“We Let a Lot of People Down.” Texas Rangers’ championship win relieved Adrián Beltré
Adrián Beltré, one of the Texas Rangers’ most cherished players, was inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first vote less than three months after the team’s historic first World Series victory.
After winning a World Series, one of the team’s most cherished players will soon be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In his first year of eligibility, Adrián Beltré garnered 95.1% of the vote to be elected into the Hall of Fame, joining Rockies first baseman Todd Helton and Twins catcher Joe Mauer.
The three will be honored at the Cooperstown, New York, Hall of Fame ceremony on July 21. Less than three months after the Rangers won their first World Series triumph on November 1, 44-year-old Beltré, who played with the Rangers from 2011 to 2019, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. That evening, Beltré was present at Chase Field in Phoenix to celebrate winning the championship.
“Watching them win this past season was such a pleasant experience. Beltré stated at a Zoom teleconference hosted by the Hall of Fame, “I was appreciative enough that they allowed me to come watch the games and be a part of it. “I was super grateful.”
He was also relieved for the team and for all of the enduring supporters who had been waiting for a championship for decades.
“I felt relieved because we were so close in 2011,” stated Beltré, who garnered 366 of the 385 votes cast. “My desire to win a world championship was one of the reasons I traveled to Dallas. Up until Game 6, we demonstrated that we had essentially the best squad, and I thought that they had given me the best opportunity at the time. It did not occur. However, I thought at the time that the year I was playing with the group, we had let a lot of people in Dallas and Texas down.”
The team’s burden was lifted after their five-game championship victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Beltré. Throughout the 2024 season, a number of activities will be held to commemorate the championship, such as the Opening Day ring ceremony and fan giveaways.
“They are able to refer to themselves as champions. I’ll always be a fan of the Texas Rangers, so I’m incredibly thrilled for them,” Beltré remarked.