Adrián Beltré received a hero’s welcome from the Texas Rangers after his Hall of Fame induction. As well as a surprise.
The third baseman was honored at Globe Life Field on Saturday before a game against the Minnesota Twins, complete with his plaque from Cooperstown and a cowboy hat. The event had the usual trappings of a ceremony for a player whose number was already retired in 2019, but then Rangers public address announcer Chuck Morgan said something the player clearly wasn’t expecting.
“Coming in 2025, National Baseball Hall of Famer Adrián Beltré will be honored with a bronze statue just outside of Globe Life Field,” Morgan said.
Beltré will become the third player to have a statue at the four-year-old Globe Life Field, joining Nolan Ryan and Iván Rodríguez, the only other players to enter the Hall of Fame with a Rangers cap.
It’s been a busy month for the Hall of Famer, who told the Associated Press that his next destination will be home:
“This was my last thing on the calendar, this weekend,” Beltré said. “After that, go home and be a dad and a husband again, and try to figure out when we can find a space for a little vacation. Because I need to just lay down on the beach a little bit.”
The 45-year-old Beltré played only eight of his 21 MLB seasons with the Rangers, but it was in Texas where he became an easy first-ballot Hall of Famer. He began his Rangers career with six straight seasons receiving MVP votes, as well three All-Star nods, four Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers.
Beltré retired with a legacy as one of the best defensive third basemen ever, with a bat that kept him in the middle of batting orders for two decades. Talent aside, he was also a beloved player both in the clubhouse and in the stands.
