(AP) — Carlos Beltrán was destined for the Baseball Hall of Fame even before he played a full season in the major leagues. At least that’s what Kansas City Royals great George Brett thought. On the eve of his induction, Beltrán recounted a story from 1999 when the Royals visited Cooperstown and Brett introduced him to Hall of Famer — and fellow Puerto Rican — Orlando Cepeda.
“I have a baseball and I’m approaching Cepeda for him to sign my baseball, and George said, ‘Let me introduce you to the next Hall of Famer from Puerto Rico. His name is Carlos Beltrán,’” the nine-time All-Star outfielder said Saturday. “And I’m going like, what is he doing?
I haven’t played a game and you’re introducing me as a Hall of Famer. I don’t think that’s a good statement. “George said, `Well, Carlos, everything is possible in life.
If you play hard and if you continue to play good and if you continue to develop yourself, this is an opportunity and this is a chance that you could be here.” Twenty-seven years later, Brett’s prediction came true. Beltrán will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sunday alongside Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent, just as Brett and Cepeda were enshrined together as part of the 1999 class. “Never went through my mind,” Beltrán said.
“But I did imagine myself as a baseball player. I did imagine myself as a professional baseball player. I got to see my parents doing a lot of work to push us forward.” Beltrán was the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year with Kansas City and went on to play 20 years in the majors, including seven seasons apiece with both the Royals and New York Mets.
He made the Hall in his fourth year of eligibility on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot, securing 84.2% of the vote. Joining him from the BBWAA ballot is former Atlanta Braves center fielder Andruw Jones, who reached 78.4% in his ninth year. Jones nearly dropped off the ballot after his 2018 debut, when he received only 7.3% of the vote — just above the 5% threshold to get another try.
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