The road to Cooperstown was very different for the three newest inductees into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
“It’s kind of overwhelming, and at the same time, it makes me feel proud about my journey as a baseball player to be able to end up in this position,” said Carlos Beltrán.
For Beltrán, it started in Puerto Rico, while Andruw Jones arrived at the Hall of Fame via Curacao.
“I’m very proud of everyone that made it,” Jones said. “And we have a lot of kids that is on the way that is close to make it. So, I’m very proud of every single one that believe what I did that they can do it too.”
For Jeff Kent, it all began in Southern California, before spending time with six different MLB teams — most notably with the San Francisco Giants.
“I was a sponge of learning things all the time,” Kent said. “And I understood failure better. I dealt with it better.”
Through all the ups and downs of this voyage, three have reached the same destination- the Hall of Fame. They had a chance to reflect on their careers and the journey to Cooperstown on Saturday.
“Just getting that call to make it to the major league in 1996, get on that plane flying into Philadelphia, and walk into the clubhouse and see all these guys that you watch on TV, who won the World Series in 1995,” said Jones, sharing one of his favorite memories.
On Sunday, the trio will share more memories and stories as they reflect back on this long road to the Hall of Fame. Kent is going in as a Giant, while Jones as an Atlanta Brave, and Beltrán as a New York Met.
“One of my biggest moments in New York, but also my biggest challenges also,” Beltrán said. “So I feel like as a person, like where the place I grew the most I felt was in New York.”
The ceremony will take place Sunday at the Clark Sports Center, and will get underway at 1:30 p.m.