David Ortiz only spent one season with Adrian Beltre, though the two certainly formed a connection with the Boston Red Sox.
Beltre and Ortiz reconnected on Sunday in Cooperstown, New York for the induction ceremony for the 2024 class into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Beltre enters with former Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, manager Jim Leyalnd
As Beltre approached the podium on Sunday, his former Red Sox teammate had a practical joke for him, rubbing Beltre’s head on his way to his seat.
That was totally off-limits during Beltre’s career, so clearly only Ortiz could get away with it from the Red Sox connection.
Beltre made the most of his one season in Boston, earning an All-Star appearance and finished within the top-10 in American League MVP voting. The Red Sox third baseman hit .321 with a .919 OPS, hitting 21 home runs while driving in over 100 runs and leading MLB with 49 doubles in 2010 before leaving in free agency for the Texas Rangers.
Beltre enters baseball immortality as legendary Red Sox broadcaster Joe Castiglione also earned enshrinement as the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award. This comes just two years after Ortiz earned his induction back in 2022.
