Texas Rangers Legend Adrián Beltré Salutes Fans During Hall Of Fame Induction Speech

Texas Rangers legend Adrian Beltre is now a Baseball Hall of Famer after his induction speech in Cooperstown, N.Y., on Sunday.

Jul 20, 2024; Cooperstown, New York, USA; Hall of Fame inductee Adrian Beltre with his family during the Parade of Legends in Cooperstown, NY. / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Last week Adrián Beltré said he had done plenty of work and experienced plenty of stress over his Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech.

This being Beltré, his speech on Sunday in Cooperstown, N.Y., came off without a hitch, just like his career with the Texas Rangers.

Celebrated for his talent, being a great teammate and his eccentricities, he talked about joining the ranks of baseball’s greatest players during his speech, part of which he delivered in Spanish.

“And the best part was I loved it,” he said. “I loved baseball. And I had so much fun playing the game.”

The past week Beltré has geared up for this moment. He coached the American League team in the MLB Futures game last Saturday. He threw out the first pitch for Tuesday’s All-Star Game alongside three Rangers who are already in Cooperstown — Nolan Ryan, Ivan Rodriguez and Ferguson Jenkins. On Saturday in Cooperstown, he and his family rode in the annual pre-induction parade and he signed dozens of autographs.

He saved some of his kindest words for Rangers fans on Sunday.

“Like they say, everything is bigger in Texas, and you showed me big love,” Beltré said.

Several of his Rangers teammates joined him Cooperstown, including Elvis Andrus, Robinson Chirinos, Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler, Colby Lewis and Mitch Moreland. Former Rangers general manager Jon Daniels was also in attendance.

"You're not going to see another Adrian for ages,” Andrus said to MLB Network.

During his speech, Beltré jokingly called Andrus a "pain in my butt."

You were a pain in my butt, but I really enjoyed playing beside you for so many years.”

Of course, Adrián Beltré had to shoutout Elvis Andrus in his Hall of Fame speech. ❤️pic.twitter.com/ugy93uJxzA

— Michael Bier (@MichaelJBier) July 21, 2024

Beltré played for other teams, but he’ll wear a Rangers cap on his hat on his plaque in Cooperstown.

"The reason I went to Texas was because they had a great team,” he said. “At that time, I wanted to be with a team that was going to give me a chance to get to the World Series. But after that... it grew to be more. They allowed me to be myself."

Welcome to baseball immortality, Adrian Beltré. pic.twitter.com/M7SsPzV4BS

— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) July 21, 2024

Joining him in the Class of is Joe Mauer, Todd Helton and former manager Jim Leyland, who was elected in December by the Hall of Fame’s Eras Committee.

Beltré retired after the 2018 season. He spent the final eight seasons of his career with the Rangers, where he signed as a free agent before the 2011 season.

With the Rangers he was a .304 hitter with 199 home runs and 699 RBI. He made three All-Star Game appearances, won three Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers. He also finished in the Top 15 of American League MVP voting in each of his first six years with the Rangers.

He was a member of the Rangers’ 2011 World Series team, which was his only World Series appearance.

Beltré’s No. 19 is retired by the Rangers and he was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame shortly after his retirement. He is a member of the 3,000-hit club, as he finished his career with 3,166 hits. He is No. 18 all-time and one of 33 players with 3,000 hits.

He was a career .286 hitter with 477 home runs and 1,707 RBI in a 21-year career in which he broke in with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998 and also played for the Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox. He made four career All-Star Game appearances, won five Gold Glove and four Silver Sluggers.