Beltré’s 3,000th hit made history
Adrian Beltré disliked it when people touched his head and when the attention was on him.
But July 30, 2017, was a rare circumstance in which he tolerated both. Beltré became the 31st player, and the first Dominican-born, to reach the 3,000-hit milestone.
With Beltré one hit shy of the accomplishment, all 32,437 fans at Globe Life Park sat at the edge of their seat when the Rangers’ star stepped into the box. Immediately after Beltré was announced, deafening applause enveloped the field before the Texas faithful fell silent to watch history unfold.
In his second plate appearance against Wade Miley that Sunday afternoon, he drove a 3-0 fastball down the third base line for a stand-up double.
“When I got my second at-bat, I thought, ‘This has to be it. I don’t want to have the fans waiting. My family is waiting for it. I don’t want to drag it out one more day,’” Beltré told MLB.com. “When I got (to) 3-0, I was doubting myself. ‘Should I swing, or should I just take?’ The way Miley was pitching, I thought, ‘This is going to be the best pitch he will throw me.’ And I decided, if it’s going to be on the plate, I’m going to swing. And I did.”
Beltré had a set of self-imposed rules before the accomplishment. He required that his family be in attendance, the hit happened in Texas, and that he would “get a clean hit.”
Each demand was satisfied.
As he stood at second base, the 20-year MLB veteran cherished the moment – something that was uncommon.
“(He wasn’t) sure he knew exactly how he was going to feel,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “But to watch a true baseball warrior let the guard down just for an ultra-second to enjoy it, to embrace it, it was perfect for all of us.”
Under the circumstances, Beltré appreciated the thunderous ovation and theatrical celebration. Several Baltimore Orioles players congratulated the future Hall of Famer before his Rangers teammates funneled out of the dugout to join the commemoration.
As Beltré started his walk to his peers, his children weaved through the ballplayers and rushed toward their father’s grasp. But their children didn’t stop there. The trio trotted out to the right-center field wall to unveil a tarp-covered mural that further congratulated Beltré on his achievement. As fireworks smoke swirled and the celebration continued, the trio sprinted back into their father’s arms.
Teammates swarmed Beltré and each Ranger took a turn to shake Beltré’s hand or tap his helmet-less head. Though the act that would typically evoke a reaction, Beltré allowed it.
“What happened today after the hit has been the best moment in my life. I didn’t know how to feel, because I had no idea what was going on,” Beltré said. “I feel proud of them. I saw the joy in their faces, and a lot of things you do in your career, you do for your kids and your family. My kids and my wife have been so supportive over the years, that this moment was for them. When I saw that, I felt like I was on a cloud, because I really saw the joy in their faces. It was a nice moment to enjoy with them – my family, my wife.”
The event also coincided with Father’s Day in the Dominican Republic and Iván Rodríguez’s Hall of Fame induction.
“Just the fact that today was Father’s Day in the Dominican and it was the date that Pudge got introduced into the Hall of Fame – it was just pure coincidence,” Beltré said. “It was nice to do it today because obviously, I’ve got the whole day to enjoy my family. My whole family’s here, and I’m looking forward to whatever we’re going to do after. But it was just nice to get it done.”
A member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2024, Beltré finished his career with 3,166 hits, 1,707 RBI and 477 home runs. He also earned five Gold Glove Awards and four Silver Slugger Awards for his play at third base.
“We pretty much didn’t talk about (him getting inducted into the Hall of Fame) because I always told him, ‘Dude, I knew this would happen. I knew since day one we played together that you were gonna be in the Hall of Fame,’” Rangers teammate Elvis Andrus told MLB.com. “You’re that type of player. You are unique. And you deserve it.
“You’re not going to see another Adrian in ages.”
Noah Douglas is the 2025 communications intern in the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Leadership Development
