Post by Blunashun on Jun 17, 2023 1:48:18 GMT
Maury Wills, Gil Hodges, Fred McGriff. My newest one is Adrian Beltre. He appears on the ballot for the first time next year. I would get frustrated with Adrian from time to time. It seemed like the Dodgers had to get guys like Robin Ventura to wake him up. But his age has to be taken into consideration. The Dodgers lied. He was younger than reported. Then he had that obvious steroid fueled 2004 breakout season. A guy who had never hit .300, hit .334. A guy who never had more that 23 homers had 48. A guy who never had 100 RBI's had 121. He also had 200 hits. It might have been the greatest season ever by a third baseman, before Alex Rodriquez made a mockery of pharmaceuticals.
When Adrian went to Seattle, in one of the first moves McCourt made that had me looking at him sideways, Beltre was about league average. Nothing spectacular. If memory serves, he took a one-hopper to his nutsack & it actually tore. So he wasn't about to post another breakout season his last year in Seattle.
Boston took him on a one year contract. That's it. He had a great season. Was it just him cashing in again? Apparently not. His career in Texas is what brings us to this point. He had finally grown into the player we all hoped he'd be. He wound up with over 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, damn near 500 homeruns, & over 1,700 RBI's. If that doesn't say Hall of Fame, what does?
Here's hoping he doesn't suffer McGriff's fate. 493 homeruns instead of 500. Adrian had 477. Those bean counter sportswriters just might hold that against him.
When Adrian went to Seattle, in one of the first moves McCourt made that had me looking at him sideways, Beltre was about league average. Nothing spectacular. If memory serves, he took a one-hopper to his nutsack & it actually tore. So he wasn't about to post another breakout season his last year in Seattle.
Boston took him on a one year contract. That's it. He had a great season. Was it just him cashing in again? Apparently not. His career in Texas is what brings us to this point. He had finally grown into the player we all hoped he'd be. He wound up with over 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, damn near 500 homeruns, & over 1,700 RBI's. If that doesn't say Hall of Fame, what does?
Here's hoping he doesn't suffer McGriff's fate. 493 homeruns instead of 500. Adrian had 477. Those bean counter sportswriters just might hold that against him.