Rick Helling

Infobox MLB retired
name=Rick Helling
position=Starting pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1970|12|15
debutteam=Texas Rangers
debutdate=April 10
debutyear=by|1994
finaldate=September 9
finalyear=by|2006
finalteam=Milwaukee Brewers
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=93-81
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=4.68
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=1058
teams=
*Texas Rangers (by|1994-by|1996)
*Florida Marlins (by|1996-by|1997)
*Texas Rangers (by|1997-by|2001)
*Arizona Diamondbacks (by|2002)
*Baltimore Orioles (by|2003)
*Florida Marlins (by|2003)
*Milwaukee Brewers (by|2005-by|2006)
highlights=
*Tied for the most wins in by|1998 (20-1).
*Started the most games in by|1999 (35-1) and by|2000 (35-1 tie).

Ricky Allen Helling (born December 15, 1970 in Devils Lake, North Dakota) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball.

High school years

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 football, basketball, and baseball. In football, he was a three-time All-Conference honoree.

Pro career

Helling had his best season by far in by|1998 going 20-7 tying for the American League lead in wins with David Cone and Roger Clemens.

Helling was a member of two World Series Championship teams - the Florida Marlins team that won the 1997 World Series, however he was traded to the Texas Rangers midway through the season, and the Florida Marlins team that won the 2003 World Series. During the by|2003 postseason he went 4-0 as a relief pitcher despite allowing 7 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings.

On June 20, by|2006, Helling 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. Helling became the 27th National League pitcher and the 38th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the nine-strike/three-strikeout half-inning.

On February 5, by|2007, he announced his retirement to spend more time with his family. [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2755307] He is currently residing in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. [http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=163918&section=Columnists&columnist=Mike%20McFeely]

Archenemy

In a 2004 "Esquire" essay entitled "The Importance of Being Hated", journalist Chuck Klosterman said that Helling has been his "archenemy" since 1985 when they met at a basketball camp while he was in 8th grade. Klosterman describes Helling as "the single worst peson [he'd] ever met" [http://www.grendel.org/tsc/klosterman-enemies.htm] . The article is reprinted his book "Chuck Klosterman IV" under the title "Nemesis".

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball wins champions
* Pitchers who have struck out three batters on nine pitches

External links

* [http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=115727 Rick Helling - mlb.com]
*baseball-reference|id=h/helliri01