Adrián Beltré received a hero’s welcome from the Texas Rangers after his induction into the Hall of Fame. And there was another surprise.
The third baseman was honored on Saturday before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Globe Life Field, complete with his Cooperstown plaque and a cowboy hat. The event had the usual setting of a ceremony for a player whose number was already retired in 2019, but then Rangers stadium announcer Chuck Morgan said something the player clearly wasn’t expecting.
“In 2025, National Baseball Hall of Fame member Adrián Beltré will be honored with a bronze statue directly in front of Globe Life Field,” Morgan said.
Beltré will be the third player to receive a statue at Globe Life Field, which has been open for four years, joining him and Nolan Ryan and Iván Rodríguez as the only other players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame wearing a Rangers cap.
It’s been a busy month for the Hall of Famer, who told the Associated Press his next destination will be home:
“That was my last appointment this weekend,” Beltré said. “After that, I’m going home and being a father and husband again and trying to figure out when we can find time for a little vacation. Because I just need to lay on the beach for a bit.”
Beltré, 45, played only eight of his 21 MLB seasons with the Rangers, but Texas gave him an easy first-time Hall of Fame induction. He began his career with the Rangers and received MVP votes for six consecutive seasons, as well as three All-Star nominations, four Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers.
Beltré finished his career as one of the best defensive third basemen of all time, with a bat that kept him in the middle of the batting order for two decades. Aside from his talent, he was also a popular player both in the locker room and in the stands.
