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Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony: Time, where to watch and what else to know about 2024 class

Written by on July 21, 2024

Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony: Time, where to watch and what else to know about 2024 class

The 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony is set for Sunday afternoon in Cooperstown, New York. The class includes Adrian Beltré, Todd Helton, Joe Mauer and Jim Leyland. As usual, the ceremony takes place outdoors at the Clark Sports Center — about a mile south of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. 

With multiple speeches, it generally runs several hours. MLB.com says the 2024 ceremony is expected to last two-and-a-half hours.

Here’s what to know about Sunday’s induction ceremony.

2024 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony

Time: 1:30 p.m. ET | Date: Sunday, July 21
Location: Clark Sports Center — Cooperstown, New York
TV channel: MLB Network | Live stream: fubo (try for free)

Now, lt’s take a look at the inductees. 

Adrian Beltré

Hall of Fame cap team: Rangers

Beltré spent seven years with the Dodgers, five with the Mariners, one with the Red Sox and then his final eight with the Rangers. Three of his four All-Star berths came with the Rangers, just as did six of the eight seasons in which he received MVP votes, including four of the five times he was in the top seven. 

In 21 seasons, Beltré amassed 3,166 hits, 636 doubles, 477 home runs, 1,707 RBI and 1,524 runs while hitting .286 with a .480 slugging percentage. He won four Silver Sluggers and five Gold Gloves — two of those being Platinum Gloves for the best defender in baseball. He ranks third in career WAR among third baseman after Mike Schmidt and Eddie Mathews. 

Beltré is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, getting 95.1% of the vote in his first year.   

Beltré will become the third player with a Rangers logo on the hat on his Hall of Fame plaque along with Nolan Ryan and Iván Rodríguez.  

Tedd Helton

Hall of Fame cap team: Rockies

Helton was the eighth overall pick in the 1995 draft out of the University of Tennessee, selected by the Rockies. He’d never leave the organization. He played in parts of 17 seasons with Colorado, hitting .316/.414/.539 with 2,519 hits, 592 doubles, 369 homers, 1,406 RBI and 1,401 runs. 

The five-time All-Star won four Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves. 

It took Helton six tries to make the Hall of Fame, getting in with 79.7% of the vote this time around, as players are required to receive 75% for enshrinement.

Helton will be the second player in the Hall with a Rockies logo on his cap, along with Larry Walker, who was inducted in 2020. They are the only two Rockies players to make the Hall of Fame. 

Joe Mauer

Hall of Fame cap team: Twins

Mauer was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2001 by his hometown Minnesota Twins (he attended Cretin High School in St. Paul). Like Helton, he spent his entire career in one organization. Mauer debuted on April 5, 2004 at age 20. He would be an All-Star and win the batting title in 2006 before winning the MVP in 2009. 

He led the league in hitting three times, on-base percentage twice and slugging once. Mauer is the only catcher in history to win three batting titles. He’s one of 12 catchers to win an MVP and one of only two to win the award this millennium (Buster Posey in 2012 was the other). 

In parts of 15 seasons, Mauer hit .306 with a .388 on-base percentage. He racked up 2,123 hits, 428 doubles, 143 home runs, 923 RBI and 1,018 runs. He ranks ninth in career WAR among catchers. 

Mauer is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, having received 76.1% of the vote in his first time on the ballot. 

Mauer becomes the seventh player with a Twins cap on his Hall of Fame plaque, following Harmon Killebrew (1984), Rod Carew (1991), Kirby Puckett (2001), Bert Blyleven (2011), Jim Kaat (2022) and Tony Oliva (2022). 

Jim Leyland

Hall of Fame cap team: Blank/none

Leyland took over as Pirates manager in 1986 at 41 years old. He’d end up managing 22 seasons for four different franchises — the Pirates for 11 years, Marlins for two, Rockies for one and Tigers for eight. He decided to go without a logo on his Hall of Fame cap out of respect for all the organizations of which he’s been part. 

Leyland won three pennants in his career and the 1997 World Series title with the Marlins. He won six division titles and finished with 1,769 career wins, good for 18th on the career list. He finished with a 44-40 record in the playoffs, too. 

Leyland is now the 23rd manager to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Prior to him, the most recent were Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre, who were all enshrined in 2014. 

The post Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony: Time, where to watch and what else to know about 2024 class first appeared on OKC Sports Radio.


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