Adrián Beltré
Encyclopedia
Adrián Beltré Pérez is a Major League Baseball
(MLB) third baseman
for the Texas Rangers
.
The youngest player in the National League when he made his major league debut, he has also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers
(–), the Seattle Mariners
(–), the Boston Red Sox
, and the Texas Rangers
. He bats and throws right-handed. He is known for his signature home run swing, dropping to one knee when connecting with an off-speed pitch.
by the Los Angeles Dodgers in . All-Star catcher Alex Avila's grandfather was the scout who signed him. Beltré attended Liceo Maximo Gomez High School, where he developed into one of the school’s top players. In 1994, while working out at Campo Las Palmas, the Los Angeles Dodgers facility, he was spotted by scouts Ralph Avila and Pablo Peguero. Though only 15 and weighing just 130 pounds, he had a lightning-quick swing and electric throwing arm. On the insistence of Avila and Peguero, the Dodgers signed Beltré in July. He received a $23,000 bonus. When it was revealed that Beltré had signed his initial contract at the age of 15, commissioner Bud Selig
suspended the Dodgers' scouting operations in the Dominican Republic for a year, because signing a player at that age was prevented under MLB rules.
After being called up to the majors from the then Dodgers Double-A affiliate San Antonio Missions
, Beltré made his major league debut on June 24, starting at third base in the first game of an interleague series against the Anaheim Angels
. At the time, he was the youngest player in the National League. During his first at-bat, Beltré smashed a two-out RBI
double
off Angels starter
Chuck Finley
into left field to score Paul Konerko
from second base to tie the game. He would hit his first home run
six days later against Texas Rangers
starter Rick Helling
. At the end of the 1998 season, Beltré would finish with 13 errors
at third base while batting
.215 with seven home runs.
The Dodgers saw Beltré develop into a consistent and durable young star during his time with the team, as he hit .265 while hitting 18 homers a year (on average). From through , Beltré also started 710 games at third base (out of 810 games played) averaging a .948 fielding percentage
.
Beltre led MLB in 2004 with 48 home runs, and he was honored with the Babe Ruth Home Run Award
.
before the season to a five-year, $64 million deal. Regressing to his pre-2004 form, he batted just .255 with 19 home runs and 87 RBI. Manager Mike Hargrove
did not give up hope on Beltré, saying, "I think it's a season that, personally, he's disappointed in. I think it was a year that he will improve on the longer he's here and the longer he's in the American League
."
was, likewise, a disappointment for Beltré and led some to suspect that he had used steroids in his contract year of 2004, or at least had ramped up his production in order to be considered for a heftier contract. Beltré, in an interview for the Seattle Times, denied his dropoff in 2006 to have anything to do with steroids. After batting .167 through April 10, Ted Miller of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
suggested that Beltré may become one of the Mariners' greatest busts. By June 5, 2006, Beltré's batting average was slowly improving, from .109 on April 16 to .236 at that time. After hitting his first home run in April, and his second later that month, Beltré improved his hitting, getting more hits in ballgames, most notably doubles. He also hit two home runs in the first five days of June, good signs for Beltré as well as the Mariners.
On July 23, 2006, against the Boston Red Sox
, Beltré hit an inside-the-park home run
, the first one ever in Safeco Field
history.
Though it wasn't a great season for Beltré, it was his best as a Mariner. He hit .276, had 26 home runs, and had 99 RBI. He also had a career high 41 doubles. He also was honored with a Fielding Bible Award
for being the top MLB defensive third baseman during the year.
The 2007 season wasn't one of Beltré's better defensive years statistically. In 2007, he tied with Brandon Inge
for the AL lead in errors by a third baseman, with 18, but Beltré ranked second in the league in assists
, total chances, and range factor
. He also had the lowest fielding percentage of all third basemen in the league, .958. Beltré was awarded the Gold Glove award.
On September 1, , Beltré hit for the cycle
, becoming the fourth Seattle Mariner to do so. Arizona Diamondbacks
shortstop
Stephen Drew
hit for the cycle that day as well, the first time two players had done so since . He won his second Fielding Bible Award for his defense that year.
Beltré's decision not to wear a cup despite playing third base has been well-documented. This really came back to hurt him on August 13, 2009, when he took a hard ground ball to the crotch
.
Although he stayed in for the remainder of the 14 inning victory, he was put on the DL after suffering bleeding in one of his testicles.
In his first game back from the DL from that injury, teammate Ken Griffey Jr. conspired with those responsible for the Safeco Field
PA system to have Beltré's at-bat intro music be the waltz from The Nutcracker Suite
.
Beltré declared free agency on November 5, .
, which had a $5 million player option for 2011 with a $1 million buyout.
Beltré led the Red Sox in batting average (.321) in 2010 and tied David Ortiz
for the team lead in RBI (102). He finished the year with 189 hits in 589 at bats. He had 28 home runs and 84 runs scored. Beltré led the Majors in doubles
, with 49 (also a career high). He also finished fourth in the AL in batting average, and was fifth in the AL in total bases (326) and slugging percentage (.553). He also had two stolen base
s on the year, and finished ninth in the MVP voting. On defense, he tied for the AL lead in errors by a third baseman, with 19.
. He was on the 2011 American League All Star team. On September 4, Beltré hit a line single to right against the Boston Red Sox for his 2,000th career hit. On September 11, 2011, Beltré hit two home runs, including the 300th of his career, against the Oakland Athletics
.
In 2011, Beltré batted .296 with 32 home runs (5th in the AL). He was third in the American League in slugging percentage (.561), sixth in RBIs (105), and ninth in OPS (.892). Through 2011, he led all active third basemen in career putouts (1,660) and errors (235). He won his third Fielding Bible Award for his outstanding defense.
On October 4, 2011, in an ALDS playoff game against the Tampa Bay Rays
, Beltré became the sixth player—the first in a Division Series
—to hit three home runs in a Major League playoff game
. He added a fourth playoff home run on October 24, when he went down to one knee chasing an outside curve ball.
On November 1, 2011, Beltré was honored with the Gold Glove Award
for the 2011 season. On November 2, 2011 he was awarded the Silver Slugger Award.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
for the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
.
The youngest player in the National League when he made his major league debut, he has also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(–), the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
(–), the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, and the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. He bats and throws right-handed. He is known for his signature home run swing, dropping to one knee when connecting with an off-speed pitch.
Los Angeles Dodgers (1998–2004)
He was signed out of the Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
by the Los Angeles Dodgers in . All-Star catcher Alex Avila's grandfather was the scout who signed him. Beltré attended Liceo Maximo Gomez High School, where he developed into one of the school’s top players. In 1994, while working out at Campo Las Palmas, the Los Angeles Dodgers facility, he was spotted by scouts Ralph Avila and Pablo Peguero. Though only 15 and weighing just 130 pounds, he had a lightning-quick swing and electric throwing arm. On the insistence of Avila and Peguero, the Dodgers signed Beltré in July. He received a $23,000 bonus. When it was revealed that Beltré had signed his initial contract at the age of 15, commissioner Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
suspended the Dodgers' scouting operations in the Dominican Republic for a year, because signing a player at that age was prevented under MLB rules.
After being called up to the majors from the then Dodgers Double-A affiliate San Antonio Missions
San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres major-league club. The Missions play in Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, located in San Antonio...
, Beltré made his major league debut on June 24, starting at third base in the first game of an interleague series against the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
. At the time, he was the youngest player in the National League. During his first at-bat, Beltré smashed a two-out RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
off Angels starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
Chuck Finley
Chuck Finley
Charles Edward "Chuck" Finley is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1986-2002 for three different teams, but pitched primarily with the California Angels...
into left field to score Paul Konerko
Paul Konerko
Paul Henry Konerko is an American professional baseball first baseman who has played for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball since 1999. He previously played with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds . Konerko helped the Chicago White Sox win the 2005 World Series, the...
from second base to tie the game. He would hit his first home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
six days later against Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
starter Rick Helling
Rick Helling
Richard Allen Helling is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-High school and college:...
. At the end of the 1998 season, Beltré would finish with 13 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
at third base while batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.215 with seven home runs.
The Dodgers saw Beltré develop into a consistent and durable young star during his time with the team, as he hit .265 while hitting 18 homers a year (on average). From through , Beltré also started 710 games at third base (out of 810 games played) averaging a .948 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
.
Beltre led MLB in 2004 with 48 home runs, and he was honored with the Babe Ruth Home Run Award
Babe Ruth Home Run Award
The Babe Ruth Home Run Award is an annual award presented to the previous season's leading home run hitter in Major League Baseball .. The award is named after the legendary Babe Ruth, who led the American League in homers 12 times. It was first awarded to Mark McGwire after his record-setting...
.
Seattle Mariners (2005–09)
Beltré was signed by the Seattle Mariners as a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
before the season to a five-year, $64 million deal. Regressing to his pre-2004 form, he batted just .255 with 19 home runs and 87 RBI. Manager Mike Hargrove
Mike Hargrove
Dudley Michael Hargrove is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. He is currently employed as an advisor with the Cleveland Indians....
did not give up hope on Beltré, saying, "I think it's a season that, personally, he's disappointed in. I think it was a year that he will improve on the longer he's here and the longer he's in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
suggested that Beltré may become one of the Mariners' greatest busts. By June 5, 2006, Beltré's batting average was slowly improving, from .109 on April 16 to .236 at that time. After hitting his first home run in April, and his second later that month, Beltré improved his hitting, getting more hits in ballgames, most notably doubles. He also hit two home runs in the first five days of June, good signs for Beltré as well as the Mariners.
On July 23, 2006, against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Beltré hit an inside-the-park home run
Inside-the-park home run
In baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
, the first one ever in Safeco Field
Safeco Field
Safeco Field is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington. The stadium, owned and operated by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority, is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,878 for baseball...
history.
Though it wasn't a great season for Beltré, it was his best as a Mariner. He hit .276, had 26 home runs, and had 99 RBI. He also had a career high 41 doubles. He also was honored with a Fielding Bible Award
Fielding Bible Award
A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process...
for being the top MLB defensive third baseman during the year.
The 2007 season wasn't one of Beltré's better defensive years statistically. In 2007, he tied with Brandon Inge
Brandon Inge
Charles Brandon Inge is an American professional baseball infielder for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed....
for the AL lead in errors by a third baseman, with 18, but Beltré ranked second in the league in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
, total chances, and range factor
Range Factor
Range Factor is a baseball statistic developed by Bill James. It is calculated by dividing putouts and assists by number of innings or games played at a given defense position...
. He also had the lowest fielding percentage of all third basemen in the league, .958. Beltré was awarded the Gold Glove award.
On September 1, , Beltré hit for the cycle
Hitting for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
, becoming the fourth Seattle Mariner to do so. Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Stephen Drew
Stephen Drew
Stephen Oris Drew is a shortstop in Major League Baseball who plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is the younger brother of Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew and former major leaguer Tim Drew....
hit for the cycle that day as well, the first time two players had done so since . He won his second Fielding Bible Award for his defense that year.
Beltré's decision not to wear a cup despite playing third base has been well-documented. This really came back to hurt him on August 13, 2009, when he took a hard ground ball to the crotch
Groin
In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...
.
Although he stayed in for the remainder of the 14 inning victory, he was put on the DL after suffering bleeding in one of his testicles.
In his first game back from the DL from that injury, teammate Ken Griffey Jr. conspired with those responsible for the Safeco Field
Safeco Field
Safeco Field is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington. The stadium, owned and operated by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority, is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,878 for baseball...
PA system to have Beltré's at-bat intro music be the waltz from The Nutcracker Suite
The Nutcracker Suite
The Nutcracker Suite is a recording by American guitarist Tim Sparks, released in 1993. It consists of both an adaptation for acoustic guitar of Tchaikovsky's suite from his ballet The Nutcracker and the Balkan Dreams Suite, a suite of songs based on melodies and ideas of Bela Bartok...
.
Beltré declared free agency on November 5, .
Boston Red Sox (2010)
On January 7, 2010, Beltré signed a one-year, $9 million deal with the Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, which had a $5 million player option for 2011 with a $1 million buyout.
Beltré led the Red Sox in batting average (.321) in 2010 and tied David Ortiz
David Ortiz
David Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
for the team lead in RBI (102). He finished the year with 189 hits in 589 at bats. He had 28 home runs and 84 runs scored. Beltré led the Majors in doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, with 49 (also a career high). He also finished fourth in the AL in batting average, and was fifth in the AL in total bases (326) and slugging percentage (.553). He also had two stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s on the year, and finished ninth in the MVP voting. On defense, he tied for the AL lead in errors by a third baseman, with 19.
Texas Rangers (2011–present)
On January 5, 2011, Beltré signed a six-year, $96 million contract with the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. He was on the 2011 American League All Star team. On September 4, Beltré hit a line single to right against the Boston Red Sox for his 2,000th career hit. On September 11, 2011, Beltré hit two home runs, including the 300th of his career, against the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
.
In 2011, Beltré batted .296 with 32 home runs (5th in the AL). He was third in the American League in slugging percentage (.561), sixth in RBIs (105), and ninth in OPS (.892). Through 2011, he led all active third basemen in career putouts (1,660) and errors (235). He won his third Fielding Bible Award for his outstanding defense.
On October 4, 2011, in an ALDS playoff game against the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, Beltré became the sixth player—the first in a Division Series
Division Series
In baseball, the Division Series is the official name for the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Currently, a total of four series are played in this opening round, two each for both the American League and the National League.-1981 season:...
—to hit three home runs in a Major League playoff game
Major League Baseball postseason
The Major League Baseball postseason is an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of Major League Baseball's regular season. It consists of one best-of-five series and two best-of-seven series...
. He added a fourth playoff home run on October 24, when he went down to one knee chasing an outside curve ball.
On November 1, 2011, Beltré was honored with the Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
for the 2011 season. On November 2, 2011 he was awarded the Silver Slugger Award.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs