Ahead of enshrinement, Beltr¨¦ looks back at his beginnings in the D.R.
David Venn
@DavidVennMLBCOOPERSTOWN -- As Adrian Beltré soaks in the totality of his Hall of Fame experience this weekend, culminating in Sunday's induction ceremony outside the Clark Sports Center, the former third baseman took time to reflect on his very first steps as a professional after his signing by the Dodgers in the Dominican Republic in the mid-1990s.
While speaking with Spanish-speaking media on Saturday, Beltr¨¦ remembered two indelible events from those times -- words of encouragement from two of the scouts most responsible for his early development, Rafael ¡°Ralph¡± ?vila (the father of former Tigers GM Al ?vila and grandfather of former Major League catcher Alex ?vila) and Pablo Peguero; and his first at-bat in Dominican Summer League in 1995.
¡°There were comments at the beginning of my career, before I came to the United States, from coaches and scouts that for me, were ridiculous,¡± Beltr¨¦ said. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be where I am now.¡±
What exactly was the message from ?vila and Peguero, two of the most celebrated names in the long history of scouting in the D.R.?
¡°That if I kept working and got my priorities straight, I had a chance to get to the Hall of Fame,¡± Beltr¨¦, now 45, said. ¡°But now, seeing that I am in this place, being inducted in the Hall of Fame and remembering their comments ¡ It¡¯s incredible.¡±
More incredible still could be the fact that at the time of his signing, in 1994, he was just 15, a year younger than the minimum age, which resulted in sanctions levied against ?vila and Peguero later on. When Beltr¨¦ made his professional debut a year later, as he was barely turning 16, he made a splash right way in his first game in the DSL -- a league that played its games at Estadio Quisqueya (now known as Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal), home of the Dominican Winter League¡¯s Tigres del Licey and Leones del Escogido -- hitting a home run in his first plate appearance against the DSL Mets.
¡°I was completely nervous; it was my first professional at-bat,¡± Beltr¨¦ remembered. ¡°But one way or another, I was able hit a good one in the stadium which I liked to come to as a kid [as a fan of the Licey club]. When I was able to hit a home run at that stadium, which is a historic one in my country, it was as if I were walking on clouds with everything else afterwards. It was a special moment that I¡¯ll never forget.¡±
That was the launching point for one of the best third basemen in Major League history and a 21-year career with the Dodgers, Mariners, Red Sox and Rangers that produced 477 home runs, 3,166 hits, five Gold Gloves, four Silver Slugger Awards and a bWAR of 93.5, third best all time among third sackers after Mike Schmidt and Eddie Mathews.
The landing point, as ?vila and Peguero predicted, is indeed Cooperstown.
¡°I feel very honored,¡± Beltr¨¦ said. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be in that group, at all. And I¡¯m grateful.¡±