New Hall of Famers Todd Helton, Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer were more than ‘just baseball players’

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.— “I’m just a baseball player,” former Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton humbly declared in his speech at the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on July 21 in Cooperstown

Two of Helton’s fellow 2024 shrine inductees—third baseman Adrián Beltré and catcher/first baseman Joe Mauer—were just baseball players too.

But when you are inducted into the Hall of Fame, something happens after your plaque goes up on the wall in that hallowed hall. You’ll never be “just” a ballplayer anymore, because you become immortal. That goes for baseball managers inducted into the Hall as well. Just ask Jim Leyland, the fourth member of Cooperstown’s class of 2024.

A recurring theme among those newly minted immortals is that no one reaches that peak without the help of many along the way. In a game known for its stats, Helton, who grew up in Knoxville, Tenn., added another one when he noted that he had 411 teammates over his 17-year stretch with the Colorado Rockies (1997–2013). Helton, known as Mr. Rockie, collectively thanked all of them because, “Each of you played a part in me being here today. Thank you for being part of this journey with us. It’s been a wild ride.”

The left-handed-hitting first baseman with a lifetime .316 batting average thanked many people for his success. Among them, his family and Clint Hurdle, a Rockies coach from 1997 until early in the 2002 season, when he became the team’s manager until the end of May 2009.

“One day in Milwaukee early in my career, he [Hurdle] told me to make it personal between me and the pitcher. Make it my battle at the plate. It changed my whole perspective on the field,” Helton noted.

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Known as one of the game’s most superstitious players, Helton, 50, recalled that when things were going his way he would never change his routine.

“I’d eat the same food, take the same route to the ballpark,” he said. “One day I was driving to the field through Colorado Springs, driving a bit too fast, and a police officer pulled me over and gave me a speeding ticket. I got three hits that day. So, the next day I took the same route, at the same speed, got pulled over by the same police officer, and I got three hits that day as well.”

Addressing the crowd of more than 28,000 fans at the Clark Sports Center field, located just a short distance from the Hall of Fame, the five-time All-Star concluded by saying that the baseball field is where he always felt most comfortable, “where I felt I belonged.”

Adrián Beltré, who spent 21 years in the Bigs (1998–2018) with four teams—LA Dodgers (1998–2004), Seattle Mariners (2005–2009), Boston Red Sox (2010), and Texas Rangers (2011–2018)—told the story of how he ended up playing third base, a position where he won five Gold Gloves and was showered with accolades. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native started out playing baseball as a youngster at age 13 in his hometown. He didn’t know what position to play, so he just decided to play second base.

After three months on the diamond, Beltré’s friend, Hermandes Lopez, who was playing third base on his youth team, told the eager youngster that he wanted to give second base a try and asked if Beltré would switch with him and play third base. Beltré agreed.

“I fell in love with it. I loved every challenge there was to playing third base,” he said. “I was hooked. Those hot shots, slow ground balls, bunt plays—I couldn’t get enough of them.”

The new Hall of Famer would never play another position after that and gave a shout-out to Lopez for introducing him to the hot corner.

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His stylish play at third base made Beltré, who also had 3,166 hits and 477 home runs, a headliner throughout his playing days. He recalled how coaches at each of the four teams he played helped refine his game. And he sincerely thanked many of his former teammates.

Since the four-time All-Star was known for having fun playing the game, Beltré maintained his playful persona as he gave his induction speech. He teased some of his former teammates, like pitching superstar “King Felix” Hernandez, whom he played with in Seattle.

“Man, I loved playing with you,” the 45-year-old told Hernandez, who was looking on from the crowd. “But I enjoyed hitting against you even more,” he said with a big smile.

Beltré acknowledged that once, when the two were on opposing teams, Hernandez struck him out three times. “But they say you are only as good as your last at-bat or your last pitch and the last time I faced you, I hit a home run. You know the at-bat I’m talking about. So I win.”

The Dodgers signed Beltré when he was only 15 years old and the four-time Silver Slugger Award winner said he would always be grateful to the organization for taking a chance on a 130-pound kid and his dream to become a major league baseball player. Beltré described his seven seasons with the Dodgers as sometimes difficult, but said, “It made me tougher and stronger mentally.”

Beltré thanked the fans in all the cities he played in, but got the biggest ovation from the crowd when he mentioned Rangers fans and noted, “They say everything is bigger in Texas and you showed me big love.”

In Texas, Beltré truly developed into a Hall of Famer, cementing his path to immortality not only as one of the game’s greatest third basemen but also as an outstanding hitter. Cheers went up from the crowd when Beltré thanked the United States, which he called “this great country, for allowing me to live out my dream.”

As he fans basking in the bright sunshine could see his love for the game. He couldn’t hold back his enthusiasm and seemed ready to go out on the field right after his speech.

“Baseball is my passion and it blessed me with countless opportunities. The best part is, I had so much fun,” he said.

Fans could also see the passion for the game that manager Jim Leyland exuded when it was his turn to talk about his memorable career. Only 23 managers have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Leyland, who won a championship with the Miami Marlins in 1997, became emotional several times during his speech.

The skipper won 1,769 games and was the seventh manager in major league history to win pennants in both leagues—with the National League Marlins in 1997 and the American League Detroit Tigers in 2006 and 2012. He was also one of only 11 to lead three different franchises to the postseason—the Pittsburgh Pirates (1990–1992), Marlins (1997), and Tigers (2006 and 2011–2013).

“My contributions to our beautiful pastime pale in comparison to the joy it has brought to my life—from the heart of a little boy and the soul of an old man,” an emotional Leyland said.

Leyland, 79, was a baseball lifer. He dreamed of playing in the majors, but that never happened. He signed a minor league contract with the Tigers in 1963, and then spent the next seven years in the Tigers farm system, “bouncing around,” as he called it, as a player and coach.

For the next 11 years (1971–1981), he managed in the Tigers’ minor league system and said, “I learned so much in those 11 years—how to handle players, experimenting with strategy. It was so valuable because situations came along later in the big leagues that somewhere in the minors I’d seen before, and it certainly helped me be prepared for them.”

Speaking thoughtfully, Leyland pointed out that managing in the minors can be tough.

“You have to release players, shattering their dreams of ever being a big leaguer. I know because I was one of them,” the Perrysburg, Ohio native said. But he added that it can be very rewarding, especially when you tell a player he’s going to the majors.

Finally leaving the Tigers organization in 1982, the veteran minor league manager was hired as the Chicago White Sox third base coach under Tony LaRussa. He called that “the springboard” to his major league career, and had high praise for LaRussa, a close friend to this day.

A major league manager for 22 years (1986–2013), Leyland cited something special about each of the organizations where he was a major league skipper: the Pirates (1986–1996), who gave him his first chance; the Marlins (1997–1998), where he won a world series; the Rockies (1999), where he managed many great players, including Hall of Famers Larry Walker and Helton; and the Tigers (2006–2013), where he won two pennants and three division titles.
The three-time Major League Manager of the Year (1990, 1992, 2006) spoke proudly about being asked to manage Team USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. The team won the tournament—the only time the USA ever captured that championship—in one of Leyland’s crowning achievements.

The fourth inductee, 41-year-old Joe Mauer, has quite an impressive resume too. With the same commanding presence he had as a catcher with the Minnesota Twins, Mauer recalled his storied career, which even he admits he sometimes looks upon with wonderment.

A classic tale of local boy makes good, Mauer, a St. Paul native, played his whole 15-year career (2004–2018) with the team he grew up rooting for—the Twins. Remarkably, on the stage at ceremony sat four Hall of Famers from St. Paul—Mauer, Dave Winfield, Jack Morris, and Paul Molitor.

“How lucky and unique it was to have three big leaguers and role models hail from my home city,” said Mauer, who played behind the plate for 10 seasons before an injury forced him to move to first base. “Watching them [Winfield, Morris and Molitor] play as a kid gave me my first glimmer of hope that I might make it in baseball as well.”

A lifetime .306 hitter, Mauer became the first American League catcher to win a batting title in 2006 with a blistering .347 average. He went on to win two more batting titles in 2008 (.328) and 2009 (.365).

Mauer credited his family with nurturing his love for baseball. He said that, growing up, “In our home baseball was a family affair.” After an outstanding high school sports career, where the talented athlete excelled at baseball, football, and basketball, the Twins made him the first pick in the 2001 MLB draft. “I want to thank the Twins for taking a chance on an 18-year-old catcher,” he said.

Mauer worked hard every day to earn the support of Twins fans. “I wanted to be a Minnesota Twin from day one,” the left-handed-hitting star said.

Of his teammates, he said it was “an absolute honor to suit up beside all of you. It was an amazing brotherhood. Each one of you brought something different to the table. You all had a role in helping me achieve this honor,” the three-time Gold Glove winner said.

Mauer grew emotional talking about his late father, Jake, and his late grandfather, also named Jake, both of whom were avid baseball fans who helped him hone his game. They both watched Mauer’s major league career closely—one of the perks of playing in his hometown.

He praised his coaches at Cretin-Derham Hall High School, especially coach Jim O’Neill, for teaching him patience and control.

“Playing this game takes grit,” Mauer observed. “It teaches important lessons of hard work, dedication, and patience. You have to make adjustments. Have a strong determination to keep going even when it’s tough,” he told the large contingent of loyal Twins fans who made the long trek from Minnesota to honor him.

“As tough as it is to get into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, it might be just as tough to sum up what this game, this honor, and this moment truly mean to me,” the popular Twins star said. “To stand here today and say that now I am a small part of baseball history is a statement that will really never sink in for me.”