Womack: Here’s why Adrian Beltre will be an easy Hall of Fame selection
From SABR member Graham Womack at The Sporting News on May 24, 2016:
When Adrian Beltre signed with the Texas Rangers in January 2011, his career numbers were nothing special: a .275 batting average and 1,889 hits, to go with an unfounded reputation for mediocre play after signing big deals. To detractors, Beltre probably looked like the ultimate paycheck player, able to summon great effort in contract years with little to offer in between.
In reality, Beltre had gotten a bum rap for playing much of his career in vaunted pitchers’ parks like Dodger Stadium and Safeco Field. His problems seemed like nothing a few years in a hitter’s mecca like Arlington couldn’t fix. A few months shy of his 32nd birthday at the time of signing with Texas, he was young enough to chase 3,000 hits and get his lifetime batting average in the .285 range.
Read the full article here: http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/adrian-beltre-baseball-hall-of-fame-chances-election-odds/7ltr5tz7wn81lssoxeh4150s
Originally published: May 24, 2016. Last Updated: May 24, 2016.