Rangers to retire Adrian Beltre's number, is Cooperstown next?
The Texas Rangers have decided no player will ever wear No. 29 again. The team will retire Adrian Beltre’s number during the 2019 season.
Beltre will be honored during a pre-game ceremony June 8, according to the team’s Executive Vice President of Communications John Blake. The Rangers will take on the Oakland Athletics that day.
The move solidifies Beltre’s place in Rangers’ history. While Beltre played for four different teams throughout his Major League Baseball career, he experienced the most success with the Rangers. Beltre made three of his four All-Star appearances with the team. He hit .304/.357/.509, with 199 home runs, in his eight seasons with Texas.
As a Ranger, Beltre became one of the most beloved players in the game. His relationship with shortstop Elvis Andrus was entertaining, his aversion to having his head touched was quirky and his wild swings that sent him to one knee made every at-bat a must-watch.
Beltre also solidified his status as a Hall of Fame hopeful with Texas. With the Rangers, Beltre improved what was previously thought of as a borderline Hall of Fame case. His strong offensive numbers, combined with his elite defense, made it far more likely he’ll make it to Cooperstown in the future. It doesn’t hurt that he reached significant statistical milestones — like his 3,000th hit — with the club.
The Rangers have yet to announce specifics regarding Beltre’s ceremony. But should the team decide to honor Beltre with a statue at the stadium, one featuring him throwing his glove at Andrus would be delightful.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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