By Alfredo Di Cesare
21 Jul 2024, 11:34 AM EDT
Hours before his induction into the Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Fame this Sunday in Cooperstown, Adrián Beltré recalled the prediction of two of his coaches when he was just a prospect full of dreams in the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican was given a high bar from a very young age. Cuban Rafael Avila and Dominican Pablo Peguero predicted that he could reach the Cooperstown sky if he worked hard. At that time, Beltre saw them as “ridiculous comments,” he acknowledged this in statements to the press on Saturday.
“There were comments at the beginning of my career, before I came to the United States, from coaches and scouts who made those comments, which to me, were ridiculous,” said the former third baseman, who also confessed that he never had much faith when it came to mapping out the scope of his career as a baseball player. “I never thought I would get to where I am,” he acknowledged.
Adrian Beltre’s MLB career prediction
But what exactly was Beltré told? He himself told the press. “That if I kept working and started to set my priorities right, I had a chance of making it to the Hall of Fame,” he revealed.
The 45-year-old legend later described being thrilled to see a “ridiculous comment” come true. “Now to see that I’m here in this place, inducted into the Hall of Fame and looking back at the moment when they made those comments, it’s amazing.”
Beltre’s comments came on Saturday after participating in the traditional golf tournament held prior to the induction ceremony each year at the Leatherstocking course in Cooperstown.
His path to the Hall of Fame
His first appearance on the list earned him 95% of the votes. His 21 MLB seasons will be recognized as legendary thanks to his career batting average of .286 with a total of 477 home runs in 2,933 games played.
Also notable is his participation in teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers. Not to mention that he won the Gold Glove on five occasions, participated in four MLB-All Star Games and became the second player in the entire history of the league with the most games played at third base.
The Dominican was in the hot corner in 2,759 matches, second only to Brooks Robinson (2,870). He also ranks 11th all-time in doubles with 636.
Adrian Beltre will be inducted alongside Todd Helton and Joe Mauer as well as manager Jim Leyland who will all go on to occupy a place in Cooperstown.
Keep reading:
· Dominican Adrian Beltre will throw out the first pitch at the All-Star Game
· Adrian Beltre will wear the Texas Rangers cap on his Hall of Fame plaque
· Dominican David Ortiz named Venezuelan Ronald Acuña Jr. as the best MLB player