work=[[The Bismarck Tribune]] |page=2D |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> While at Stanford he joined [[Delta Tau Delta]] International Fraternity. He was selected by the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] in the 1st round of the 1992 [[Major League Baseball Draft]].

Writer [[Chuck Klosterman]] describes Rick Helling as his personal archenemy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Klosterman|first=Chuck|title=The Importance of Being Hated|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/chuck-klostermans-america/ESQ0404-APR_AMERICA|work=Esquire|date=29 January 2007|publisher=Hearst Corporation|access-date=2014-03-20}}</ref>

==Baseball career==
Helling was an early critic of [[performance-enhancing drugs]] in Major League Baseball, warning the Players Union as early as 1998 that drugs were a problem in the sport; he served as a Union Executive Board Member from 1999 to 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |date=2009-03-17 |title=Ex-Pitcher Helling Is Named Assistant to Fehr |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/sports/baseball/18helling.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907230944/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/sports/baseball/18helling.html?_r=1&ref=sports |archive-date=2012-09-07 |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=New York Times}}</ref>

Helling was a member of two [[World Series]] Championship teams: the [[1997 World Series]] Champion [[Florida Marlins]]  and the [[2003 World Series]] Champion Florida Marlins. Despite being traded to the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] earlier in the 1997 season, which meant he did not participate in the Marlins' World Series win that year, he was awarded a [[World Series ring]] by his former teammates because of his half-season contribution.

On August 13, 1996, Helling pitched a [[perfect game (baseball)|perfect game]] while with the Rangers' Triple-A [[Oklahoma City 89ers]] against the [[Nashville Sounds]]. He struck out four batters in the nine-inning game.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 14, 1996 |title=Sounds are Victims of a Perfect Game |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44168589/sounds_are_victims_of_a_perfect_game/ |access-date=February 13, 2020 |work=The Tennessean |location=Nashville |page=3C |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In 1998 he won five straight games on the road; no Texas pitcher matched that accomplishment until [[Scott Feldman]] surpassed it in 2009.<ref>[http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/baseball/wires/story/1199181.html "Recap: Tampa Bay vs. Texas"], ''[[The Miami Herald]]'', 8/23/09, accessed 8/23/09</ref> Helling had his best season in {{Baseball year|1998}} going 20–7, tying for the [[American League]] lead in wins with [[David Cone]] and [[Roger Clemens]]. His 11 road victories in 1998 set a club record, later matched by [[Vicente Padilla]] (2008) and surpassed by Feldman (2009).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=Matt |date=2009-09-04 |title=Rangers roll, trim Wild Card deficit to two |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090904&content_id=6795912&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103091445/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090904&content_id=6795912&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |archive-date=2012-11-03 |website=MLB.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-09-04 |title=Feldman matches club record with 11th road win of season |url=http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameid=290904101 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604232751/http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameid=290904101 |archive-date=2011-06-04 |website=ESPN |agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref name=vibe>{{cite web|last=Wilson |first=Jeff|title=Texas Rangers find good vibe with sweep of Tribe, 10-0 |work=The Dallas Morning News |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/091009dnsporanglede.163553dfd.html |date=2009-09-09|access-date=2009-09-27}}</ref>

In 1999, Helling started 35 games for the Rangers, going 13-11 while leading the majors with 41 home runs allowed.

In {{Baseball year|2000}}, Helling broke a 30-year-old record by giving up 66 [[Double (baseball)|doubles]]. One year later, he broke his record by allowing 68 doubles.

In 2001, Helling led the majors in hits allowed (256), earned runs (124) and home runs allowed (38).

Helling signed a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 January 2002 |title=BaseballDIAMONDBACKS: Signed P Rick Helling to one-year |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2002/01/20/baseballdiamondbacks-signed-p-rick-helling-to-one-year/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=Baltimore Sun}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2002-01-20 |title=Diamondbacks Sign Rick Helling |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=20020120&id=j70wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=m_0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6701,6536117 |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=Lakeland Ledger |page=C3 |via=Google News Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2002-01-20 |title=Arizona signs free agent pitcher Rick Helling |url=http://lubbockonline.com/stories/012002/pro_0120020130.shtml |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20160306201056/http://lubbockonline.com/stories/012002/pro_0120020130.shtml |archive-date=2016-03-06 |website=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> In his lone season with Arizona, Helling went 10–12 in 30 starts. After the season, Helling signed with the [[Baltimore Orioles]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2003-03-28 |title=Hargrove Picks Helling as Fifth Starter |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2003/03/28/hargrove-picks-helling-as-fifth-starter/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618124619/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-03-28/sports/0303280131_1_spring-training-pat-hentgen-rick-helling |archive-date=18 June 2015 |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=Sun Sentinel}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 February 2003 |title=Helling accepts Orioles' pitch, signs contract |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2003/02/11/helling-accepts-orioles-pitch-signs-contract/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=Baltimore Sun}}</ref>

Helling spent half the season in Baltimore before being traded back to the [[Florida Marlins]].

Helling did not pitch in 2004 due to injury. On June 20, {{Baseball year|2006}}, Helling [[Strikeout|struck out]] three batters on nine pitches—[[Curtis Granderson]], [[Plácido Polanco]] and [[Iván Rodríguez]]—in the first inning of a 10–1 loss to the [[Detroit Tigers]], thereby becoming the 38th pitcher in major league history to throw an [[immaculate inning]].

On February 5, {{Baseball year|2007}}, he announced his retirement to spend more time with his family.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 February 2007 |title=Righty Helling opts to retire, says 'It's time to be a dad' |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2755307 |accessdate=15 May 2024 |website=ESPN.com |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

==Post-baseball life==
On March 17, 2009, he was hired as a special assistant to the head of the [[Major League Baseball Players Association]], [[Donald Fehr]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 March 2009 |title=Steroid opponent Helling, Myers on MLBPA staff |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3990894 |accessdate=15 May 2024 |website=ESPN.com |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

He currently resides in [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul]]. He also coaches football at Minnetonka High School. Notable former players include [[K'Andre Miller]] of the [[New York Rangers]] in the [[National Hockey League|NHL]]. K'Andre considers Helling as a mentor.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wheeler |first=Scott |date=2020-03-06 |title=Behind the scenes with the Wisconsin Badgers' future NHL stars |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1632712/2020/03/06/behind-the-scenes-with-the-wisconsin-badgers-future-nhl-stars/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=The Athletic}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders]]
* [[List of Texas Rangers Opening Day starting pitchers]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{baseballstats| mlb=115727 |espn=3048| br=h/helliri01 |fangraphs=58 |brm=hellin001ric}}

{{United States baseball roster 1992 Summer Olympics}}
{{1992 MLB Draft}}
{{Texas Rangers first-round draft picks}}
{{AL wins champions}}
{{Texas Rangers Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{2003 Florida Marlins}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Helling, Rick}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Kishwaukee Kougars baseball players]]
[[Category:Florida Marlins players]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Brewers players]]
[[Category:Arizona Diamondbacks players]]
[[Category:Texas Rangers players]]
[[Category:Baltimore Orioles players]]
[[Category:Baseball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic baseball players for the United States]]
[[Category:American League wins champions]]
[[Category:Charlotte Rangers players]]
[[Category:Tulsa Drillers players]]
[[Category:Tucson Sidewinders players]]
[[Category:Rochester Red Wings players]]
[[Category:Oklahoma City 89ers players]]
[[Category:Nashville Sounds players]]
[[Category:New Britain Rock Cats players]]
[[Category:Oklahoma RedHawks players]]
[[Category:People from Nelson County, North Dakota]]
[[Category:People from Ramsey County, North Dakota]]
[[Category:Baseball players from North Dakota]]
[[Category:Baseball players at the 1991 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1991 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in baseball]]
[[Category:Stanford Cardinal baseball players]]
[[Category:North Dakota Fighting Hawks football players]]