A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Helms was signed by the Cincinnati Reds out of high school in 1959. He enjoyed cups of coffee with the in the majors with the Reds in 1964 and 1965 before making the big-league squad in 1966.
Helms would make an immediate impression at third base for the Reds winning NL Rookie of the Year honors for the Reds in 1966 hitting. 284 with 9 HR and 49 RBI while playing sterling defense at the hot corner.
In 1967, Helms would be moved to second base, but he continued to excel earning NL All-Star Team selections in both 1967 and 1968.
In 1970, Helms earned a Gold Glove for his play at second as the Reds won the NL pennant under first year manager Sparky Anderson. Alas, the Reds would fall to the Baltimore Orioles in five games largely due to the heroics of future Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson.
Helms would earn yet another Gold Glove at second base for the Reds in 1971. Unfortunately, the Reds had taken a big step back in 1971. After going 102-60 in 1970, the Reds regressed to a 79-83 record in 1971 finishing in a tie for fourth place in the NL West with the Houston Astros.
The Reds took drastic measures in the off-season in arguably their most significant trade in franchise history. Cincinnati traded Helms, slugger Lee May and Jimmy Stewart (the utility player, not the actor) to the aforementioned Houston Astros in exchange for second baseman Joe Morgan, outfielders Cesar Geronimo and Ed Armbrister, infielder Denis Menke and pitcher Jack Billingham.
While initially an unpopular move, the trade would ultimately make Cincinnati the Big Red Machine with Jack Billingham emerging as the staff ace, Cesar Geronimo earning four Gold Gloves for his outfield defense while Joe Morgan would earn back-to-back NL MVPs in 1975-1976 in conjunction with the Reds winning back-to-back World Series titles and an eventual plaque in Cooperstown.
Helms enjoyed three solid seasons in Houston twice topping a career best 60 RBI. However, his productivity would decline dramatically during the 1975 season. His final two big league seasons would be split between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox.
In 1435 career games, Helms collected 1342 hits for a lifetime batting average of .269 with 34 HR and 477 RBI. A great contact hitter, Helms only struck out 301 times in 5337 career plate appearances. Helms only struck out more than 40 times in a season only once in his big-league career.
In 1979, Helms would be inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
Helms would return to MLB in 1981 when he joined the coaching staff of the Texas Rangers spending two seasons in Arlington under Don Zimmer and Darrell Johnson. In 1983, Helms would return to the Reds as a member of their coaching staff where he would spend the rest of the decade.
In both 1988 and 1989, Helms would serve as the Reds acting manager. Helms earned the manager's chair in 1988 after Pete Rose was suspended for a month following an on-field physical altercation with umpire Dave Pallone. The Reds would call upon Helms again the following year after Rose was given a lifetime ban by MLB Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti for gambling on baseball.
Unfortunately, for Helms, Reds owner Marge Schott did not give him the chance to manage the club full time come 1990 opting to choose former New York Yankees manager Lou Piniella instead. This left Helms enraged and left the Reds organization on bad terms. However, Piniella would lead the Reds to a World Series title in 1990.
Helms would spend most of the 1990 season managing the Charlotte Knights, then a Double-AA affiliate for the Chicago Cubs. But he would resign late in the season amid divorce proceedings. In the early 2000s, Helms would manage the Atlantic City Surf of the independent Atlantic League.
Both of Helms' sons (Tommy, Jr. and Ryan) played minor league baseball. Sadly, both of his sons died months apart in 2014. Helms' nephew Wes would enjoy a 13-year MLB career with the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Florida Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Tommy Helms leaves this world as among the greatest to ever wear a Cincinnati Reds uniform. R.I.P.
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