COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Adrian Beltré, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton were all recognized as remarkable athletes from a young age and lived up to those expectations with their induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Early on, the Los Angeles Dodgers were so impressed with Beltré that they went outside MLB rules to sign him before he turned 16. Beltré made his big league debut shortly after his 19th birthday and quickly established himself as one of the top prospects in all sports while still a teenager.
In his induction speech, Beltré mentioned playing for his first team at age 13, originally as a second baseman at his dad’s behest. Upon switching to third base at a teammate’s suggestion, Beltré found great success.
Over 21 years with the Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and Texas Rangers, Beltré won five Gold Glove awards and became the first third baseman with over 450 home runs and 3,000 hits.
Mauer, a standout in both football and baseball during high school in St. Paul, Minnesota, was selected by the Minnesota Twins as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 MLB Draft.
During his 15-year career, all spent with the Twins, Mauer secured one Most Valuable Player award and three batting titles. He remains the only catcher in history with at least 2,000 hits, a .300 batting average, and a .380 on-base percentage.
Helton, a star in both football and baseball at the University of Tennessee, never felt comfortable with fame but excelled on the baseball field. The Colorado Rockies picked him 1995 and he spent his entire career with them.
He finished his rookie season as runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting, hitting .315 with 25 home runs and 97 RBIs. Helton went on to achieve multiple seasons with 100+ extra-base hits and assisted the Rockies in reaching the 2007 World Series.
Jim Leyland, chosen by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee, managed for 22 seasons and captured three Manager of the Year awards along with the 1997 World Series title.
He made a point to recognize the fans’ importance to baseball and hailed them as an integral part of the sport.
This year’s Hall of Fame class was led by Beltré, followed by Helton and Mauer. Players who missed the 75% threshold for election included Billy Wagner, Gary Sheffield, Andruw Jones, and Carlos Beltrán. Additionally, Joe Castiglione and Gerry Fraley were honored during the weekend for their contributions to baseball.
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