COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — They were a college quarterback, a backup catcher who spent 17 years in the minors, an infielder from the Dominican Republic sandlots, and a hometown hero from St.
Paul, . They came together Sunday afternoon and delivered stirring, emotional speeches, mixed in with a healthy dose of humility and humor at the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Manager Jim Leyland recalled walking to a coffee shop in Siesta Key, Florida, with his wife just a few weeks after being informed he was elected into the Hall of Fame.
“Katie, can you believe in your wildest dreams that I’ve been elected to the Hall of Fame?’’ Leyland said. “Katie replied, 'Jim, you’re not in my wildest dreams.'" The estimated crowd of 28,000 roared.
“My contributions to our beautiful pastime pale in comparison to the joy it has brought to my life,’’ Leyland said, “the heart of a little boy, and the soul of an old man.’’ Third baseman , only the fifth Dominican player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, proved that sleep can be overrated, believing there’s no need to stress out over a speech. He danced late into the evening Saturday with his wife and friends, and then absolutely nailed his Hall of Fame speech, improvising about a quarter of it.
If Beltre has any nervousness, Hall of Famer alleviated every ounce of it by stepping off the stage to grab a cup of coffee, and then rubbing Beltre’s head as he walked to the podium to speak, knowing how much Beltre hates.