Sunday, July 30, 2017 is a day that many Rangers fans will never forget, as Ivan 'Pudge' Rodriguez was officially inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York and Adrian Beltre collected his 3,000th hit in Arlington, Texas.
Rodriguez, who joins Johnny Bench as one of just two catchers ever elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, is the 18th catcher to join the Hall of Fame, and the youngest current member.
Rodriguez thanked former Rangers teammates, including Juan Gonzalez, former managers Bobby Valentine and Johnny Oates, hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, executives Tom Grieve, Tom Schieffer, John Blake and Taunee Taylor, former owners George W. Bush, Rusty Rose and Tom Hicks, and current owners Bob Simpson, Ray Davis and Neil Leibman.
His speech also touched on his days growing up in Puerto Rico and the importance of never giving up on his childhood dream.
'This is such an incredible honor for me,' Rodriguez said. 'A little kid from Puerto Rico with a big dream. Never let them take your dream away from you.'
Eight minutes later and more than 1,600 miles away at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Adrian Beltre made his way into the history books with his 3,000th career hit. He is the 31st player in Major League history and the first Domincan-born player to reach the milestone.
After sending a double down the third-base line in his second at-bat, his children ran right past him to unveil a facade dedicated to Beltre's achievement. His kids then ran back to their father's arms for a touching moment on the field.
'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,' Beltre 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.'
It's a day that Rangers fans will always remember. Two of the most beloved players in franchise history celebrated major milestones, one retired legend looking back on his playing days and heading into the Hall of Fame and the other crossing off another career milestone as he prepares for the same fate a few years down the road.
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