Baseball Hall of Fame adds two outfielders to Cooperstown, including one linked to Astros scandal
NEWNow you can listen to News articles!
Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, who combined to hit 869 home runs (Beltrán hit 435, Jones 434), were elected Tuesday to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
In his fourth year on the ballot, Beltrán received 75% of the votes needed to be included in Cooperstown, finishing with the highest percentage (84.2%) among prospective members.
Jones had to wait nine years, but it was worth it. He finished with 78.4% of the votes and will not have to sweat his tenth and final year at the polls in 2027.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON News
Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were elected to the Hall of Fame on Tuesday. (Robert Deutsch/USA Today Network via Imagn Images; Timothy Clary/Getty Images)
New York Mets fans’ main memory of Beltrán is his strikeout to end the 2006 National League Championship Series, but the nine-time All-Star was a constant force throughout his entire career. He even reached the Midsummer Classic in his penultimate season, when he hit .295 with an .850 OPS, 35 home runs and 101 RBIs.
Beltrán, a switch-hitter, won three Gold Gloves and accumulated 2,725 hits, 435 of which were home runs. He also stole 300 bases in his career, making him one of eight players in MLB history in the 300-300 club. Beltrán has the fourth-most home runs for a switch-hitter, behind Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray and Chipper Jones.
He is also one of 39 players to drive in and score at least 1,500 runs. Thirty-two of those players, including Beltrán, are in the Hall of Fame. The other seven who are not are linked to performance-enhancing drugs (Barry Bonds, Alex Rodríguez, Rafael Palmeiro, Gary Sheffield, Manny Ramírez) or are not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame (Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera). In 65 postseason games, Beltrán hit .307 with a 1.021 OPS. Beltrán spent seven seasons with both the Mets and Royals and put up nearly identical statistics, so it remains to be seen which hat he will wear on his plate.
While the numbers scream Hall of Fame, it was clear that voters were punishing him for his role in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. Beltrán, who won his only World Series with that tainted Houston team in his final MLB season, has been considered the mastermind of the scheme, which cost him his job as manager of the New York Mets in 2020 before he managed a game.
Beltran was the only player on the team named directly by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in announcing the punishments for the organization.
Carlos Beltran of the Houston Astros takes the field during player introductions before Game 3 of the 2017 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Minute Maid Park on October 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty Images)
METS AGREE TO DEAL WITH ALL-STAR BO BICHETTE AFTER MISSING KYLE TUCKER: REPORTS
As for Jones, the Curacao native is one of four players with 400 home runs and 10 Gold Gloves, along with Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Schmidt. Jones led the majors with 51 home runs in 2005, just shy of Albert Pujols’ MVP award.
A five-time All-Star, the outfielder spent 12 of his 17 MLB seasons with the Atlanta Braves and played in 76 postseason games.
The duo, along with Jeff Kent, will be formally inducted into Cooperstown in July. Kent was chosen by the Contemporary Era of Baseball committee in December.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Andruw Jones makes a diving catch against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 16, 2005. (Tom DiPace/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE News APP
As for the rest of the voting, second baseman Chase Utley received 59.1% of the vote in his first year on the ballot. That was the highest percentage next to Jones.
Andy Pettitte (48.5%, eighth year) and Alex Rodríguez (40%, fifth year) fell short again despite their career numbers. They were linked to performance-enhancing drugs during their careers.
Follow News Digital sports coverage in Xand subscribe to the News Sports Huddle newsletter