Major League Baseball welcomes a legend.

The 2024 Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held today (Feb. 22) in Cooperstown, New York.

Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Joe Mauer, and manager Jim Leyland were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Beltre was elected to the Hall of Fame in January after receiving 366 of 385 votes (95.1 percent) in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) balloting. Beltre, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and Texas Red Sox, compiled a career batting average of .286 with 477 home runs in 3,166 games over 21 seasons. He won five Gold Gloves as a third baseman, making him one of the best players in baseball. He is also a familiar face to Korean baseball fans, having played alongside Park Chan-ho and Choo Shin-soo.

When Beltre took the podium, his hometown friend and 2022 Hall of Fame inductee David Ortiz ran out from behind him and touched his head. During his career, Beltre was notorious for not wanting other players to touch his hair.

Colorado Rockies legend Helton received 307 votes (79.7%).

He had a career batting average of .2519 with 369 home runs. It took him six tries to get into the Hall of Fame, as he was never fully recognized for his hitting ability because he called Coors Field, the “graveyard of pitchers,” home.

Synonymous with the “offensive catcher,” 토토사이트 추천 Mauer was a hard-hitting slugger who compiled a career batting average of .2123 with 143 home runs. He was recognized as the greatest catcher of all time, winning the batting title three times, the first catcher to do so, and received 292 votes (76.1%) for the Hall of Fame in his first year.

Another Hall of Fame inductee is manager Jim Leyland (79), who led the Miami Marlins to their first World Series title. Leland, who also won his first World Baseball Classic (WBC) as manager of Team USA in 2017, was selected for induction last December by a “committee of the ages” comprised of Hall of Fame inductees, former owners, journalists, and others.

“I watched most of the induction speeches, and I wasn’t the only one who shed a tear,” Leland joked, adding that being inducted into the Hall of Fame is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.