New Hall of Famer Doesn’t Think His Plaque Looks Like Him

MLB Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre told Texas Rangers play-by-play broadcaster Dave Raymond, he doesn’t think his new Cooperstown plaque looks like him.

The Rangers announced that Beltre will get a statue outside of Globe Life Field in 2025. The former third baseman spent the final eight seasons of his MLB career in Texas from 2011-18.

When Raymond asked Beltre if the plaque resembled him, the Hall of Famer had a concise response.

“No,” Beltre replied.

“It was so crazy the whole week, I didn’t notice how I looked until actually my wife said to me … ‘it doesn’t really look like you in the plaque.’ I looked and said, ‘oh wow, that’s not me,'” Beltre continued. “But you know what, who cares? It’s my name on there. I don’t care with it. I’m pretty sure that’ll look better than the one I have in the Hall of Fame.”

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Beltre was inducted to the Hall of Fame on July 21. Throughout his career, Beltre hit .286 with 477 home runs, 1,707 RBIs and 3,166 hits for four teams throughout 21 seasons.

“I am grateful for the time I spent with all of my teams during my career,” Beltré said in February, via a statement released by the Hall of Fame. “Looking back, I played more years in Texas than anywhere else and I believe my time with the Rangers represents the peak of my career, individually and from a team standpoint. But I could not have made this journey to Cooperstown without the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and their fans, and I am proud that each of the teams I played with will be listed on my Hall of Fame plaque.”

On Aug. 16, the Rangers unveiled a exhibit dedicated to Beltre which displayed the best of his career as well as his Hall of Fame plaque.

The third baseman cemented his Hall of Fame status with Texas, but his resume was already impressive when he joined the team in 2011. Before he played for the Rangers, he already had a pair of Gold Glove awards, a Silver Slugger and was coming off a standout 2010 season with the Boston Red Sox, for whom he slashed .321/.365/.553.

With the Rangers, Beltre became a franchise legend. The third baseman was the leader of the clubhouse throughout his time in Texas. His 93.5 bWAR is third-best among third baseman in MLB history.

Beltre is a beloved figure in Texas and baseball writ large. The plaque’s lack of resemblance to the Hall of Famer is a trivial concern in the context of Beltre’s outstanding legacy.