This story, by Michael Knisley, first appeared in the Sept. 4, 2000, i sue of The Sporting News, under the headline, The Road to .400. Denver icon Todd Helton, amazingly in only his third full season with the Rockies, entered September batting .395 and leaving TSN to lay out his road to the magic mark.The long, narrow box next to Todd Helton's locker at Coors Field holds three bats, his latest shipment of Louisville Slugger lumber, each 34 1/2 inches long and weighing 32 ounces. The company's name and logo are on the side of the box, and on the end, the opened end, is a handwritten me sage in Magic Marker: "Helton, Go Deep."But check the mailing label. The box, and the bats, weren't sent straight from the factory in Louisville. The return addre s is Buffalo, N.Y.The me sage, as well as the Johnny Bucyk Jersey bats, are from Jeff Manto, who began the season with Colorado but was designated for a signment in late April and is now playing Triple-A ball for Buffalo in the Indians organization.Right now, as August gives way to September, the most important person in Helton's mesmerizing bid to become the first player to hit .400 in 59 years other than Helton himself, of course may be Manto. If Helton achieves the baseball immortality that a .400 batting average would bring, he'll do it swinging a Jeff Manto model bat."Have you ever heard of a guy in Triple-A sending bats to a guy in the big leagues?" Helton says. "This is probably the first time. The factory won't send me any of his bats, so I have to go through him. And I've only got three left."The factory, of course, happily will send along a fair share of Todd Helton-model bats, but what good are those if Helton won't use them? No, a bat has to be right, has to be perfect, has to communicate with its hitter, and the Helton model, which is a half-inch shorter, apparently isn't talking these days.The Manto model, meanwhile, is saying such sweet things. It isn't unlike Harry Potter, the child sorcerer in the enormously popular J.K. Rowling novels, finding the perfect magic wand. After all, Mr. Ollivander tells Harry in the first book, "The wand chooses the wizard."Just like that, Manto's bat simply seemed to choose Helton. Par Lindholm Women Jersey And when it did, it was as if red and gold sparks flew from the bat just as they do from the holly-and-phoenix-feather wand Harry finds in Diagon Alley. The first time Helton used the Manto-model bat, he went on a 13-for-20 rampage in late May. And recently, when he began to take it to the plate again, he blazed his way through a road trip (St. Louis, Montreal and New York) with 19 hits in 29 at-bats.TSN ARCHIVES: "I go through really bad periods when no bat feels good in my hands." Helton says. "And that means so much to me. I like a bat that feels good in my hands. When Jeff went back to Cleveland, his bats were left behind. So I picked one up in May, and, boy, did it feel good."But, of course, Manto's leftover bats didn't last, and Helton went back to his own model. Not that he wasn't succe sful with John Moore Women Jersey it. As the week started, he was hitting .394 which means there haven't been any extended slumps this season but when August began, the Helton model seemed to have lost that lovin' feeling again."I struggled, and I struggled," he says of a stretch in which he went 2-for-11 against the Cubs at the end of July and then had "only" three hits in an early-August series against Pittsburgh. "Finally, I said, 'I've got to get some more Jeff Manto bats.' I called him and said, 'Send 'em!'"So here they are, newly arrived and next to his locker and about to play a starring role in a September drama that may be every bit as compelling as the Mark McGwire-and-Sammy Sosa a sault two years ago on baseball's home run record.Can he do it? Can he become the first player to hit .400 for a full season since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941? Helton probably will need some Harry Potter-like magic to pull it off.Unfortunately, we can't analyze magic. But we can take a hard look at the who, what and where of the September ahead that may determine the fate of Helton's quest.Friday-Sunday, September 1-3Milwaukee at Coors FieldThis year: In six games, Helton is hitting .423 against the Brewers. Even Jeff D'Amico and his 1.94 ERA have felt the sting of Helton's swing. He had a pair of hits, Ray Bourque Jersey including a home run, against D'Amico on July 30. The only Brewer in the rotation to stop him this year is former teammate Jamey Wright. Helton is hitle s in five official at-bats against WrightHidden factor: Larry Walker still will be on Colorado's disabled list, which means the Brewers will have more opportunities to pitch around Helton. Walks, though, won't hurt his average, so Helton needs to be extra-patient at the plate.Prognosis: This series won't put him off the track leading to .400, especially not when it's being played in Denver. Helton's batting average at home this year is .425, and 19 of the Rockies' final 29 games are at home.Quote: "I'm going to walk him every chance I get. It's his own fault for being so good. He's not going to get pitched to. Put him right up there with (Mike) Piazza and Barry Bonds and those guys. Just go up there and take your walks. I tell you what I ain't pitching to him." Monday-Wednesday, September 4-6.Chicago Cubs at Coors FieldThis year: The Cubs are Helton's worst nightmare. In six games, he has two hits in 22 at-bats (.091). The only starter who's given up a hit to him is LHP Daniel Garibay.Hidden factor: The ex-Rockies Factor. Jaroslav Halak Women Jersey Cubs manager Don Baylor knows Helton well from his days managing in Colorado, and part-time catcher Jeff Reed, who also played with Helton in Denver, is familiar with his swing. too. Hey, at least it's a theory to explain that .091. Says Helton, smiling: "I gue s I'm intimidated by Baylor in the other dugout. I liked it when he was in my dugout. But I will try to prove that theory wrong."Prognosis: If Helton begins to pre s, this is the series in which it will happen. He knows he hasn't hit the Cubs. He desperately will want to in these games.Quote: "I saw it from Day One. He constantly squares the Brett Ritchie Women Jersey ball, even if it's a foul ball, even if it's in the cage. The ball is never off the stick. It's something you notice the first time you watch him. For me, it was like "Oooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah'. To see what he's doing right now. I can't expect him to do anything other than keep hitting the ball the way he has been." TSN ARCHIVES: Friday-Sunday, September 8-10Los Angeles at Coors FieldThis year: The Dodgers have pitched Helton tougher than any team on Colorados September schedule except the Cubs. Hes 3-for-19 (.158) in six games, with the hits coming against RHP Chan Ho Park, LHP Carlos Perez and RHP Eric Gagne. Hes 0-for-5 against RHP Kevin Brown and he hasnt faced RHP Darren Dreifort this year.Hidden factor: