Beltre raises his arm, hat in hand, scanning the field at Globe Life Park. He walks off the field to a standing ovation from the Texas Ranger crowd who have loved him since the day he stepped on that field bearing the number 29. In what could be the final stretch of his career, as a Ranger fan, we hope he loved playing for Texas as much as Texas loved watching him play.
Could this be the end of Adrian Beltre as we know it? He’s been playing for 21 years, but you couldn’t tell from his on field antics with his brother in arms Elvis Andrus. In a career that saw over 475 home runs and over 1700 RBI, the hall of fame career of one Adrian Beltre could be coming to an end. Emotions were running high as he hugged his teammates for possibly the last time and soaked in the atmosphere of the stadium.
Who's cutting onions? https://t.co/XZDEIMMhlM
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) September 23, 2018
This season, Beltre reached a couple of milestones that included seeing him move into 30th all time in home runs with his 476th home run, passing Stan Musial and Willie Stargell at 475 a piece. Beltre also hit RBI number 1703, moving into 25th all time, sandwiched in between big Frank Thomas and “Mr. October” Reggie Jackson.
In a season with ups and downs, we will need to savor this moment, because not everyday do we see a “Beltre” type player walk through that door. Beltre is someone who exudes confidence, professionalism, leadership, and the fun that makes us all fall in love with the game, but most of all, plays the game with every bit of energy he had. We need more Adrian Beltre’s in the baseball world. If this is his last year in a Ranger uniform, I have a few words for Mr. Beltre.
Thank you Adrian Beltre,
Sincerely,
Ranger Nation
