On the day Adrian Beltre enters the Hall of Fame

[doug.goodman]

Think about the fact that after his stellar performance in 2004, the Dodgers took the money that should have continued what should have been a life-long Dodger career, and instead signed JD F'n Drew (a player so bad he couldn't get his own initials right).

Grasping at the straws of any semblance of reasoning, I am pulled towards the fact that Beltre's first career HR was hit against the Rangers in Texas, so maybe the god who I don't believe in had a hand in that. Or possibly the dark lord and master...

Congrats to him on a fantastic career.

Here is a ticket to the last HR I saw him hit as a Dodgers, which coincidentally features his picture.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I remember getting JD Drew confused with JT Snow and thinking, "Didn't we just deal with this guy a couple of years ago?". With both, it was a case of dealers desperately trying to unload 100 packs of their RCs: "You gotta buy these now, Now, NOW!!!!!! before they go up again!"

At least TR Bryden doesn't get confused with anybody. If not for his lone MLB card in the popular 1987 Topps set, I may have had occasion to forget about him completely.

[Vintagedeputy]

I have lived on the East Coast all my life and have watched baseball for 45+ years. Adrian Beltre never struck me as an exceptional player let alone a Hall of Famer. Maybe I missed out on watching his career. Maybe also, it’s just like how they talk about Kershaw being a Hall of Fame pitcher and I just don’t see it.

My loss, I guess.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by Vintagedeputy

I have lived on the East Coast all my life and have watched baseball for 45+ years. Adrian Beltre never struck me as an exceptional player let alone a Hall of Famer. Maybe I missed out on watching his career. Maybe also, it’s just like how they talk about Kershaw being a Hall of Fame pitcher and I just don’t see it.

My loss, I guess.

477 homers and arguably the best defensive 3B not named Brooks. You definitely are missing something on him.

As for Kershaw, he has the all-time lowest ERA among starting pitchers in the live ball era. By A LOT. Also the only pitcher to lead MLB four straight years. Three Cy Youngs, an MVP, and two CYA runner-up finishes. He's such an obvious HOF pitcher, I'm baffled at how anybody could think he's not.

[G1911]

Beltre never felt like a hall of famer in real time to me either. This is why I to use the math, because it is objective and my perceptions and feelings are very much not.

Beltre is clearly well over the HOF line, he just had a weird career structured to feel like it was less valuable than it was. A league average bat and great defense for his first five years (97 OPS+), a monster year in 2003, then off to Seattle where he was a league average bat (101 OPS+) again for five years. His age 31 through 38 seasons are where he finally racked up offensive value consistently. The first year or two it felt like a fluke again like his 2003 season, and then it felt like it was too late in his career for the blossoming to get him over the line.

Clayon Kershaw has a higher ERA+ than any other pitcher in major league history who threw more than 1,5000 innings. If he is not A HOFer I genuinely cannot think of anyone who is deserving.

[Mike D.]

I will say that Beltre did have one of the shortest "maybe a hall of famer" periods in recent memory. As a later bloomer who played a long time, he went from "non-candidate" to "sure thing" very quickly. You looked up and suddenly he had 400+ HR and was approaching 3,000 career hits.

The Best Rookie & Prospect Cards Of 2024 Hall Of Famer Adrian Beltre

What's your favorite early Beltre card? The Bowman cards are cool, but I'm partial to the '97 Best cards and some of the minor league offerings.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by G1911

Beltre never felt like a hall of famer in real time to me either. This is why I to use the math, because it is objective and my perceptions and feelings are very much not.

Beltre is clearly well over the HOF line, he just had a weird career structured to feel like it was less valuable than it was. A league average bat and great defense for his first five years (97 OPS+), a monster year in 2003, then off to Seattle where he was a league average bat (101 OPS+) again for five years. His age 31 through 38 seasons are where he finally racked up offensive value consistently. The first year or two it felt like a fluke again like his 2003 season, and then it felt like it was too late in his career for the blossoming to get him over the line.

Clayon Kershaw has a higher ERA+ than any other pitcher in major league history who threw more than 1,5000 innings. If he is not A HOFer I genuinely cannot think of anyone who is deserving.

Look at the first two home stadiums he played in and then the last two he played in and things get a lot clearer. LA and Seattle were big pitchers parks at those times. Boston and Texas are massive hitters parks.

[Vintagedeputy]

Originally Posted by Tabe

477 homers and arguably the best defensive 3B not named Brooks. You definitely are missing something on him.

As for Kershaw, he has the all-time lowest ERA among starting pitchers in the live ball era. By A LOT. Also the only pitcher to lead MLB four straight years. Three Cy Youngs, an MVP, and two CYA runner-up finishes. He's such an obvious HOF pitcher, I'm baffled at how anybody could think he's not.

There’s no question that Beltre and Kershaw have the numbers and/or the trophies. All I can tell you is that in my 48 years of being a baseball fan on the East Coast, if I had to pick 25 people that I thought would be Hall of Famers, neither would be on my list. Not sure how to explain that any other way.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by Vintagedeputy

There’s no question that Beltre and Kershaw have the numbers and/or the trophies. All I can tell you is that in my 48 years of being a baseball fan on the East Coast, if I had to pick 25 people that I thought would be Hall of Famers, neither would be on my list. Not sure how to explain that any other way.

I mean, that's not really an explanation. Beltre I kinda get but not Kershaw.

[ooo-ribay]

Originally Posted by Tabe

477 homers and arguably the best defensive 3B not named Brooks. You definitely are missing something on him.

As for Kershaw, he has the all-time lowest ERA among starting pitchers in the live ball era. By A LOT. Also the only pitcher to lead MLB four straight years. Three Cy Youngs, an MVP, and two CYA runner-up finishes. He's such an obvious HOF pitcher, I'm baffled at how anybody could think he's not.

13-13 postseason, 4.49 ERA.HOF, yeah but not exactly Mr. October.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay

13-13 postseason, 4.49 ERA.HOF, yeah but not exactly Mr. October.

Yep - unquestionably a knock on him. Still a very obvious HOFer.

[ejharrington]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

Think about the fact that after his stellar performance in 2004, the Dodgers took the money that should have continued what should have been a life-long Dodger career, and instead signed JD F'n Drew (a player so bad he couldn't get his own initials right).

Grasping at the straws of any semblance of reasoning, I am pulled towards the fact that Beltre's first career HR was hit against the Rangers in Texas, so maybe the god who I don't believe in had a hand in that. Or possibly the dark lord and master...

Congrats to him on a fantastic career.

Here is a ticket to the last HR I saw him hit as a Dodgers, which coincidentally features his picture.

JD Drew had an excellent career and was a key player for the World Champion 2007 Red Sox.

[Kutcher55]

Regardless of whether he "feels" like a HOFer, he is by any measure a HOFer. I was wondering why the Red Sox had him for only one year where he put up great numbers at the age of 31 and then let him walk via free agency. Not sure what his reputation was as a clubhouse guy but I do wonder given the number of teams he played for in his outstanding career. Of course, he might just be a product of the 21st century, hired mercenary and whatnot.

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by Kutcher55

Regardless of whether he "feels" like a HOFer, he is by any measure a HOFer. I was wondering why the Red Sox had him for only one year where he put up great numbers at the age of 31 and then let him walk via free agency. Not sure what his reputation was as a clubhouse guy but I do wonder given the number of teams he played for in his outstanding career. Of course, he might just be a product of the 21st century, hired mercenary and whatnot.

The Red Sox did try to resign him after his one year "pillow contract", but got outbid by the Rangers. They then went out and traded for and extended Adrian Gonzalez.

Ah, hindsight. That one season of Beltre was fun to watch. He put up 7.8 WAR and led the league in doubles. JD Drew put up a solid but unspectacular 3.1 WAR that season as his teammate.

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by Kutcher55

Not sure what his reputation was as a clubhouse guy but I do wonder given the number of teams he played for in his outstanding career. Of course, he might just be a product of the 21st century, hired mercenary and whatnot.

Other than the 1 year in Boston, he played 8, 7, and 5 years each for 3 teams across 20 years.

[D. Bergin]

Was Beltre the fella who didn’t like being touched on the head…so every time he hit a HR his team-mates made a point to touch him on the head?

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Was Beltre the fella who didn’t like being touched on the head…so every time he hit a HR his team-mates made a point to touch him on the head?

That was him! David Ortiz, another 2010 teammate, made a point of touching his head at the induction ceremony.

[Kutcher55]

Originally Posted by ejharrington

JD Drew had an excellent career and was a key player for the World Champion 2007 Red Sox.

Drew was crap for the 07 red sox, but was able to redeem himself and make it all worthwhile with one swing of the bat in Game 6 of the ALCS.