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SPORTS Monday 31 July 2017

YO, ADRIAN

Beltre doubles for 3,000th hit,
1st from Dominican to do it

Texas Rangers’ Adrian Beltre tips his helmet as he acknowledges cheers after hitting a double for his 3,000th career hit that came off a pitch from Baltimore Orioles’
Wade Miley in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 30, 2017, in Arlington, Texas.
Associated Press

Beltre doubles for 3,000th hit, 1st from Dominican to do it

By STEPHEN HAWKINS 31st overall, in the major have drawn it up better had crowded on the rail of minican Republic.
AP Sports Writer leagues to do that. where we win and we get the first-base dugout to be Now in his 20th big league
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — “What happened today a chance to see that,” Ori- as close as possible to the season, he is only the third
Adrian Beltre had a feel- after the hit, it was the best oles manager Buck Showal- historic moment, flooded player who is primarily a
ing like none other he has moment in my life,” Beltre ter said. “Everybody in the onto the field to celebrate third baseman in the 3,000-
experienced on a baseball said. “When I saw that, I game has a lot of respect with him. Beltre’s two hit club, joining Hall of Fam-
field when he saw his three felt like I was in the cloud, for him, not only statistically daughters and 10-year-old ers George Brett and Wade
children coming toward because I really saw the but the way he’s handled son Adrian Jr. left their front- Boggs. The milestone came
him. Then they kept running joy in their faces. It was a success over the years.” row seats near the dugout only minutes after former
to the wall in right-center nice moment to enjoy with The Rangers were already they had shared with family Rangers catcher Ivan Ro-
field. them, my family, my wife.” down 4-0 when Beltre, who members, including Beltre’s driguez finished his induc-
Only after helping unveil Beltre reached the mile- finished his 2,771st career parents. “We have a lot of tion speech at the Baseball
a logo commemorating stone in the fourth inning of game 1 for 5, had a hard great baseball players in Hall of Fame in Cooper-
Beltre’s 3,000th career hit a 10-6 loss Sunday to Balti- hit down the line — fittingly the Dominican Republic, stown, New York. Barring
did the kids return to hug more Orioles, who got hom- past third base — for a dou- and I’m proud to be one unusual circumstances,
their father, the 38-year-old ers from Jonathan Schoop ble. of them,” Beltre said, call- getting 3,000 hits has tradi-
Texas Rangers third base- and Welington Castillo in a A banner was unfurled ing the moment even more tionally been a ticket to the
man who had just become five-run fifth. high above straightaway special being able to share Hall.
the first player from the “It’s an honor to be here for center field congratulating it with his father on what
Dominican Republic, and it. Especially, we couldn’t him. His teammates, who was Father’s Day in the Do- Continued on Page 19