Showing posts with label Carrie'sSportsWorld. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carrie'sSportsWorld. Show all posts

Friday, May 22, 2026

Andre Dawson



Article researched and compiled
by Carrie Birdsong

1.  Position:                                  Outfielder

2.  Born:                                       July 10th, 1954

3.  Birthplace:                               Miami, Florida

4.  Batted:                                     Right

5.  Threw:                                     Right

6.  MLB Debut:                            September 11th, 1976, for
                                                       the Montreal Expos

7.  Last MLB Appearance:          September 29th, 1996, for
                                                       the Florida Marlins

8.  MLB Statistics:

9.  Batting Average:                      .279

10. Hits:                                         2,774

11. Home Runs:                            438

12. Runs Batted In:                       1,591

Teams played for:

1.     Montreal Expos: 1976 – 1986

2.     Chicago Cubs: 1987 – 1992

3.     Boston Red Sox: 1993 – 1994

4.     Florida Marlins: 1995 – 1996

Career Highlights and Awards:

1.     8x All – Star (1981-1983, 1987-1991)

2.     NL MVP (1987)

3.     NL Rookie of the Year (1977)

4.     8x Gold Glove (1980-1985, 1987, 1988)

5.     4x Silver Slugger Award (1980, 1981, 1983, 1987)

6.     NL Home Run Leader 1987

7.     NL RBI Leader (1987)

8.     Montreal Expos No. 10 retired

9.     Montreal Expos Hall of Fame

10.   Washington Nationals Ring of Honor

11.   Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame

12.     Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame:

          Induction:                                            2010

Andre Dawson, nicknamed “the Hawk” and “Awesome Dawson”,(1)(2)(3) is a former professional baseball player who played 21 seasons in the MLB.  He played for four different teams as a center fielder and right fielder, spending the majority of his career with the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs.

An 8 – time National League All – Star, he was named the league’s Rookie of the Year in 1977 after batting .282 with 19 home runs and 65 runs batted in, and won the Most Valuable Player Award in 1987 after leading the league with 49 home runs and 137 runs batted in; he had been runner – up for the award in both 1981 and 1983.  He batted .300 five times, drove in 100 runs four times and had 13 seasons of 20 home runs.  A strong base – runner early in his career, he also stole 30 bases three times.  He is one of eight MLB players with at least 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases during his career.(4)

Dawson was a center fielder until knee problems – worsened by the artificial surface at Olympic Stadium – forced his shift to right field, followed by his move to a team which played on grass.  He led the National League in outfield putouts three consecutive years (1981-1983), and won eight Gold Glove Awards for fielding excellence.  Dawson was known for his incredible work ethic and study of the game.  He was often seen in the dugout with a clipboard in hand documenting pitches and pitcher tendencies.  This was long before such practices were common-place and such information was readily available.  Upon his retirement, his National League totals of 409 home runs and 962 extra base hits both ranked tenth in league history; he also ranked seventh in National League history in games as an outfielder (2,303), and sixth in both outfield putouts (5,116) and total chances (5,366).  He set Expos franchise records for career games, at bats, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, runs batted in, extra base hits, total bases, and steals, all of which have since been broken variously by Tim Raines, Tim Wallach, and Vladimir Guerrero(5).  In 2010, Dawson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.(6)(7)

Early Life:

Dawson grew up in Florida as the oldest of eight children.  His father was a Two-Star General in the United States Army and often absent, leaving Dawson to look after his seven younger siblings while his mother worked(8).  Daws would pay his younger brothers in cookies to toss rocks for him to hit with a broomstick as batting practice.(9)

Dawson’s nickname “The Hawk”, was given to him by an uncle at a very early age.  Dawson used to work out with a men’s team that would hit him ground balls at practice.  Dawson’s uncle told him that most kids his age would shy away from the ball, but Dawson attacked the ball like a hawk.(10)

Dawson attended and graduated from Southwest Miami Senior High School in 1972(11).  In high school, he suffered multiple knee injuries which hampered his athletic development.  He did not draw any attention from professional scouts or college recruiters and took out student loans in order to enroll at Florida A&M University.(8)(9)

At Florida A&M, Dawson walked on to the Rattlers baseball team as a freshman.  He spent three years at Florida A&M which he later said paved the way for his future.(12)

Playing Career:

Montreal Expos:


Dawson was selected by the Expos in the 11th round (pick #250) of the 1975 Major League Baseball draft.  He played in 24 major league games in 1976 after making his debut on September 11th.  His stardom rose in 1977 when he became an everyday outfielder for the Expos, and batted .282 with 19 home runs and 21 stolen bases.  He was awarded the 1977 Rookie of the Year in the National League, narrowly beating out Steve Henderson of the New York Mets(7).  Dawson had a blend of power and speed, hitting at least 20 home runs in seven seasons with the Expos, and stealing at least 20 bases in his first seven seasons.  Dawson, playing primarily center field for the Expos, also became an excellent defensive player, gaining his first of eight Gold Glove Awards in 1980.  Based on his all – around excellence, Dawson was second in the National League MVP voting in 1981 (won by Mike Schmidt) and second again in 1983 (won by Dale Murphy).  He was voted the Montreal Expos Player of the Year in 1981 and 1983.

Dawson played 1,443 games with the Expos, fourth highest in franchise history, and set single – season club records for home runs (32, now seventh), RBIs (113, now fourth), extra base hits (78, now seventh), and sacrifice flies (18, still first).  He still holds the Expos career record for sacrifice flies (71), and is the only player to hit 200 home runs and steal 200 bases with Montreal.  During his Expos days, Dawson hit two home runs in the same inning twice: at Atlanta – Fulton County Stadium against the Atlanta Braves on July 30th, 1978(13) and at Wrigley Field against his future team the Chicago Cubs, on September 24th, 1985(14).  As of 2021, Dawson, Willie McCovey, Jeff King, Alex Rodriguez, and Edwin Encarnacion are the only five players to hit two home runs in one inning twice.

In 1984, Dawson appeared in The Cap, a short film about a young boy living in Montreal who was given a baseball cap by Dawson.

Chicago Cubs:

Dawson played for the Expos until after the 1986 season when he became a free agent and sought a team whose home field had natural grass, as his knee injuries were aggravated by Olympic Stadium’s artificial turf(15).  However, due to collusion on the part of Major League Baseball owners, he was unable to attract offers.(16)

Dawson campaigned for the Cubs to sign him during the off – season, however general manager Dallas Green resisted, insisting the Cubs would start Brian Dayett in right field (Dawson had moved from center field to right field in his final two seasons with the Expos, due to the condition of his knees), and that one player could not make a 71 – 91 team a 91 – 71 team.  When the Cubs opened camp in Mesa, Arizona, that spring, Dawson and his agent Dick Moss arrived with a signed blank contract in an attempt to secure a contract with the Cubs.  Dawson and Moss’s stunt was derided as a “dog and pony show” by Green.  After reviewing the contract, Green reached an agreement with Moss on a salary of $500,000 dollars ($1,416,960 in today’s dollars), second – lowest on the team among regulars, and added bonuses of $150,000 dollars if he did not go on the disabled list by the All – Star break, and $50,000 dollars if he made the All – Star team.  He earned both.  The team also wrote in $100,000 bonuses if Dawson was MVP of either the league championship series or the World Series, but did not add a clause for National League MVP.  While he won the National League MVP, the Cubs did not make the playoffs, so he had no chance to earn the NCLS or World Series MVP.(7)(17)(18)

He became the Cubs’ starting right fielder, and hit an MLB – leading 49 home runs (tied with Oakland Athletics rookie Mark McGwire), the most a player had hit since George Foster in 1977 and Willie Mays in 1965.  He was named the league’s MVP, finally winning after the two year as runner – up in Montreal.  He also earned his fourth All – Star nod and won the Home Run Derby that year.  Although the Cubs held first place for nearly half of May and remained in contention through July, the team finished the 1987 season 76 – 85, last in the National League East.(19)

Dawson was the first player to win a league MVP trophy from a last place team(20).  Dawson played five more season with the Cubs, and was one of the franchise’s most popular players during that time.  His worst individual season came in 1989 when the Cubs won the National League East title.  During the National League Championship Series that year, Dawson batted .105 as the San Francisco Giants beat the Cubs 4 games to 1.  Dawson’s .507 career slugging percentage with the Cubs is fourth highest in team history.

Later Career:

Photo Credit: 
https://www.sportscardspro.com/game/
baseball-cards-1994-sp/andre-dawson-154
)

In October 1992 the Red Sox signed Dawson as a free agent(21).  Dawson hit his 400th career home run with the Red Sox on April 15th at Fenway Park.  Dawson sustained a knee injury early in the 1993 season in a game against the Texas Rangers which limited him to only 121 games in his first year with the Red Sox: “I got caught between sliding and standing up on a passed ball.  I was on second base, and I took a chop step between strides and hit the corner of the third – base bag.  I had knee surgery and [Boston] decided to use me in the designated hitter (DH) role.(21)

Dawson would have knee surgery the following year as well, and only managed to play 75 games in his second and final season with Boston.  Dawson played his last two years with the Florida Marlins in Miami, where he was born and raised.  During the 1995 season, he became an unexpected regular starter, despite his age and history with injuries, due to an injury to outfielder Gary Sheffield(22).  He played somewhat sparingly with the team the following year, retiring after the 1996 season.  In his final game, Dawson was removed from the field as a final farewell to the fans and the game.  The fans gave him a standing ovation as Dawson walked off the field. 

Accomplishments:

Dawson finished his career with 2,774 hits, 438 home runs, 314 stolen bases, and 1,591 RBIs.  He is one of only eight players in major league history to record over 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases in his career (300 – 300 club); the other players to accomplish this are Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, Reggie Sanders, Steve Finley, Alex Rodriguez, and Carlos Beltran.


Photo Credit:

In 1997, Dawson’s #10 was retired by the Montreal Expos in his honor (the number had been previously retired for Rusty Staub).  After the franchise moved to Washington, the Montreal Canadiens raised a banner in the Bell Centre to commemorate all of the retired Expos numbers, including Dawson’s.  In 2010 the Washington Nationals franchise placed Dawson in its “Ring of Honor” at Nationals Park.  In 2019, Dawson was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.(23)

Hall of Fame:


Photo Credit: 

Dawson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010, his ninth year of eligibility, rising from an initial vote total of 45.3% in 2002 to 77.9% in 2010.(6)(7)(24)

The Major impediments to Dawson’s election to the Hall had been his ordinary career .323 on – base percentage (albeit accumulated before OBP was even a statistic, and many multi – time All – Stars and even Hall of Famers had even lower), his statistics being diminished in stature by sluggers who played after him in the steroid era, and never playing in a World Series.  Cubs teammate Ryne Sandberg campaigned for Dawson’s induction during his speech at his own Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2005: “No player in baseball history worked harder, suffered more or did it better than Andre Dawson.  He’s the best I’ve ever seen.  I watched him win an MVP for a last – place team in 1987 [with the Cubs], and it was the most unbelievable thing I’ve ever seen in baseball.  He did it the right way, the natural way, and he did it in the field and on the bases and in every way, and I hope he will stand up here someday.”(25)

Cap Logo:

Dawson’s Hall of Fame plaque originally depicted him with a Montreal Expos cap(26)(27).  Dawson was the second player in the Hall of Fame whose plaque depicted him with an Expos logo, after Gary Carter.  Though Dawson had played most of his 21 – year career with Montreal, he publicly expressed his disappointment with the decision, saying it was “a little gut – wrenching” to find out he would not go in as a Chicago Cub.  He also stated the following: “I respect the Hall of Fame’s decision to put an Expos logo on my cap, and I understand their responsibility to make sure the logo represents the greatest impact of my career”(28).  Dawson’s reluctance to be enshrined as an Expo stemmed, in part, from the breakdown of his relationship with the team during MLB’s collusion scandal of 1986 – 1987, when he claimed the team not only “threw him out” of Montreal but tried to prevent other teams from signing him as a free agent(29).    In late 2023, Dawson sent a letter to the Hall of Fame again requesting that the cap on his plaque be changed to a Cubs hat(30)(31)(32)(33).  In 2026, the Hall of Fame agreed to recast his plaque with no team logo.(34)

While Dawson played only six years with the Cubs, five of his eight All – Star appearances were as a Cub, and his only MVP award came in his first year with the team in 1987(26)(27).  The Hall noted that “Dawson had 1,575 of his 2,774 hits as an Expo, won six of his eight Gold Gloves in Montreal and led the Expos to their only postseason series win,” the 1981 NLDS win that was the only postseason win in Dawson’s career.(27)

Retirement and Personal Life:

Dawson married Vanessa Turner and had two children, Darius in August 1989, and Amber in September 1990.(11)

Shortly after retiring as a player, Dawson returned to the Marlins to accept a position in the team’s front office, where he got his first World Series ring in 2003.

Dawson owns the Paradise Memorial Funeral Home in Richmond Heights, Florida.  He entered the funeral business in 2003, investing in a funeral home his younger brother owned, and became the owner and operator of Paradise Memorial in 2008.  In an April 2020 Associated Press story on how he and his business dealt with the COVID – 19 pandemic, he said, “It’s very sad.  Because people mourn and grieve differently, and they’re not getting through that process as they would under normal circumstances.  You see a lot of hurt and pain.(35)  At that time, his wife Vanessa was the office manager, while an uncle ran day – to – day operations.(35)(36)(37)

Dawson also owned The Mahogany Grille, a soul food restaurant in Miami Gardens, Florida.(38)(39)

Dawson has regularly attended Chicago Cubs functions since his retirement and is a fan favorite.  Dawson appeared in a 2012 “Discount Double – Check” commercial for State Farm Insurance with former Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood.(40)

Dawson released his autobiography, If You Love This Game: An MVP’s Life in Baseball, in May 2012.(41)

For more about Andre Dawson, check out these links below:

1.      https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/andre-dawson/

2.    https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/dawson-andre

3.   .https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dawsoan01.shtml

References:

1.  ""Awesome" Dawson hits Baseball's Hall of Fame". Retrieved April 22, 2014.

2. "No Series for the Cubbies, but at Least They Have Andre the Awesome". people.com. October 5, 1987. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2014.

3. "Andre Dawson | GoatRiders of the Apocalypse". Archived from the original on August 1, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2014.

4. "Players With At Least 300 Career Home Runs And 300 Career Stolen Bases". StatMuse. Retrieved May 15, 2024.

5. "All-Time Leaders | Washington Nationals". MLB.com. Retrieved May 15, 2024.

6. Blum, Ronald (January 6, 2010). "Andre Dawson elected to Hall of Fame". Yahoo! Inc. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2010.

7. Blum, Ronald, Mike Fitzpatrick and Adam Pemble. "With Dawson in Hall, Future Bright for Blyleven" . Associated Press. January 7, 2010.

8. Beatty, Robert (August 8, 2013). "Hometown Hall-of-Famer Andre Dawson counsels children to follow their dreams". South Florida Times. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

9. Mitchell, Fred (July 5, 1987). "Dawson Is Happier In Chicago's Wrigley Field". Rutland Daily Herald. p. B6. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

10. "Andre Dawson's Interview at the Craftsman Experience". Craftsman Experience. December 4, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2010.

11. Lowitt, Bruce (March 12, 1993). "Andre Dawson". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

12. "Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs". Los Angeles Times. February 23, 1988. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

13. "July 30, 1978 Montreal Expos at Atlanta Braves Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. July 30, 1978. Retrieved August 1, 2012.

14. "September 24, 1985 Montreal Expos at Chicago Cubs Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference.com. September 24, 1985. Retrieved August 1, 2012.

15. Kepner, Tyler (January 6, 2010). "Following Long Wait, Dawson Enters Hall Alone". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2010.

16. Chass, Murray (December 15, 1992). "Big Collusion Winners: Clark, Parrish, Dawson". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2010.

17. Martinez, Michael (January 7, 2010). "Dawson Named MVP". New York Times.

18. Note that Bill James considers Dawson's best years to be from 1979 to 1983, with his higher Chicago numbers being due to Wrigley Field's advantageous environment for hitters (James 2001).

19. "1987 National League Standings and Head-to-Head". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2015.

20. Nightengale, Bob (January 6, 2010). "Dawson elected to Hall; Blyleven, Alomar just shy". USA Today. Retrieved January 8, 2010.

21. Edes, Gordon. "Dawson Had the Tools to Build a Solid Case". boston.com. January 10, 2006.

22. "30-year Marliniversary: Andre Dawson hits 400th National League homer".

23. "2019 College Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees". National College Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 11, 2020.

24. Kaduk, Kevin (January 6, 2010). "Whoa! Dawson heads to Hall while Alomar and Blyleven just miss". Yahoo! Inc. Retrieved January 6, 2010.

25. "Ryne Sandberg's Hall-of-Fame Induction Speech". CubsNet. July 31, 2005. Archived from the original on August 19, 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2010.

26. Mitchell, Fred (January 27, 2010). "Dawson 'disappointed' he won't wear Cubs cap". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 30, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.

27. "Hall denies Dawson's Cubs request, must enter as an Expo". Associated Press. January 27, 2010. Archived from the original on January 30, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.

28. "Dawson to enter Hall of Fame as Expo, prefers Cubs". Columbia Daily Tribune. Associated Press. January 27, 2010. Archived from the original on March 12, 2026.

29. Rozner, Barry (January 26, 2010). "Dawson: Hall of Fame's cap choice was 'punch in gut'". Daily Herald. Retrieved January 20, 2025.

30. "Andre Dawson asks baseball Hall of Fame to change cap on plaque to Cubs from Expos". Associated Press. November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.

31. "Dawson asks HOF to change plaque cap to Cubs". ESPN.com. November 29, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2025.

32. Ibrahim, Abdulhamid (November 29, 2023). "Dawson's request to change Expos cap on Hall plaque 'shot in the gut'". Times Colonist. The Canadian Press. Retrieved January 20, 2025.

33. "Dawson, Andre". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 20, 2025.

34. "Column: Hall of Fame cap saga finally ends for Chicago Cubs great Andre Dawson". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 11, 2026.

35. "'You see a lot of hurt': Andre Dawson deals with coronavirus as a mortician". WGN-TV. Associated Press. April 30, 2020. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.

36. Nightengale, Bob (May 8, 2018). "Andre Dawson, Hall of Famer, operates Florida funeral home in retirement". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 18, 2025.

37. "Baseball Star Andre Dawson On Running A Funeral Home During The Pandemic". NPR.org. NPR. May 9, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2021.

38. Katel, Jacob. "Behind The Line: The Mahogany Grille of Miami Gardens Neo Classic Soul Food in Pictures". Miami New Times. Retrieved January 20, 2025.

39. "The Mahogany Grille, Incorporated". Search.Sunbiz.org. Retrieved January 20, 2025.

40. State Farm Discount Double Check TV Commercial Feat. Kerry Wood, Andre Dawson. Retrieved January 20, 2025 – via www.ispot.tv.

41. Dawson, Andre; Maimon, Alan (2012). If You Love This Game ...: An MVP's Life in Baseball. Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-60078-700-3.

42. "Dawson gets very chummy". Chicago Tribune. March 3, 1987. Retrieved January 20, 2025.


Saturday, May 16, 2026

Adrian Beltre

Article researched and compiled
by Carrie Birdsong


Photo Credit:


1.  Born: April 7th, 1979

2.  Birthplace: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

3.  Batted: Right

4.  Threw: Right

5.  MLB Debut: 6-24-1998, for the Los Angeles
     Dodgers

6.  Last MLB Appearance: 9-30-2018, for the Texas
     Rangers

7.  MLB Statistics:

    · Batting Average: .286

    · Hits: 3,166

    · Home Runs: 477

    · Runs Batted In: 1,707

8.  Teams:

     - Los Angeles Dodgers: 1998-2004
     - Seattle Mariners: 2005-2009
     - Boston Red Sox: 2010
     - Texas Rangers: 2011-2018

9.  Career Highlights and Awards:
     - 4x All-Star: 2010-2012, 2014
     - 5x Gold Glove Award: 2007, 2008, 2011,
        2012, 2016
     - 4x Silver Slugger Award: 2004, 2010,
        2011, 2014

10. NL home run leader: 2004

11. Texas Rangers No. 29 (retired)

12. Texas Rangers Hall of Fame

13. Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
      - Induction: 2004
      - Vote: 95.1% (first ballot)

Adrian Beltre Perez, is a Dominican former professional third baseman.  Beltre played for the Dodgers, Mariners, Red Sox, and the Rangers, and is regarded as one of the greatest third basemen of all time.

Making his debut with the Dodgers in 1998 at the age of 19, he led the majors with 48 home runs with the Dodgers in 2004, he was the team MVP for the Red Sox in 2010, played in the 2011 World Series for the Rangers, and tied for the major league lead in hits in 2013.  On September 19th, 2014, Beltre surpassed Vladimir Guerrero as the all-time MLB leader for hits by a Dominican player, a record since broken by Albert Pujols in 2019.  On July 30th, 2017, Beltre became the 31st player in MLB history to reach 3000 hits and the first Dominican player to achieve that milestone.  Beltre retire following the 2018 season with 3,166 career hits (most by a third baseman in MLB history), 477 home runs, and 1,707 runs batted in.  He hit for the cycle three times in his career, in 2008, 2012, and 2015, one of five players to do so in MLB history, the others being Bob Meusel, Babe Herman, Trea Turner, and Christian Yelich.

Having played 21 major league seasons and won the Gold Glove Award five times, Beltre is notable for his defensive prowess and career longevity as well as his power hitting.  He played in four MLB All – Star Games and won the Silver Slugger Award four times.  Upon his retirement, Beltre was the only third baseman in history with 3,000 career hits and 400 home runs.  According to Baseball Reference, Beltre has the third – highest Wins Above Replacement among third basemen(1).  He retired as the all – time leader in home runs amongst third basemen.  He is also the fifth major – leaguer to have hit at least 100 home runs for three different teams.  In 2024, Beltre was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Early Life:

Beltre was born on April 7th, 1979, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic(2).  He attended Liceo Maximo Gomez High School.

While working out at Campo Las Palmas in 1994, a Los Angeles Dodgers facility – one of the first of its kind for a Major League Baseball team in the Dominican Republic – Beltre was spotted by scouts Ralph Avila and Pablo Peguero.  Though only 15 years old and weighing 130 lbs, Beltre featured a quick swing and live throwing arm.  On the insistence of Avila and Peguero, the Dodgers signed him in July 1994 with a $23,000 signing bonus.(3)

Professional Career:

Los Angeles Dodgers (1998 – 2004) 

Photo Credit:

Beltre was a highly touted prospect when he began his major league career(4).  After being called up to the majors from the then – Dodgers’ Double – A affiliate San Antonio Missions, Beltre made his major league debut on June 24th, 1998, 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(5).  During his first at – bat, Beltre hit a two – out run batted in (RBI) double of Angels starter Chuck Finley into left field to score Paul Konerko from second base to tie the game.  Beltre hit his first home run six days later against the Texas Rangers starter Rick Helling.  At the end of the 1998 season, Beltre finished with 13 errors at third base while batting .215 with seven home runs.(2)

At one point during spring training prior to the start of the 1999 season, Beltre’s agent, Scott Boras, commented to him that “he couldn’t believe his relatively rapid ascent to the majors and handling of “such a difficult position like third base” at age 20.  Beltre replied that he was 19 years old, not 20.  Boras then realized that Beltre’s date of birth in the Dodgers’ records was incorrect and indicated the same to the team, but, that if they were correct the mistake by compensating Beltre for signing him at younger than MLB’s allowable age, they would no longer pursue the issue.  Team personnel at Las Palmas denied Boras’ assertion(6).  As a result, Boras and Beltre went public.  Boras convinced MLB commissioner Bud Selig to investigate the Dodgers, and MLB suspended their scouting operations in the Dominican Republic for one year(3), as well and Avila and Peguero.  Dodgers general manager Fred Claire, whom MLB did not contact during their investigation, publicly expressed surprise and that he was unaware of the incident(6).  Selig awarded Beltre $48,500 in damages.(7)

In 2004, Beltre had a breakout season(4) in which he established a number of career highs, including leading the MLB with 48 home runs.  Other career highs included batting .334, 200 hits, 121 RBIs, 104 runs scored, .629 slugging percentage, and a then – career high 32 doubles.  He finished second in voting for the National League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) and was honored with his first career Silver Slugger Award and the Babe Ruth Home Run Award.(8)

Seattle Mariners  (2005 – 2009)

Photo Credit:

https://sodomojo.com/2021/12/08/mariners-
history-adrian-beltre-deal/

The Seattle Mariners signed Beltre as a free agent before the 2005 season to a five – year, $64 million dollar deal(9).  Regressing to his pre-2004 form, he batted just .255 with 19 home runs and 87 RBIs.  Manager Mike Hargrove said after the season that he thought Beltre was personally disappointed in his first season in Seattle.(10)

After Beltre batted .167 through April 10th, Ted Miller of the Seattle Post – Intelligencer wrote that he might become one of the Mariners’ greatest busts(11).  He hit his first home run on April 29th, raising his average to .198, and continued to improve his performance, batting .281 with 24 home runs the rest of the season(12).  On July 23rd, against the Boston Red Sox, Beltre hit an inside – the – park home run, the first one ever in Safeco Field history.(13)

Though it was not a great season for Beltre, it was statistically his best as a Mariner.  He hit .276 and had 26 home runs, 99 RBIs, and 41 doubles.  He also won a Fielding Bible Award for being the top MLB defensive third baseman during the year.(14)

Despite many miscues, Beltre received recognition for his defense in 2007.  He tied Brandon Inge for the American League in errors by a third baseman, with 18, but ranked second in the league in assists, total chances, and range factor.  He had the lowest fielding percentage of all third basemen in the league at .958(15)(16).  In spite of leading third basemen in errors, Beltre won his first Gold Glove Award, becoming the first Mariners third baseman to win the award(17).  He won his second consecutive Fielding Bible Award, as well.(18)

On September 1st, Beltre hit for the cycle,(19) becoming the fourth 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 1920.(20)

Beltre’s decision not to wear a cup despite playing third base has been well – documented(21).  This came back to hurt him on August 12th, 2009, when he took a hard ground ball to the groin(22)(23).  Although he stayed in for the remainder of the 14 – inning victory, he was put on the 15 – day disabled list (DL) after suffering bleeding in one of his testicles(24).  In his first game after returning from the DL, teammate Ken Griffey Jr. conspired with those responsible for the Safeco Field public address system to have Beltre’s walk up music be the opening march from The Nutcracker Suite.(25)

Beltre declared free agency on November 5th, 2009.(26)

Boston Red Sox (2010)

Photo Credit:
https://www.bostonherald.com/2010/03/18/
adrian-beltre-glove-indeed-golden/

On January 10th, 2010, Beltre signed a one – year, $9 million dollar deal with the Boston Red Sox.  The contract had a $5 million dollar player option for 2011 with a $1 million dollar buyout.(27)

While Beltre’s career before coming to the Red Sox had been regarded as somewhat disappointing, he hit .321 with 28 home runs and 49 doubles in 2010, benefiting from the hitter – friendly Fenway Park(4).  Beltre led the Red Sox in batting average and tied David Ortiz for the team lead in RBIs (102).  Beltre led the majors in doubles with 49 (also a career – high).  He also finished fourth in the American League in batting average, and was fifth in the American League in total bases (326) and slugging percentage (.553).  He also had two stolen bases on the year, and finished ninth in the MVP voting.(28)

Texas Rangers (2011 – 2018)

On January 5th, 2011, Beltre signed a five – year, $80 million dollar contract with the Texas Rangers(4).  He played with the Rangers for eight years until his retirement in 2018(29).  Beltre’s statistics improved when he was in his thirties(30).  While he had previously played in pitcher – friendly ballparks in Los Angeles and Seattle, the Rangers’ ballpark was known as a hitter – friendly environment(29).  The Wall Street Journal described Beltre’s Rangers tenure as “nothing short of brilliant”.(4)

 2011

Beltre was on the 2011 American League All – Star team(5).  On July 22nd, Beltre strained jis hamstring and was also placed on the disabled list.  On September 4th, he singled to right for his 2,000th career hit.  On September 11th, Beltre hit two home runs, including his 300th of his career, against the Oakland Athletics.  He was named the American League Player of the Month for September.(31)

In 2011, Beltre batted .296 with 32 home runs, fifth in the American League(5).  He was third in the American League in slugging percentage (.561), sixth in RBIs (105), and ninth in OPS (On – base Plus Slugging (.892)(5).  The Fielding Bible said he saved 17 runs on defense in 2011.(32)

On October 4th, in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays, Beltre became the sixth player to hit three home runs in a playoff game and the first to do so in a Division Series.(33)(34)

Beltre played in the World Series with the Rangers(35).  He added a fourth playoff home run in Game 5 of the World Series when he went down to one knee chasing an outside curve ball from Chris Carpenter(36)(37).  The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Rangers in seven games.(38)

More recognition was bestowed on Beltre for his defense.  On November 1st, he was honored with his third Gold Glove Award and first by a Ranger third baseman since Buddy Bell’s six – year run from 1979 to 1984(39).  He also won his third Fielding Bible Award(32).  On November 2nd, he was awarded the Silver Slugger Award.(40)

2012

Beltre was once again voted on to the All – Star Game as a starter, along with teammates Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli.  It was Beltre’s third consecutive All – Star Game and the third of his career.(41)(42)

On August 22nd, against the Baltimore Orioles, Beltre hit three home runs in his first three at – bats, including two in the same inning.  He joined Pablo Sandoval, Albert Pujols, George Brett, Reggie Jackson, and Babe Ruth as the only players to hit a three – homer game in both the regular season and postseason(43).  On August 24th, he hit for the cycle for the second time in his career.  Both of his cycles came at Rangers Ballpark.  With his first coming as a member of the Mariners, it was the first time in MLB history that a player had hit for the cycle more than once at the same stadium(44).  He joined Joe DiMaggio as the only players in big league history to have a three – homer game and a cycle in the same week.  For his efforts, Beltre was named the American League Player of the Week for August 20th – 26th.  During the week, he hit .433 (13 – for – 30) with three doubles, one triple, five home runs, nine RBIs, and seven runs scored.  He had the highest slugging percentage (1.100) in the majors, the most total bases (33), was tied for first in hits and home runs, and tied for second in RBIs.(43)

After the season, Beltre won more defensive accolades.  He won his second consecutive Fielding Bible Award and fourth overall(45).  He won a Gold Glove Award(46) and his second Platinum Glove Award(47).  Wilson Sporting Goods honored him as one of their Defensive Players of the Year Award in the first year of that award.(48)

2013

The Rangers organization named Beltre the team captain in 2013.(49)

Beltre was named the American League Player of the Week for July 1st – 7th.  He batted .478 (11 – for – 23) with four home runs, two doubles and five RBIs in six games.  He led the American League in home runs, slugging (1.087), OPS (1.607), total bases (25), and extra – base hits (six) while producing the fourth – highest batting average.  Beltre hit safely in all six games with two or more hits four times.  He had the 24th multi – homer game of his career with a pair of home runs on July 4th against Seattle.(50)

Maintaining his strong hitting throughout July, Beltre was named the American League Player of the Month, his fourth career monthly award.  He batted .369 with four doubles, nine homers, 19 RBIs, and 13 runs scored over 26 games.  He tied for the major league monthly lead in home runs with Alfonso Soriano and total bases with Torii Hunter (69).  Beltre also was among the American League leaders in slugging percentage (second, .670), hits (tied for second, 38), extra – base hits (tied for fourth, 13), RBIs (tied for fifth) and batting average (sixth).  He capped off the month with a walk – off home run to lead the Rangers past the Angels on July 31st, the seventh walk – off home run of his career and first with Texas.  It was his third monthly award with Texas, making him one of seven players to win multiple times with the Rangers, including Josh Hamilton (four), Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez (both with three), Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez and Ruben Sierra (two each).(51)

For the season, Beltre played in 161 games and totaled a .315 average, 30 homers, 92 RBIs and .509 slugging percentage.  He led the American League with 199 hits and was fourth in batting average and fifth in total bases (321).  He also made the top – 10 in games played, slugging percentage and home runs.  In the American League MVP voting, he was tied for seventh place.  The Dallas – Fort Worth chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America named Beltre the Texas Rangers Player of the Year.(52)

2014

On May 7th, while facing Jorge de la Rosa of the Colorado Rockies, Beltre hit his 100th home run as a member of the Rangers, becoming the fifth player in major league history to hit 100 home runs with three teams, following Darrell Evans, Reggie Jackson, Alex Rodriguez, and Jim Thome(53).  On June 24th, Beltre singled off Drew Smyly of the Detroit Tigers for his 2,500 career hit and the first hit of a 4 – for – 4 game(54).  On September 18th, Beltre singled off Sonny Gray in the first inning for his 2,591st hit, surpassing Vladimir Guerrero as the all – time hit leader among Dominican – born players.(55)

Beltre finished the 2014 season batting .324, his highest average since 2004, with 19 home runs and 77 RBIs in 148 games.(56)

2015

In February, the Rangers picked up Beltre’s option, which would have become guaranteed if he had reached 586 plate appearances in the 2015 season.(57)(58)

While playing against Cleveland on May 15th, Beltre hit his 400th home run on a sinker from Bruce Chen.  He became the 52nd player in MLB history to reach that plateau, and the fourth to do so while playing at least 75 percent of his games at third base.(59)

On August 3rd, Beltre hit for the cycle with hits in each of the first, second, third, and fifth innings at home against the Houston Astros in a 12 – 9 win.  It was his third career cycle, second as a Ranger, and third at the Rangers’ home park, making him the only player ever to hit three cycles in one stadium.  He became the first Rangers player to hit for multiple cycles.  The first player in 82 years to hit for a third cycle, he became the fourth player to do so and tied the major league record for total career cycles, joining Long John Reilly, Bob Meusel, and Babe Herman.(60)

During the last week of the season, and the Rangers’ run towards the American League West championship, Beltre batted .448 with two home runs and 13 RBIs.  He also went 2 – for – 4 with a home run in the final game of the season to help the Rangers advance to their sixth American League West title.  He finished the season with 18 home runs, 83 RBIs, 163 hits, and a .287 average.(2)

Enduring a torn ligament in his left thumb over the last three months of the season, Beltre had surgery to repair it immediately after the season ended.(61)

The Phi Delta Theta fraternity presented Beltre with the 2014 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award on September 17th, 2015, making him the first Rangers player to win the award.  He contributed significantly to humanitarian acts in the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex such as Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation, Texas Rangers RBI program, the I Love Baseball program, which operates in the Dominican Republic, the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, as well as the foundations established by a number of major league players.(62)

2016

On April 15th, Beltre and the Rangers agreed to a two – year, $36 million dollar contract extension that would last through the 2018 season.  The extension prevented Beltre from becoming a free agent at the end of the season.(63)

Displaying a drop to one knee, Beltre hit a home run on a curve ball from Jesse Hahn of Oakland on May 17th(64).  In a May 29th game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Beltre hit a two – run home run off Jaun Nicasio to give him 1,501 career RBIs, making him the 54th player to reach the milestone and the fourth third baseman(65).  On July 2nd, Beltre became the 28th player all time to amass 10,000 career at – bats(66).  On July 23rd, he became the 36th player all time to record 11,000 career plate appearances.  Two days later, he hit a walk – off home run, the ninth of his career, against the Athletics in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 7 – 6 win.(67)

On August 24th, Beltre, in a game against the Cincinnati Reds, hit a go – ahead two – out double for his 2,900th career hit and led the Rangers to a 6 – 5 win.  With this hit, Beltre became the 39th player in major league history to reach this milestone.(68)

Beltre would once again show his signature home run knee drop after hitting a solo shot in the second inning in a game against the Houston Astors on September 13th.  His 30th of the season, it was the first time he reached the mark since 2013 and fifth in his career(69).  Ten days later, his two – run homer run in the eighth inning against the Athletics aided the Rangers in clinching the American League West division crown for the second year in a row and the seventh in franchise history.  He also reached 100 RBIs for the first time since 2012 and fifth time in his career(70).  He won the Gold Glove at third base, the fifth of his career.(71)

2017

Beltre began the 2017 season on the 10 – day disabled list after injuring his right leg near the end of spring training.(72)

On July 4th, Beltre hit his 600th career double, becoming the 17th player all – time to reach that milestone(73).  On July 7th, Beltre became the 21st player to amass 5,000 career total bases(74).  On July 26th, Beltre was ejected by umpire Gerry Davis; in a game against the Miami Marlins, Davis asked Beltre, who was the next scheduled batter, to move closer to the on – deck circle.  Beltre responded by picking up the edge of the logo that marked the on – deck circle and moving it closer to where he had been standing, which prompted Davis to eject him.(75)

Beltre collected his 3,000 hit with a double into left field against Wade Miley of the Baltimore Orioles on July 30th, making him the 31st player to reach this milestone and the first Dominican – born player to accomplish it.(76)

Beltre played in only 94 games in 2017 due to hamstring and calf problems.(77)

2018

Prior to the start of the 2018 season, the Rangers signed Bartolo Colon,(78) giving them the only two active players with at least 20 seasons in the major leagues and the last two active player to have played in the 1990’s(79).  On April 5th, Beltre doubled in the second inning versus the Oakland Athletics to pass Rod Carew as the all – time Latin American hits leader(80).  On June 13th, Beltre hit a double that gave him 3,090 career hits; this made him the all – time leader in hits by a player not born in the United States, surpassing former Mariners teammate Ichiro Suzuki.(81)

On November 20th, 2018, Beltre announced his retirement.(35)

Career Statistics:

Texas Rangers - Adrian Beltre
Majestic Royal Alternate

Adrian Beltre’s number 29 was retired by the Texas Rangers in 2019.

In 2,933 games over 21 seasons, Beltre posted a .286 batting average with 3,166 hits, 477 home runs, 1,707 RBIs, 121 stolen bases, 1,524 runs, 636 doubles, a .339 on – base percentage, a .480 slugging percentage, and a .960 fielding percentage.  In 28 postseason games, he hit .261 with five home runs and 11 RBIs.(5)(29)

Playing Style and Reputation:

Beltre is regarded as one of the greatest third basemen of all time.  Having played 21 major league seasons and won five Gold Gloves, he was notable for his longevity, fielding ability, and power hitting.(4)(29)(35)

Beltre’s signature home run swing included a drop to one knee when connecting with a breaking ball, particularly notable during Game 5 of the 2011 World Series against Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter.(37)(82)

Beltre’s defensive style what somewhat unorthodox.  Rangers manager Ron Washington remarked that Beltre fielded ground balls incorrectly by stopping before catching the ball and relying very little on the positioning of his feet in throwing the ball to first base(83).  Beltre explained that his arm was so strong that early in his career he was making many throwing errors; by planting his feet, he was able to improve his accuracy despite his lack of proper foot positioning(84).  Another major league manager Joe Maddon, compared the unique style of Beltre’s defensive play to Ozzie Smith’s “flair at shortstop”, Stan Musial’s “coiled batting stance”, and the way Steve Carlton wrapped his left wrist before releasing a slider.  Maddon commented further on Beltre’s defense, “There’s a lot of guys that did things unique to them that weren’t out of the Spalding Guide.  They did things you wouldn’t teach, and if somebody else tried to do it, they would not be very good.(83)”  Rangers coach Steve Buechele said, “He’s not your most conventional third baseman, he does things his own way and has developed his own style over his career but there’s something to be said for his hand – eye coordination and his hands.  It’s remarkable what he does. … He’s a super smart player, knows where to position himself.(85)”  Beltre was known for the sense of playfulness and joy that he exhibited on the field.  He had a routine with Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus on pop flies where both men put their arms up to catch the ball(86).  During a game against the Red Sox on June 26th, 2016, Sandy Leon hit a foul ball which landed in the first row in the stands, just out of reach of Beltre’s reach.  However, instead of returning immediately to the infield, he reached very close to the ball in a motion, pretending as if he were going to take it away from the fan who caught Leon’s foul ball(87).  As a hitter, Beltre also regularly pointed to the first base umpire to appeal a checked swing, a move usually done by catchers(88).  Beltre also had a joking relationship with Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez, which included Beltre getting ejected in 2010, when the two former teammates first faced each other, and Hernandez hugging Beltre on the field in 2017, the day after Beltre’s 3,000th major league hit.(89)

Beltre was also known for his dislike of anyone touching the top of his head.  Before the game where he recorded his 3.000th hit, he let his teammates touch his head.  Much to his dismay, the act turned into a game, inducing repeat offenders, including Andrus(90).  Beltre also disliked Gatorade showers.  After a game in which he hit a grand slam that provided the decisive runs in a 5 – 2 win over the Athletics on August 15th, 2016, he took a broom from the groundskeepers closet and began combining an area of infield dirt.  Still, Rougned Odor trotted to Beltre carrying a full drink bucket but missed drenching Beltre when he threw the blue sports drink at his teammate.(91)

Awards and Accomplishments:

1.  All – World Baseball Classic Team (2006)

2.  4x Fielding Bible Award at third base
     (2006, 2008, 2011, 2012)(14)(32)(45)

3.  Lou Gehrig Memorial Award (2014)(62)

4.  4x MLB All – Star (2010 – 2012, 2014)(42)

5.  4x MLB Player of the Month (September 2004,
     September 2011, September 2012, July 2013)
     (31)(51)

6.  6x MLB Player of the Week 
     (August 27th, 2000; June 27th, 2004; August 
     26th, 2012; July 7th, 2013; October 4th, 2015; 
     July 30th, 2017)(43)

7.  2x Rawlings American League Platinum Glove 
     Award (2011, 2012)(47)

8.  5x Rawlings Gold Glove Award at third base 
     (2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2016)(46)(71)

9.  4x Silver Slugger Award at third base 
     (2004, 2010, 2011, 2014)

10. 4x Texas Rangers Player of the Year (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016)(92)
      
11. Thomas A. Yawkey Award (Boston Red Sox team MVP) (2010)

12.  Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award for the Texas Rangers (2012)(48)

Selected MLB Accomplishments:

1.  First player from the Dominican Republic to reach 3,000 hits.(76)

2.  Played 2,933 major league games; upon his retirement, this was the 14th most in major league
     history.(35)

3.  Retired as the only third baseman in history with both 3,000 career hits and 400 homers.(35)

4.  Retired as the all – time leader among third baseman in hits and RBIs and ranked third in home runs
     behind Mike Schmidt (548) and Eddie Mathews (512).(35)

5.  One of five players to hit 100 home runs with three teams.(53)

6.  Hit a record three cycles in the same stadium, Globe Life Park in Arlington.(60)

7.  Tied an MLB record as the fourth player to hit for the cycle three times.(60)

8.  Sixth player with a three – home – run game in both the postseason (October 4th, 2011) and regular
     season (August 22, 2012).(33)(43)

9.  Had his number 29 retired by the Texas Rangers in 2019.(93)

International Career:

Beltre played for the Dominican Republic in the 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC).  He was named to the ALL – WBC team after hitting 4 home runs in six games(94)(95).  He also played in the 2017 WBC, batting 1 – for – 15 in four games(96).  In 2017, he was dealing with leg injuries that caused him to miss the beginning of the MLB season.(97)

Beltre was one of several Dominican Hall of Famers assisting general manager Nelson Cruz ahead of the 2026 WBC.(98)

Post – Playing Career:

On June 5th, 2023, Beltre was named the honorary general manager for the Karachi Monarchs of the Baseball United league for their inaugural season.(99)

Beltre served as the manager for the American League team in the 2024 All – Star Futures Game.(100)

Charitable and Humanitarian Work:

Beltre has contributed to humanitarian activities in the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex such as the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation, Texas Rangers RBI program, the I Love Baseball Program, which operates in the Dominican Republic, and the Baseball Tomorrow Fund.  He has donated to the Dave Valle’s Esperanza International as well as foundations established by other major – league players, including Robinson Chirinos, Eddie Guardado, Joakim Soria, and Michael Young.(62)

In 2021, Beltre helped pay to reconstruct a baseball stadium in the Dominican Republic where he grew up playing.(101)(102)

Personal Life:

1.  Beltre and his wife have three children.(77)

2.  For more about Adrian Beltre, click on these links:

     
· https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/adrian-beltre/

     · https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/
       beltrad01.shtml


     · https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/beltre-
       adrian

References:

1. "Third Base JAWS Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 24, 2024.

2. "Adrian Beltré Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com.

3. Perry, Dayn (2005). "Do Players Perform Better in Contract Years?". Baseball Between the Numbers: Why Everything You Know About the Game is Wrong. New York: Basic Books and Baseball Prospectus. pp. 200–01.

4. Diamond, Jared (July 24, 2017). "Adrian Beltre Just Keeps Getting Better With Age". Wall Street Journal.

5. "Adrián Beltré Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 3, 2011.

6. Arangure, Jorge Jr. (July 31, 2014). "Age of innocence". Sports on Earth. MLB.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2016.

7. Chass, Murray (December 22, 1999). "Dodgers get to keep Beltre, but are penalized". The New York Times. Retrieved September 9, 2016.

8. At the following webpage, scroll down to "The Babe Ruth Homerun Award". "06 Fan Stories: Ultimate Babe Ruth Fans". BabeRuthCentral.com. Babe Ruth Central. Archived from the original on September 15, 2011.

9. "Beltre gets 5-year deal day after Sexson signs". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 16, 2004. Retrieved March 2, 2015.

10. "Mariners' season not up to hopes". Albany Democrat-Herald. Associated Press. October 4, 2005. p. 13. Retrieved June 6, 2025.

11. Miller, Ted (April 10, 2006). "Beltre on brink of being a bust". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved April 8, 2007.

12. "Adrian Beltré 2006 Batting Game Logs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 7, 2025.

13. Thiel, Art (July 23, 2006). "Slapstick home run livens up Safeco lore". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved March 2, 2015.

14. "The 2006 Fielding Bible Awards". The Fielding Bible. Archived from the original on November 10, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2010.

15. Arnold, Kirby (November 7, 2007). "Seattle's Suzuki and Beltre win Gold Gloves". Everett Herald.

16. MLB Player Fielding Stats – As 1B – 2011 ESPN

17. MLB Advanced Media (November 6, 2007). "Ichiro Suzuki and Adrian Beltre win American League Gold Glove Awards". MLB.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.

18. "The 2008 Awards". The Fielding Bible. Archived from the original on November 11, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2010.

19. "September 1, 2008 Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com.

20. Street, Jim (September 2, 2008). "Beltre hits for cycle against Rangers". MLB.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.

21. Street, Jim (February 24, 2008). "Beltre giving it another go for the gold". MLB.com. Retrieved February 24, 2008.

22. Spratt, Gerry (August 13, 2009). "Update: Beltre could be out for season with testicle injury". Seattle Post Intelligencer. Retrieved March 2, 2015.

23. Baker, Geoff (August 13, 2009). "Adrian Beltre to DL, could be lost for season with injured testicle". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.

24. "Adrian Beltre could be out for the season with injured testicle". Associated Press. August 13, 2009. Archived from the original on August 17, 2009. Retrieved August 13, 2009.

25. Baker, Geoff (September 1, 2009). "Los Angeles Angels at Seattle Mariners: 09/01 game thread". Seattle Times. Retrieved September 1, 2009.

26. Stone, Larry (October 5, 2009). "Beltre, Sweeney file for free agency". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2009. Retrieved October 5, 2009.

27. Browne, Ian (January 8, 2010). "Glove love leads Beltre to Boston". MLB. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2011.

28. "Hamilton wins MVP; Beltre finishes 9th". ESPN.com. November 23, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2025.

29. Hoffman, Benjamin (November 20, 2018). "Adrian Beltre Was the All-Time Great You Failed to Notice". The New York Times.

30. Sherrington, Kevin (November 20, 2018). "Adrian Beltre's legacy: What you might've misunderstood about him and what he best exemplified to Rangers teammates". Dallas News. Retrieved November 27, 2025.

31. Grant, Evan (September 1, 2016). "It's September, which means Adrian Beltre will probably do superhuman-like things, feast on pitchers". The Dallas Morning News SportDay. Retrieved September 4, 2016.

32. "The 2011 Awards". The Fielding Bible. Archived from the original on November 2, 2011.

33. De Nicola, Christina (October 4, 2011). "Performer of the Game: Texas slugger Beltre". MLB.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2011.

34. "Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays". ESPN.com. October 4, 2011. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2011.

35. Sullivan, T.R. (November 20, 2018). "Adrian Beltre announces retirement". MLB.com. Retrieved January 18, 2025.

36. "Adrian Beltre hits a home run off one knee during last night's game". Twitter. October 24, 2011.

37. Spousta, Tom (October 25, 2011). "Adrian Beltre's unique home run swing set up Rangers' comeback". The New York Times.

38. Fraley, Gerry (October 29, 2011). "On short rest, Chris Carpenter delivers like ace he is". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved August 17, 2014.

39. Durrett, Richard (November 1, 2011). "Adrian Beltre proud of third Gold Glove". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 2, 2011.

40. Schroeder, Scott (November 2, 2011). "2011 Silver Slugger Award Winners Includes Detroit Tigers' Alex Avila, Not Miguel Cabrera". SB Nation. Retrieved November 2, 2011.

41. "Adrián Beltré batting statistics and history". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 21, 2014.

42. "All-Star Game 2012: MLB unveils rosters for AL, NL squads". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Sporting News. July 1, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2016.

43. Durrett, Richard (August 27, 2012). "Adrián Beltré named Player of the Week". ESPN Dallas. Retrieved January 21, 2014.

44. "Hitting for the Cycle". The Cleat Report. Archived from the original on September 6, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.

45. "The 2012 Awards". ACTA Sports. October 25, 2012. Archived from the original on October 27, 2012.

46. Sullivan, T. R. (October 30, 2012). "Adrian Beltre reels in fourth career Gold Glove". MLB.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2014.

47. "Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre wins 2012 AL Rawlings Platinum Glove Award". MLB.com. November 20, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2016.

48. "Wilson Defensive Players of the Year". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 3, 2016.

49. McCullough, Andy (June 12, 2018). "To Dodgers, Adrian Beltre is the Hall of Famer who got away". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 30, 2022.

50. Grant, Evan (July 8, 2013). "Rangers' Adrian Beltre named American League player of the week". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved January 21, 2014.

51. Berry, Adam (August 5, 2013). "Hot-hitting Beltré wins AL Player of Month". MLB.com. Retrieved January 21, 2014.

52. Durrett, Richard (November 19, 2013). "Awards: Adrian Beltre is player of the year". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 4, 2016.

53. Sullivan, T. R. (May 7, 2014). "Beltre belts 100th homer as a Ranger: Third baseman joins four others to reach century mark with three teams". MLB.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2014.

54. Sullivan, T. R. (June 24, 2014). "Beltre raps 2,500th career hit". MLB.com. Retrieved June 25, 2014.

55. Axisa, Mike (September 19, 2014). "Beltre becomes hit leader among Dominican born players". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 19, 2014.

56. "Adrian Beltre Career Statistics at Retrosheet". retrosheet.org. Retrieved January 6, 2024.

57. "Rangers rework Beltre's deal, eliminate right to void 2016". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.

58. Sullivan, T.R. (February 23, 2015). "Rangers pick up Beltre's 2016 contract option". MLB.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.

59. Stavenhagen, Cody (May 16, 2015). "Beltre remains humble after 400th homer: Veteran third baseman adds to impressive big league resume". MLB.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.

60. "Beltre hits for cycle for third time, does it in first 4 ABs". Fox Sports. Associated Press. August 3, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2016.

61. Sullivan, T.R. (January 22, 2016). "Beltre energized, hoping for extension: Third baseman feels healthy entering final year of contract". MLB.com. Retrieved September 4, 2016.

62. Sullivan, T. R. (September 17, 2015). "Beltre honored with Lou Gehrig Memorial Award". MLB.com. Retrieved September 4, 2016.

63. Sullivan, T. R. (April 15, 2016). "Beltre signs 2-year extension". MLB.com. Retrieved September 4, 2016.

64. Garro, Adrian (May 17, 2016). "Nobody hits 400-foot home runs while taking a knee quite like Adrian Beltre". MLB.com. Retrieved September 9, 2016.

65. Posner, Ryan (May 29, 2016). "Beltre's milestone RBIs help Rangers back Yu". MLB.com. Retrieved September 5, 2016.

66. Wilson, Jeff (July 2, 2016). "Adrián Beltré reaches 10,000 career at-bats". Fort Worth Star Telegram. Retrieved July 3, 2016.

67. Lee, Jane; Posner, Ryan (July 26, 2016). "Beltre walk-off home run sinks A's". MLB.com. Retrieved July 26, 2016.

68. Townsend, Mark (August 25, 2016). "Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, and Adrian Beltre reach remarkable milestones". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved September 20, 2016.

69. Monagan, Matt; Posner, Ryan (September 13, 2016). "Adrian Beltre launched a dinger from his knees again and, no, this will never get old". MLB.com. Retrieved September 20, 2016.

70. Justice, Richard (September 24, 2016). "Rangers follow unorthodox path to AL West crown". MLB.com. Retrieved September 24, 2016.

71. Fraley, Gerry (November 8, 2016). "Mitch Moreland, Adrian Beltre win Gold Gloves; Beltre: 'Pretty surprised that an old man like me won'". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 20, 2016.

72. "MLB: Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre to start season on 10-day disabled list". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. April 1, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2025.

73. Weaver, Levi (July 4, 2017). "Beltre hits his 600th career double". WFAA. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.

74. Butler, Alex (July 8, 2017). "Beltre amasses 5,000 career total bases". UPI. Retrieved July 8, 2017.

75. "Beltre ejected from Rangers game while warming up on deck". Washington Post. Associated Press. July 26, 2017. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.

76. Anderson, R. J. (July 30, 2017). "Rangers' Adrian Beltre becomes 31st MLB player to reach 3,000-hit milestone". CBS Sports.

77. "Adrian Beltre 'completely happy' with retirement after 21 seasons". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Associated Press. November 30, 2018.

78. "Bartolo Colon signs another minor league deal with Rangers". ESPN.com. March 26, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.

79. "Beltre, Colon only current MLB players with 20+ seasons". KTVT. March 13, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.

80. "Must C: Beltre passes Carew as Latin America's hits leader". Sportsnet.ca. April 17, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2025.

81. "Adrian Beltre tops Ichiro Suzuki for most MLB hits by foreign-born player". espn.com. Retrieved April 5, 2018.

82. Cosman, Ben (April 27, 2016). "Adrian Beltre swung so hard he fell to a knee ... and then he stayed there and struck a pose". Cut 4. MLB.com. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

83. Kepner, Tyler (August 31, 2012). "At third for Texas, unorthodox excellence". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2016.

84. Wilson, Jeff (August 10, 2018). "Adrian Beltre: One of a Kind". Baseball America. Retrieved August 31, 2018.

85. "Ranger bench coach Steve Buechele: Why Adrian Beltre is not your conventional third baseman". The Dallas Morning News SportsDay. September 7, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

86. Knobler, Danny (August 28, 2018). "The Bizarre Quirks and Tales of Adrian Beltre, MLB's Most Beloved Star". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.

87. Garro, Adrian (June 26, 2016). "Adrian Beltre continues stealing hearts by pretending to steal a foul ball from a fan". Cut 4. MLB.com. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

88. Sullivan, T. R. (December 12, 2023). "T.R.'s Memoirs: Adrian Beltre became a Hall of Famer with Rangers". Jeff Wilson's Texas Rangers Today. Retrieved June 26, 2025.

89. Simon, Andrew (April 7, 2020). "Adrian Beltre-Felix Hernandez best moments". MLB.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.

90. Ley, Tom (May 12, 2015). "Elvis Andrus stalks the most dangerous game: Adrian Beltre". Deadspin. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.

91. Garro, Adrian (August 15, 2016). "Grabbing the grounds crew's broom, Adrian Beltre went to great lengths to avoid a postgame shower". Cut 4. MLB.com. Retrieved September 10, 2016.

92. "Adrian Beltre Again Named Rangers Player of the Year". NBCDFW.com. November 18, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.

93. "Rangers Retire Adrian Beltre's No. 29 Jersey". CBS DFW. June 8, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2019.

94. "WBC Stats | Dominican Republic | 2006". MLB.com. Retrieved April 7, 2025.

95. Perry, Dayn (March 23, 2017). "World Baseball Classic: Previous champs, results, medal count, MVPS, All-WBC teams".

96. "WBC Stats | Dominican Republic | 2017". www.mlb.com. Retrieved April 7, 2025.

97. Engel, Mac (May 11, 2017). "Injured Beltre deserves heat over decision to play in World Baseball Classic". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

98. Mercado, Juan (March 7, 2025). "Clásico Mundial de Béisbol, el evento cumbre de dominicanos" [World Baseball Classic, the top event for Dominicans]. El Día (in Spanish).

99. Rojas, Enrique (June 5, 2023). "Adrián Beltré nombra a Miguel Tejada mánager en Pakistán". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish).

100. Adler, David (July 1, 2024). "2024 MLB All-Star Futures Game coaching staffs announced". MLB.com. Retrieved January 18, 2025.

101. "(VIDEO) Adrián Beltré deja inaugurada remodelación de Hogar Escuela Domingo Savio". El Nuevo Diario (República Dominicana) (in Spanish). December 6, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2025.

102. Adrián Beltré at the SABR Baseball Biography Project