New Hall of Famer Adrián Beltré Thanks Dodgers Executives For Early Start
Recently elected MLB Hall of Famer Adrián Beltré credited the late Ralph Avila and the late Pablo Peguero for helping him get started in his MLB career. Beltre was initially scouted at just 15 years old by Avila and Peguero, who scouted for the Dodgers in the Dominican Republic at the Campo Las Palmas facility.
“Ralph Avila was the man who, along with Pablo Peguero, gave me a chance to become a baseball player,” Beltré said. “They believed in me. They signed me, 15 years old, and saw something in me that I didn’t believe at the time. It was the men who taught me how to be a ballplayer, not in the field but outside the field: how to act, what to expect, and try to teach me what’s coming ahead of me; the challenges I was going to face. So for me it was easier after I got all that conversation with them. They’re both big influences on my career.”
Thanks to Avila and Peguero, Beltré began his two-decade MLB career with the Dodgers from 1998-2004. In his final season with the Dodgers, he led the National League in home runs and won the Silver Slugger award for the first of four times during his career.
After his time with the Dodgers, Beltré played for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers. During Beltré’s storied career, he was named an All-Star four times, a Gold Glove award winner five different times, the Texas Rangers player of the year four times and a four-time Fielding Bible award winner.
Beltré will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 21st.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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