Beltré began Hall of Fame career with Dodgers
Juan Toribio
@juanctoribioLOS ANGELES -- Adrian Beltré will be one of the four 2024 inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., on Sunday.
Beltré, of course, will be going into the Hall of Fame donning a Rangers cap. Texas is where Beltré had the most success throughout his career. There’s really no denying that. But before that, he started off his career with the Dodgers.
The history between Beltré and the Dodgers is a bit complicated and one both sides probably wish could’ve gone differently. In another world, Beltré would be getting honored as a Dodger on Sunday, and his No. 29 would be hanging at Dodger Stadium shortly thereafter.
Despite that, Beltré still enjoyed some really pleasant memories throughout his seven-year career with the Dodgers. Let’s take a look at three moments that stand out from Beltré's time with Los Angeles.
When it all started
Tommy Lasorda, who was the Dodgers’ general manager in 1998, had seen enough. He was ready to make the surprising decision to call up a 19-year-old Beltré to the Majors -- just a few years after Los Angeles signed Beltré as an amateur free agent from the Dominican Republic in 1994.
Beltré has often talked about his Major League debut on June 24, 1998, against the Angels and how much he credits Lasorda for his career success.
“He was one of the finest young men we ever had in our organization,” Lasorda said during Beltré's jersey retirement in Arlington in ‘19. “Whatever he accomplishes for the rest of his life, he played for the Dodgers.
Beltré wasn’t as dominant with the Dodgers as he was with the Rangers (199 homers, .865 OPS in 1,098 games over eight seasons with Texas), but he’ll forever say his journey to Cooperstown started in Los Angeles. In seven seasons with the Dodgers, Beltré hit .274 with a .794 OPS, 176 doubles, 147 homers and 510 RBIs in 966 games.
First of many
Beltré's first career hit came during his first Major League game, when he hit an RBI double off Chuck Finley in his first at-bat. His first career homer, however, took a little longer to happen.
Ironically and fittingly enough, Beltré's first career long ball came in the Ballpark in Arlington, a place he grew very familiar with during his illustrious eight-year career with the Rangers. Beltré's two-run homer off Rick Helling on June 30, 1998, traveled to straightaway center field. Beltré went on to hit 476 more homers in his 21-year career.
Best season ever?
Beltré earned three of his four All-Star nods with the Rangers (2011, '12 and '14) and one with the Red Sox ('10). But his best individual season came as a member of the Dodgers.
After a bit of an up-and-down start with Los Angeles, Beltré showed his impressive offensive game in ‘04. As a 25-year-old, Beltré was finally starting to bulk up and live up to his immense potential.
Beltré tallied 200 hits, including 48 homers, with 121 RBIs, 104 runs scored and a 1.017 OPS (all career highs) in 156 games. He finished second in National League Most Valuable Player voting behind Barry Bonds, who posted a ridiculous .609 on-base percentage and 1.422 OPS.
Beltré became a free agent for the first time in his career after the '04 season. He has since said he wishes he would’ve finished his career with the Dodgers. But he ended up signing a five-year, $64 million deal with the Mariners, which proved to be a bad fit in a pitcher-friendly ballpark.
There will always be some “what if’s” had Beltré started and finished his career as a Dodger. Now, he’s a frequent visitor at Dodger Stadium, and he’ll be remembered forever in Cooperstown.