Hall of Fame ceremony an emotional time for inductees
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — “Pudge” Rodriguez stared out at his father, wiping away tears as he spoke.
“I love you with all of my heart,” Rodriguez said. “If I’m a Hall of Famer, you’re a Hall of Famer — double.”
Those words punctuated Rodriguez’s speech as he was inducted Sunday into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines, along with former commissioner Bud Selig and front-office guru John Schuerholz also were enshrined in front of over 27,000 fans.
“It’s always emotional when you see the fans cheering for you, and my whole family in front of me,” Bagwell said. “I’m an emotional person. It’s a dream just to be part of this beautiful group. Now I have that plaque forever. It’s unbelievable.”
Before he started, Rodriguez received a standing ovation from hundreds of fans, many wearing red-andwhite jerseys with Puerto Rico emblazoned on the front, and proceeded to give half his speech in Spanish.
“This is such an incredible honor for me,” Rodriguez said. “A little kid from Puerto Rico with a big dream. Never let them take your dream away from you.”
The 45-year-old Rodriguez holds major league records for games caught (2,427) and putouts by a catcher (12,376). He hit 311 homers and batted .296 in his career. He’s also only the second catcher elected on the first ballot, following in the footsteps of his childhood idol, Cincinnati Reds star Johnny Bench, who was seated on the dais behind him.
After speaking in Spanish, Rodriguez went back and repeated in English, concentrating on a message to youth.
“You have the right to dream,” he said. “Everything in life is possible. I speak from experience.”
For Selig, who was celebrating his 83rd birthday, it was a reversal of roles. For more than two decades he gave out the Hall of Fame plaques on induction day.
“It’s an overwhelming, stunning feeling,” said Selig, who dropped his speech midway through it but never skipped a beat. “You’re getting the highest honor.”
Selig left a large imprint during more than 22 years as the leader of the game. He was instrumental in the approval of interleague play, the expansion of the playoffs, splitting each league into three divisions with wild cards, instituting video review and revenue-sharing in an era that saw the construction of 20 new ballparks.
His tenure also included the Steroids Era and the cancellation of the 1994 World Series amid a players’ strike, but he left baseball in excellent shape economically — without labor strife and with a strict drug-testing policy that has helped clean up the game.
In 26 years as a GM for the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves, Schuerholz stood alone. His teams won 16 division titles, six pennants and two World Series, one in each league, a first. He credited divine providence and fate for his good fortune, starting with a case of German measles that left him deaf in his right ear at age five, which he said forced him to be more attentive.
Schuerholz, who played second base at Towson University, said he quickly figured out where he should concentrate his future in baseball after a two-day tryout when he was told to time the players on the second day instead of taking the field.
“The message was delivered,” Schuerholz said. “I’d better concentrate someplace other than trying to be a professional baseball player. Divine providence. Fate. I truly believe so.”