Tommy Helms
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1964-1977)
Tommy Helms was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1964 to 1977 for 4 teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 14 seasons. In 1,435 career games, he hit .269 with 1,342 hits, 34 home runs, and 477 RBI. Tommy Helms was a 2-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year, and a 2-time Gold Glove.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 165 lb
- Died
- 4/13/2025 in Cincinnati, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1964-09-23
- Last Game
- 1977-10-01
- Awards
- 2× All-Star · Rookie of the Year · 2× Gold Glove
Full name: Tommy Vann Helms
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,435 | 4,997 | 414 | 1,342 | 223 | 21 | 34 | 477 | 33 | 231 | 301 | .269 | .300 | .342 | .642 | -5,289 |
Career AVG .269 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — +6.9% above league average.
Career OBP .300 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 5.4% below league average.
Career SLG .342 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons — 7.8% below league average.
Career OPS .642 vs. league average .688 across their career seasons — 6.7% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | CIN | NL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1965 | CIN | NL | 21 | 42 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 7 | .381 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1966 | CIN | NL | 138 | 542 | 72 | 154 | 23 | 1 | 9 | 49 | 3 | 24 | 31 | .284 | .248 (+14%) | .309 (+2%) | .376 (+1%) | .685 (+1%) | 83.3 |
| 1967 | CIN | NL | 137 | 497 | 40 | 136 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 35 | 5 | 24 | 41 | .274 | .242 (+13%) | .306 (-1%) | .357 (avg) | .663 (avg) | -137.2 |
| 1968 | CIN | NL | 127 | 507 | 35 | 146 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 47 | 5 | 12 | 27 | .288 | .236 (+22%) | .298 (+2%) | .340 (+7%) | .638 (+5%) | 231.8 |
| 1969 | CIN | NL | 126 | 480 | 38 | 129 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 4 | 18 | 33 | .269 | .248 (+8%) | .320 (-8%) | .369 (-14%) | .689 (-11%) | -865.2 |
| 1970 | CIN | NL | 150 | 575 | 42 | 136 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 45 | 2 | 21 | 33 | .237 | .253 (-7%) | .325 (-20%) | .385 (-27%) | .711 (-24%) | -2209.4 |
| 1971 | CIN | NL | 150 | 547 | 40 | 141 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 52 | 3 | 26 | 33 | .258 | .249 (+3%) | .316 (-9%) | .365 (-11%) | .682 (-10%) | -931.3 |
| 1972 | HOU | NL | 139 | 518 | 45 | 134 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 60 | 4 | 24 | 27 | .259 | .243 (+6%) | .310 (-6%) | .353 (-2%) | .664 (-4%) | -477.1 |
| 1973 | HOU | NL | 146 | 543 | 44 | 156 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 61 | 1 | 32 | 21 | .287 | .256 (+12%) | .325 (avg) | .378 (-3%) | .703 (-1%) | -181.2 |
| 1974 | HOU | NL | 137 | 452 | 32 | 126 | 21 | 1 | 5 | 50 | 5 | 23 | 27 | .279 | .256 (+9%) | .324 (-4%) | .369 (-2%) | .693 (-3%) | -260.4 |
| 1975 | HOU | NL | 64 | 135 | 7 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 8 | .207 | .257 (-19%) | .327 (-19%) | .374 (-41%) | .701 (-30%) | -625.0 |
| 1976 | PIT | NL | 62 | 87 | 10 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 5 | .276 | .255 (+8%) | .320 (+9%) | .360 (+8%) | .681 (+9%) | 131.1 |
| 1977 | PIT | NL | 15 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | BOS | AL | 21 | 59 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | .271 | .264 (+3%) | .329 (avg) | .401 (-11%) | .730 (-6%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 1,435 | 4,997 | 414 | 1,342 | 223 | 21 | 34 | 477 | 33 | 231 | 301 | .269 | — | — | — | — | -5,241 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1435 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 729 | 2489 | 215 | 681 | 14 | 235 | .274 |
| Away | 706 | 2508 | 199 | 661 | 20 | 242 | .264 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-10-01 | BOS | BAL | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-09-13 | BOS | NYY | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1977-09-03 | BOS | TEX | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1977-09-02 | BOS | TEX | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-08-30 | BOS | OAK | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-08-29 | BOS | OAK | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-08-28 | BOS | MIN | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-08-27 | BOS | MIN | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-08-26 | BOS | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1977-08-25 | BOS | TEX | W | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 1129 | 1097 | 2688 | 3237 | 101 | 807 |
| 3B | 143 | 126 | 119 | 238 | 16 | 20 |
| SS | 74 | 51 | 102 | 149 | 13 | 32 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | CIN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1965 | CIN | 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | CIN | SS | 8 | 7 | 15 | 21 | 1 | 5 |
| 1966 | CIN | 2B | 20 | 20 | 45 | 50 | 0 | 9 |
| 1966 | CIN | 3B | 113 | 113 | 110 | 208 | 13 | 16 |
| 1967 | CIN | 2B | 88 | 86 | 185 | 224 | 9 | 50 |
| 1967 | CIN | SS | 46 | 44 | 79 | 123 | 12 | 25 |
| 1968 | CIN | 2B | 127 | 125 | 322 | 370 | 15 | 82 |
| 1968 | CIN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | CIN | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | CIN | 2B | 125 | 125 | 320 | 344 | 17 | 87 |
| 1969 | CIN | SS | 4 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 1970 | CIN | 2B | 148 | 147 | 350 | 410 | 13 | 107 |
| 1970 | CIN | SS | 12 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | CIN | 2B | 149 | 146 | 395 | 468 | 9 | 130 |
| 1972 | HOU | 2B | 139 | 139 | 353 | 441 | 17 | 115 |
| 1973 | HOU | 2B | 145 | 145 | 325 | 438 | 9 | 104 |
| 1974 | HOU | 2B | 133 | 130 | 308 | 360 | 10 | 99 |
| 1975 | HOU | 2B | 42 | 27 | 58 | 109 | 2 | 19 |
| 1975 | HOU | 3B | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | HOU | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | PIT | 2B | 11 | 6 | 22 | 19 | 0 | 4 |
| 1976 | PIT | 3B | 22 | 10 | 8 | 27 | 3 | 4 |
| 1976 | PIT | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | BOS | 2B | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | BOS | 3B | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 1129 |
| Third Base | 143 |
| Shortstop | 74 |
| Designated Hitter | 13 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1970 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1968 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1966 | Rookie of the Year | |
| 1966 | TSN Rookie Player of the Year |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 25th | 1.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1966 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 1st | 12.0 | 20 | 12 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Tommy Helms (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Tommy Helms: the record in brief
Tommy Helms's major league career runs from a debut on September 23, 1964 to a final game on October 1, 1977. By club, Helms's seasons break down as the Cincinnati Reds (1964 through 1971), the Houston Astros (1972 to 1975), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1976 to 1977), and the Boston Red Sox (1977). Helms played primarily as a second baseman and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on May 5, 1941, in Charlotte, NC, USA, Helms was listed at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds. Helms's death is recorded on April 13, 2025, in Cincinnati, OH, USA. The given name on file is Tommy Vann Helms.
The batting record for Helms: 1,435 games, 1,342 hits in 4,997 at bats, and a .269 average, plus 34 home runs, 477 RBI, and 33 stolen bases. Helms's career OPS of .642 combines a .300 on-base mark with .342 slugging. Set against a .251 league average for the same years, Helms's .269 average sits 6.9% above it. No season topped the 156 hits of 1973. 1973 brought the most runs batted in, 61.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tommy Helms
- What years did Tommy Helms play?
- Tommy Helms played in Major League Baseball from 1964 to 1977.
- Was Tommy Helms a pitcher?
- No. Tommy Helms was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Tommy Helms hit?
- Tommy Helms hit 34 career home runs with 1342 hits.
- What was Tommy Helms's career batting average?
- Tommy Helms batted .269 over his career, with 1,342 hits in 4,997 at bats.
- How many RBI did Tommy Helms have?
- Tommy Helms drove in 477 runs in his career.
- Is Tommy Helms in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Tommy Helms has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.