DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies gave Todd Helton a horse -- a real horse -- to ride off into retirement. [url=http://www.nmdschw

DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies gave Todd Helton a horse -- a real horse -- to ride off into retirement. Adidas Originals Gazelle Schweiz . In a pregame tribute commemorating his final contest at Coors Field on Wednesday night, Helton caught the ceremonial first pitch from his daughter with his wife, younger daughter and good friend Peyton Manning watching from the field. Afterward, a cowboy emerged from the left field gate and trotted out Heltons newest teammate -- a shimmering black and white gelding Paint horse named "A Tru Bustamove." The horse came complete with a custom-made saddle that featured the Rockies logo, Heltons number (17) and a silver embroidered handle. All the while, the fans showered Helton with applause as he wore purple pinstripes in front of the home crowd for the final time in his 17-year career. He acknowledged them with a tip of his cap before heading into the dugout to get ready for a game against the Boston Red Sox. He hit a solo homer in his first at-bat after the tribute, bringing the raucous crowd to its feet yet again. Helton appreciates all the outpouring of emotion even if hes a no-fuss kind of person. Each time Helton has stepped into the batters box or made a play in the field -- no matter how routine -- since announcing his retirement nearly two weeks ago, the crowd at Coors Field has given him a roaring ovation. "Seventeen years goes by in a heartbeat," said Helton, who presented the lineup to the home plate umpire before the game. "Once you get caught up in a season, caught up going out there and playing, it just happens. The next thing you know youre retiring." Soon, Helton will trade driving in runs for riding around his Colorado ranch with his new horse. Leading up to his final home game, Helton admitted it was going to be tough and "emotional." "Its also going to be a good day," said Helton, whose final game is Sunday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. His teammates leaned on the dugout railing as they watched highlights of Heltons career. Manning had a front-row view, too, taking a quick break from preparing for Sundays game against the Philadelphia Eagles. "Itll be a special night, emotional night for a lot of people that will be there," the Broncos quarterback said after Wednesdays practice. "And Im looking forward to being there." Saying farewell to Helton seems almost surreal for smooth-field shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Helton has scooped countless throws out of the dirt to bail out Tulowitzki and the rest of the infielders. "Its just crazy to think he wont be there," Tulowitzki said. "It will be a sad day for myself, seeing him go. But Im happy for him, if its time to go. Hes had a great career, a Hall of Fame career." Helton will certainly receive strong consideration for Cooperstown, even if he did play his entire career at hitter-friendly Coors Field. After all, hes one of two players to have at least 2,500 hits, 550 doubles, 350 home runs and hit .315 or higher for his career. The other? Former St. Louis Cardinals great and Hall of Famer Stan Musial. "Helton has put up monster numbers," outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. "Im sure that he feels really happy the way hes going to end." Indeed, he does. Always able to keep his emotions in check, Helton cracked -- briefly, anyway -- at his recent farewell news conference, choking up several times as he chatted about his playing days. On the way to the park, he shed a tear, too. Just one, though, he said. "Theres no crying in baseball," he said. Helton insisted hes at peace with his decision. Hes ready for retirement, despite hitting .314 since his announcement. "Mentally, 17 years is enough. Physically, its definitely enough," said Helton, a first-round pick out of the University of Tennessee in 1995. "Its September. Im 40 years old. Im looking forward to the season ending. It may be tough again once spring training rolls around, when next seasons starts. It may be hard for me then. But right now, its been a long grind, long season. Its time." With Helton goes the face of the franchise, the player whos been in the field so long that he once was teammates with current manager Walt Weiss. "Just steady. Just so steady," Rockies owner Dick Monfort said about his longtime first baseman whos been bothered by back and hip trouble in recent seasons. "When Todd came up to bat, you had as much confidence in him as anybody. Well miss him around here." Helton made his Rockies debut on Aug. 2, 1997, in Pittsburgh, batting fifth and starting in left field. He flied out in his first plate appearance and then singled. Following a walk, he hit his first homer, a solo shot off Marc Wilkins. Since then, there have been plenty more highlights for Helton: -- Winning three gold gloves. -- Finishing fifth in the 2000 NL MVP race after a season in which he hit .372 with 42 homers and 147 RBIs. -- Hitting for his only cycle on June 19, 1999, against Florida. -- Making five All-Star teams. -- Leading the Rockies to the 2007 World Series (where they were swept by the Boston Red Sox). Red Sox slugger David Ortiz had a feeling this sort of career was about to unfold for Helton after a conversation with former Rockies shortstop Neifi Perez during winter ball in 1997. Perez said there was an up-and-comer named Helton about to step in for Andres "Big Cat" Galarraga. "The following year were playing winter ball again and Im like, Neifi, you were right," Ortiz recounted. "Hes been a leader for that ball club for a long time and hes been teaching a lot of young kids the right thing. Thats one of the good guys you want to have around." Adidas Nmd Günstig Ebay .The South African had three birdies on the front nine and another four after the turn at Leopard Creek Country Club to move to 16-under 128 overall.Grace, who won all four of his European Tour titles in 2012, dropped his only shot of the competition on the par-3 fifth. Adidas Tubular Schweiz . JOHNS, N. http://www.nmdschweizkaufen.ch/ . made a diving catch in left field for the final out in a 1-0 victory over the Miami Marlins in a regular-season finale Sunday. Zimmermann (14-5) allowed only two baserunners, finishing with 10 strikeouts and one walk in the fifth no-hitter in the majors this year.TORONTO - For the second time in less than a month, Kyle Lowry heard MVP chants rain down at him as he stepped to the line nearing the conclusion of yet another remarkable performance. "Yeah, [I heard them]," he said. "They made me miss the free throw." A year ago, Lowrys post-game antics may not have been so well received but what was snide and snarky is now endearing quick wit. The sound he heard as he missed that free throw was less about his candidacy for an award nobody actually expects him to win - though he has been the Raptors MVP - than it was a sentiment of appreciation. Often misunderstood, Lowry has finally found something in Toronto that had eluded him for seven seasons prior. Lowry has found a team that fits him like a glove, a locker room filled with players who hang on his every word and a city that is ready to embrace him as their own. Lowry has found a home. "Im just playing," said the Raptors point guard, after eclipsing 30 points for the second straight game - the first time hes accomplished that feat as a pro - carrying his team to 98-83 wire-to-wire win over the Magic on Wednesday. "My team, they expect me to do a certain thing every night and when you go out there and play for these guys that give you everything they got in this locker room, you dont want to disappoint them." Lowry had scored 31 in Mondays thrilling victory over the Nets. Two days later, it was a near triple-double, a season-best 33 points to go along with 11 assists and seven rebounds. All of this without Torontos leading scorer. DeMar DeRozan continues to sit out, nursing a sprained left ankle that is steadily improving, according to the Raptors guard. On Wednesday, he watched from the locker room because, as he insisted, he couldnt bare to be a well-dressed spectator on the Raptors bench. What he saw was a team that has come together in his absence and a player, in Lowry, who has taken his game to a whole new level. By the end of the first quarter, Lowry had 17 points, perfect on all five of his three-point attempts. The Raptors, as a team, connected on their first nine treys, making 11 of 14 in the opening half. When his team made their way to the locker room at intermission, Lowry had scored or assisted on 12 of the Raptors 17 field goals in his 18 first-half minutes. The lead was 15. "Hes stepped it up," coach Dwane Casey said of his point guard. "He set the tone in the first half with his threes, just his aggressive play means a lot." He seemed to brring out the best in everybody. Ultra Boost Kaufen Schweiz. . Amir Johnson had his best game in well over a month, scoring 22 points and adding 11 boards. Jonas Valanciunas, who was named to the Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend earlier in the evening, recorded his 16th double-double of the season with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Lowrys fingerprints were all over the teams effort. "You cant say enough," Casey continued. "I just hope, I keep my fingers crossed that the coaches voted him in [to the All-Star game] because he deserves it. Hes one of the best point guards in the league right now." Lowry has made his case loud and clear - though both 30-point performances have come after the coaches ballots for All-Star reserves were collected on Sunday - and his fate will be revealed on Thursday. The 27-year-old leads the East in assists in January, averaging 8.3, hitting more threes (49) than any player in the league, shooting them at a 46 per cent clip and leading his team to their second consecutive winning month. On Monday, he became the first player this season to record at least 30 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals in a game, a feat that was only accomplished by LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant last year. You have to go deep into the franchises not-so-rich history to find a point guard that even comes close to the level that Lowry is playing at right now. Damon Stoudamire, perhaps? Its been a while. Casey has been pumping Lowrys tires around the league and hopes that will tip the scale in his favour when the All-Star subs are revealed. As it turns out, maybe they should have sent his backup on the campaign trail. "Kyle is an unbelievable player," said Greivis Vasquez, who started Wednesday in place of the injured DeRozan on Wednesday. "Hes doing great things, not just for the team but for the city and thats huge." "Ill tell you this, he should make it," he continued. "Its not because Im his teammate, the numbers dont lie. I mean, Im seeing it, watching it and Im enjoying it." As it happens, Lowrys not holding his breath. Although he would welcome the honour with open arms, hes acknowledged that, of the two, DeRozan will likely be the one to get the call. One way or another, Lowry has 14 teammates, a coach, and the bulk of a city that believes hes an All-Star. Regardless of the result Thursday evening - as the Raptors land in Denver to begin a five-game road swing - that is not likely to change. ' ' '