Texas Rangers legend Adrián Beltré, who was recently inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, will be honored with a statue located outside of Globe Life Field, joining two other Rangers greats already immortalized in bronze.
The announcement about the future bronze statue was made over the weekend before a game against the Minnesota Twins. Rangers public address announcer Chuck Morgan confirmed that it will be coming sometime in 2025.
“On behalf of Mr. Ray Davis, Mr. Neil Leibman, and the ownership of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club, they want everyone to know that Nolan Ryan and Pudge Rodriguez will be getting some company,” he said, according to Sports Illustrated.
Beltré will become just the third Rangers player to have a statue outside the team’s stadium. Rodriguez’s statue is near the home plate entrance, and Ryan’s is near the north side of the stadium.
While standing on the field before the game, Beltré said he was “blessed to play the game” that he loved, adding that his career featured “great teammates, great coaching staff, great support system.”
“I’m just grateful to be able to play and enjoy what I did. I’m truly grateful and thank God for everything that has happened in my life lately,” he said, per The Dallas Morning News.
Beltré was recently inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame after being named on an impressive 95.1% of ballots cast, becoming only the fifth player born in the Dominican Republic to be honored in this way, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Beltré is the ninth Rangers player inducted into the Hall of Fame. Outfielder Harold Baines, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, was the previous most recent Rangers player to receive the honor.
Beltré spent the final eight seasons of his career with the Rangers beginning in 2011, leading the team to four playoff appearances and one World Series appearance in his first year with the organization.
This stretch with the team also involved Beltré hitting .305 with a .866 OPS, placing him in the top 15 of the American League MVP list six times.
Rangers majority owner Ray Davis said earlier this year that Beltré possessed the “competitiveness and desire to be in the lineup every day,” which was a trait that “earned him the utmost respect and admiration from his peers.”
“Through his excellence on the field and influence in the clubhouse, Adrián’s contributions in helping lead the Rangers to four playoff appearances were immense. He is a true legend in the game,” he said, according to MLB.com.