COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – This Sunday, fans from across the country and Latin America gathered in Cooperstown to celebrate the Class of 2024 at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s 75th Induction Ceremony.
Adrian Beltré, Todd Helton, Joe Mauer and Jim Leyland were honored with induction speeches that paid tribute to their families, friends and baseball itself.
Under partly cloudy skies and a temperature of 77 degrees, fifty-one Hall of Famers took the stage at the Clark Sports Center. A crowd of 28,000 and a national television audience on MLB Network listened intently as the newest members of baseball’s most exclusive team.
Todd Helton was the first to speak: “To say I am humbled by this honor is not enough to describe what I feel today,” he said. Helton, who played 17 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, was a five-time All-Star, with a .316 batting average and 369 home runs in his career.
Adrián Beltré, who played 21 seasons with the Dodgers, Mariners, Red Sox and Rangers, took the stand after Helton. Beltré, who won five Gold Gloves at third base, is the fifth player born in the Dominican Republic to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. David Ortiz, his compatriot and fellow Hall of Famer, surprised Beltré by rubbing his head in a playful gesture, drawing laughter from the crowd, which included thousands of Dominican fans.
“Baseball was my passion and blessed me with countless opportunities,” Beltré said. “And the best part was: I loved it.”
Jim Leyland, who managed the Pirates, Marlins, Rockies and Tigers for 22 seasons, followed Beltré. Leyland led his teams to six division titles, three pennants and the 1997 World Series championship.
“My contributions to our National Pastime pale in comparison to the joy it has brought to my life,” Leyland said.
Joe Mauer, who played 15 seasons with the Twins and won three American League batting titles as a catcher, closed the ceremony. “Today I am grateful to do the best I can to describe what it means to be here with all of you,” Mauer said. “I am honored to join this year’s Hall of Fame class. This moment is truly a dream come true.”
Other highlights from Sunday included recognizing the 2024 award winners: Joe Castiglione, winner of the Ford C. Frick Award, and the late Gerry Fraley, winner of the BBWAA Professional Excellence Award. Transcripts of Saturday’s awards speeches are available at baseballhall.org/mediainfo.
Anisha Gwynn, daughter of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and known in the recording world as Anisha Nicole, performed “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Photo: UPI
