COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — The small islands of Puerto Rico and Curaçao made a big impression Sunday at the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, as standout center fielders Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones officially took their places among the sport’s all-time greats.
The two were joined by hard-hitting second baseman Jeff Kent in front of an estimated 12,000 fans at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown. With 57 existing Hall of Famers seated on stage, the event marked the largest assembly of current inductees in the ceremony’s history.
Jones delivered what felt like a heartfelt love letter to his homeland of Curaçao throughout his remarks.
“There’s no easy way to get here from the small island of Curaçao, more than 2,000 miles away,” Jones said. “But today Cooperstown and Curaçao are forever joined together.”
The longtime Atlanta Braves outfielder, a 10-time Gold Glove Award winner and five-time All-Star, became the first player born in Curaçao to earn a spot in Cooperstown. He expressed hope that he would not be the last, pointing to players such as Ozzie Albies and Kenley Jansen as part of a Curaçao baseball tradition that traces back to Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens.
One of the most moving moments came when Jones honored his late father, Henry Jones. He recalled how his dad would hit him flyball after flyball from foul pole to foul pole to develop his tracking skills, and had him roll a sledgehammer to build strong wrists.
“Everything he taught me had a purpose,” Jones said. “Henry Jones was a legend in Curaçao, a great player in his own right. And I’m not standing here in Cooperstown without his constant coaching. Dad, we did it.”
Before Beltrán even began speaking, the crowd erupted in chants of “Puerto Rico.” Each time he referenced his home island during his speech, fans cheered and waved flags in response.
“Everywhere I played baseball, I always tried to represent my island,” Beltrán said. “I tried to do the best I could for the organizations that I played, but also I wanted to represent Puerto Rico.”
The 20-year major league veteran and 1999 American League Rookie of the Year acknowledged each organization he played for, crediting every stop for different life lessons. He reserved his warmest words for the New York Mets, the team whose cap he chose for his Hall of Fame plaque.
“When people ask me about why I chose (the Mets) cap, I have to say this,” he said. “Guys, it’s simple. Every organization shapes your career. New York shaped my life.”
Beltrán also recalled watching Houston teammates Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell “play with pain” as a lesson in toughness. Notably absent from his remarks was any mention of the 2017 World Series title with the Astros — a championship that remains tainted by a sign-stealing scandal in which Beltrán was implicated. He did not directly address the controversy, but offered a measured response to those who may have withheld their votes because of it.
“To the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, I want to say thank you for making me a Hall of Famer. … And for those that didn’t (vote for me) — that saw things different — I want to say also thank you. I appreciate your perspective,” he said. “If baseball has really taught me something, I want to say is that I hope in life, we continue to measure ourselves by the same standard we have used to measure others.”
Beltrán received 84.2% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on his fourth attempt at induction. Jones cleared the required 75% threshold with 78.4% of the vote in his ninth year of eligibility. Kent’s path to Cooperstown was different — he was chosen last December by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee after his time on the BBWAA ballot expired in 2023.
Kent, the 2000 National League Most Valuable Player with the San Francisco Giants, played for six teams across a 17-year career and holds the all-time home run record among second basemen. Known for his tough, no-nonsense approach to the game, Kent showed a more vulnerable side during induction weekend.
Before he said a single word at the podium, Kent was already reaching for tissues to dry his eyes after spotting his parents in the crowd — something he mentioned later during a post-ceremony news conference.
“I was more emotional for the 35, 40 minutes of sitting down than I was for the speech,” he said. “I thought I was going to be a wreck and I’m glad it was only a half a wreck.”
During his speech, Kent shared the story of a deal his father struck with him as a young man: earn a college scholarship, and he would receive a pickup truck in return. Kent gave up motorcycle racing, redirected his energy toward school and baseball, and eventually earned a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley — and got the truck.
“It sits in my garage as a simple reminder that some of the simplest things can change the entire direction of your life,” Kent said.
