Todd Helton's 2,000th hit briefly gives Colorado a reason to notice the Rockies

Todd Helton, bright spot.

The upper-righthand corner of today's Denver Post announces, "Helton's Day a Hit -- No. 2,000," echoing an article that topped the main sports section. An exciting accomplishment for Rockies first baseman Todd Helton, sure. But the fine print beneath this headline notes that he reached the milestone "in 8-1 loss" to the Atlanta Braves.

And so it's come to this. With the Rockies tied for last place in the National League West and "boasting" a record of 15 wins, 23 losses, the team is already being written off by most observers. Hence, individual accomplishments are pretty much the only reason to pay attention these days -- and now that Helton's batting odometer has rolled over, even more fans are apt to tune out. How long will the Monfort brothers, who own the team, allow this to go on before they relieve manager Clint Hurdle of his duties? Judging by the past, longer than most onetime Rockies fans would like...