The National Baseball Hall of Fame has announced that Adrian Beltre will be forever immortalized as a Texas Ranger. He will join Rangers Legends Nolan “The Ryan Express” and Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez as the third Hall of Famer to don a Rangers cap on his plaque. Beltre spent time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Seattle Mariners, and the Boston Red Sox before finally finding his home in Arlington. He spent seven years with the Dodgers, five years with the Mariners, one year with the Boston Red Sox, and the final eight with the Rangers.
During his 21-year Major League career, he slashed a .286/.339/.480 with 1,524 runs, 3,166 hits, 636 doubles, 38 triples, 477 home runs, 1,707 RBIs, 121 stolen bases, 848 walks, a career OPS of .819, a WAR of 93.5, and one stolen on-deck circle. Before his election to the Hall of Fame on January 23rd, 2024, I wrote a more in-depth piece on his illustrious career, which can be found here.
Beltre stopped by Globe Life Field for a press conference on his Road to Cooperstown. He was greeted by former teammates, including “little brother” Elvis Andrus and Rangers legend Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, who welcomed him to the Hall of Fame. During that press conference, Beltre showed his playful side by joking with reporters throughout the broadcast as he discussed his time with the Rangers.
After the Rangers press conference, Adrian Beltre, accompanied by his family and friends, made the trek to Cooperstown, New York, to tour the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time as a Hall of Famer himself. He had previously visited once before when his son, Adrian Beltre Jr., participated in a tournament held in Cooperstown. Even in the Hall of Fame, his winning personality shone through as he posed for photos with various displays of memorabilia, including his own display and that of his idol, Juan Marichal.
Emily Jones, the face of the Texas Rangers broadcast, joined Beltre in Cooperstown. As a long-time friend, she sat down with him for a one-on-one chat after their arrival. She opened the discussion with “Adrian Beltre, is it appropriate to tell you I told you so?” a sentiment many Rangers fans share with her.
The 2024 National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend kicks off with Turn Two with Ozzie Smith on Friday, July 19th, 2024. Saturday, July 20th, will feature two exciting events, the Hall of Fame Awards Presentation and the Parade of Legends, at 3 pm ET and 6 pm ET, respectively. Sunday, July 21st, the Hall will honor the Class of 2024 with the Induction Ceremony held at approximately 1:30 pm ET, which will be aired live on MLB Network for those unable to attend in person. The weekend will wrap up on Monday, July 22nd, with the Legends of the Game Roundtable at 10:30 am ET and will feature the 2024 Inductees as they relive memories from their careers. More than 50 current Hall of Famers are expected to attend the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend festivities.
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