Cooperstown Welcomes Beltrán, Jones, and Kent
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Three stars of their generation join the National Baseball Hall of Fame in a ceremony featuring a mix of BBWAA and committee selections.
Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones, and Jeff Kent are being enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame today during a ceremony at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y., according to MLB.com.
Beltrán and Jones earned their induction via the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). Beltrán received 84.2% of the vote, becoming one of only five players in AL/NL history to record at least 300 stolen bases and 400 home runs. A former AL Rookie of the Year, Beltrán will be the third Met in the Hall of Fame. Jones, who received 78.4% support in his ninth year on the ballot, is recognized as one of the game's premier defensive center fielders with 10 Gold Gloves and 434 career home runs.
Jeff Kent entered the Hall via the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee after receiving 14 votes from a 16-member panel. Kent is the all-time leader for home runs hit by a second baseman, with 351 of his 377 homers coming at the position. He also holds the record for the most seasons with at least 100 RBIs among keystone players, with eight such seasons, and was the 2000 NL MVP.
Other honorees include Bill White and Joe Buck. MLB.com reports that Buck is receiving the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence, marking a legacy that includes calling 24 World Series, 21 All-Star Games, and 26 League Championship Series between 1996 and 2021.