The former third baseman played for four teams but had a clear choice.
Daniel Chavkin | Feb 2, 2024
In this story:
- Texas Rangers
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Seattle Mariners
- Boston Red Sox
- Miami Marlins
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Colorado Rockies
- Detroit Tigers
- Minnesota Twins
The biggest decision for any new member of the Baseball Hall of Fame is to choose which hat they will wear on their plaque. This year, although there are four new members, only two of them had a choice, and both have made their decision.
Adrián Beltré, who is entering the Hall of Fame after getting over 95% of the vote as a first-ballot option, will wear a Texas Rangers hat on his plaque. Beltré began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and spent time with both the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox, but his eight years in Texas to end his career cemented him as a hall of famer.
While with the Rangers, Beltré made three of his four All-Star games, won three of his five Gold Glove awards, and received MVP votes six times. He will become the third Hall of Famer to wear a Rangers cap, joining Nolan Ryan and Ivan Rodriguez.
Jim Leyland, who managed four different teams over the course of 22 seasons, has decided he will go into the Hall with no specific team logo on his hat. Leyland’s career isn’t defined by one team tenure, as he managed and won his most games with the Pittsburgh Pirates, won a World Series with the then-Florida Marlins and had his most playoff appearances with the Detroit Tigers. He also managed the Colorado Rockies for one season.
There are two other members of the Class of 2024, but they already had their choices made for them. Both Joe Mauer and Todd Helton each played their entire careers with one team, as Mauer played 15 years for the Minnesota Twins and Todd Helton spent 17 years in Colorado.