{"id":15989,"date":"2018-07-30T22:49:49","date_gmt":"2018-07-31T03:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=15989"},"modified":"2018-07-30T22:49:49","modified_gmt":"2018-07-31T03:49:49","slug":"the-2018-mlb-star-studded-hall-of-fame-class-that-includes-the-big-quiet-boisterous-bat-mr-vladimir-alvino-guerrero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=15989","title":{"rendered":"THE 2018 MLB Star-Studded Hall Of Fame Class, “THAT INCLUDES “THE BIG QUIET”, “BOISTEROUS BAT”, Mr. Vladimir Alvino Guerrero"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Six players reached the pinnacle of their illustrious careers when they joined the Baseball Hall of Fame during a sun-splashed ceremony Sunday afternoon in Cooperstown, N.Y.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Four hitters — Vladimir Guerrero, Chipper Jones, Jim Thome and Alan Trammell — joined the Class of 2018 in front of fans wearing jerseys and hats<\/a> from the teams they represented. The foursome was joined by two pitchers — Trevor Hoffman and Jack Morris — to complete the talent-laden, six-member class.<\/strong><\/p>\n

More than 50 returning Hall of Famers attended the ceremony, which capped a weeklong celebration in the small town in upstate New York. The newest inductees brought the number of all-time Hall of Famers to 323.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jones’ eyes watered as he watched a video showing highlights from his 19-year career with the Atlanta Braves. He was a .303 lifetime hitter with 2,726 hits, 468 home runs and 1,623 RBIs, all with the Braves.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0switch-hitter spoke about his childhood in Pierson, Fla., where he fell in love with the game. He spoke in front of family members including his parents and his nine-month pregnant wife, Taylor, who is due Monday.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Taylor is due any minute with our second boy,” Jones said with a smile after thanking his wife for her support. “We decided to name him Cooper in honor of this occasion.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Guerrero was a .318 lifetime hitter during a prolific 16-year career spent mostly with the Montreal Expos and Los Angeles Angels. He slugged 449 home runs with 1,496 RBIs and stood out with his rocket arm in right field.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Guerrero became the first position player from the Dominican Republic to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. His plaque features an Angels hat<\/a>, which he wore during his 2004 American League MVP campaign.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thome slammed 612 career home runs, eighth on the all-time list. He hit .276 with 2,328 career hits over 22 seasons spent mostly with the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thome’s 15-year-old daughter, Lila, sang the national anthem on stage to kick off the Hall of Fame ceremony. The intimidating slugger who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 250 pounds quickly transformed into a teary-eyed father.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When it was his turn to speak, Thome thanked baseball fans for supporting him throughout his career and for traveling from across the country to be part of the ceremony.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“It was the pleasure of my life to play hard for you for 22 years,” Thome said to cheering fans. “The Hall of Fame is an amazing place, the intersection of the game’s past and present. …<\/strong><\/p>\n

“It’s the same dream that so many kids have of one day getting to the big leagues. I never forgot that dream, even after I became a major league player, because I could always see the dream’s reflection in the face of a kid in the stands.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

San Diego Padres fans lined the lawn to support Hoffman, who became the first pitcher in major league history to reach 500 saves — and then 600 saves. He finished his career with 601 saves and a 2.87 ERA while limiting opponents to a .211 batting average.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hoffman became the sixth primary relief pitcher to reach Cooperstown. He joined fellow bullpen standouts Goose Gossage, Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter and Dennis Eckersley.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Fifteen years in one spot, and that spot is San Diego?” Hoffman said. “Jackpot.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trammell and Morris drew thousands of Detroit Tigers fans to Cooperstown for the ceremony. Both players were elected through the Hall of Fame’s Veterans Committee.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"In 20 years from 1977 to 1996, Trammell hit .285 with 185 home runs and 1,003 RBIs, playing primarily shortstop throughout his career. He was named as the 1984 World Series’ Most Valuable Player and won four Gold Gloves alongside second baseman Lou Whitaker.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Lou and I were called up to the big leagues from Double-A on the same day,” Trammell said as Whitaker listened in the crowd. “We both got hits in our first major league at-bat off the same pitcher, Reggie Cleveland. … For all those years, it was \u2018Lou and Tram.’ Lou, it was an honor and a pleasure to have played alongside you for all those years, and my hope is someday you’ll be up here, as well.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Morris, now 63, is the oldest member of the Class of 2018. The right-hander went 254-186 with a 3.90 ERA while racking up 2,478 strikeouts. He made a name as a big-game pitcher, winning three World Series titles and earning 1991 World Series MVP honors for his performance with the Minnesota Twins.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Mom, I know you’re smiling down on this today,” he said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"\"A father of eight, Guerrero, the first Dominican-born position player in the Hall of Fame, noted that his induction fell on Father\u2019s Day in the Dominican, making the day \u201ceven more special.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Then Guerrero wished a \u201cHappy Father\u2019s Day to all the Dominican pops,\u201d flashed his huge trademark grin, waved to the crowd and walked back to his seat, the entirety of his speech, including time for translation, lasting four minutes, one of the shortest induction speeches ever.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt was actually longer than I thought it would be,\u201d former Angels general manager Bill Stoneman, who signed Guerrero to a five-year, $70-million deal in 2004, said with a chuckle. \u201cHe\u2019s a man of very few words. He shows you how to do things. He doesn\u2019t tell you how to do things. And that\u2019s what you call a good teammate.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Angels owner Arte Moreno, who led a contingent of about two dozen team executives, former players and broadcasters in Cooperstown, had a similar reaction.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019ve been around Vladdy for a lot of years,\u201d Moreno said, \u201cand like he said, he\u2019s a man of few words who let his bat do the talking.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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That bat produced a career average of .318 with 2,590 hits, 449 home runs and 1,496 runs batted in, and fueled the most dominant six-year run in Angels history, the team following its 2002 World Series title by winning five division titles and reaching two American League Championship Series in six seasons (2004-09) with Guerrero.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The outfielder hit .337 with a .989 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 39 home runs, 39 doubles, 126 RBIs and a league-high 124 runs in his first season in Anaheim, and was selected the 2004 AL most valuable player. He hit .319 with a .927 OPS, 173 home runs and 616 RBIs as an Angel.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"\"Guerrero was a superstar in Montreal, hitting .323 with a .978 OPS, 234 home runs and 702 RBIs from 1996 to 2003, but he never reached the postseason with the Expos.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He chose to be enshrined in an Angels cap because he enjoyed his most team success in Anaheim, adding that the decision was made easier by the fact that the Expos no longer exist.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But as big as this moment was for the Angels, Moreno found his emotions tugged more by the player under the cap on that Hall of Fame plaque, not the team logo on the cap.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s about Vladdy and his career,\u201d Moreno said. \u201cHe\u2019s an unbelievable player, a great human being, and we\u2019re just so proud of him. I think it\u2019s great for the Angels. He was a great player for us, the fans loved him, and we won a lot of divisions and playoff games with him.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBut this is more about Vladdy and his family and what he means to his country. I think it\u2019s such a bonus for us to have an opportunity to have a player like that represent us.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Still, the significance was not lost on former Angels outfielder Tim Salmon, who spent his entire 14-year career (1992-2006) in Anaheim and was a teammate of Guerrero\u2019s from 2004 to 2006.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou know what? It\u2019s pretty cool,\u201d Salmon said after the three-hour induction ceremony. \u201cI was walking through the Hall of Fame [Sunday] morning and they had an Angels jersey with all these Hall of Famers on it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt dawned on me that none of them went into the hall as Angels, and now they\u2019re finally gonna be able to have a shirt with a Hall of Famer who went in as an Angel.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The permanence of the honor, that Guerrero\u2019s plaque will stand in the Hall of Fame gallery alongside Babe Ruth and Ted Williams and the greats of the game \u2014 there were 51 returning Hall of Famers behind him on stage Sunday, including Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Rod Carew and Brooks Robinson \u2014 impressed Moreno.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cTo me, it\u2019s almost like you\u2019re being immortalized,\u201d the owner said. \u201cHe will be in the Hall of Fame forever. He\u2019s going somewhere where no one can take it away. He will be there, and generations and generations of people will be able to go in there and see that plaque.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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If Guerrero wasn\u2019t as eloquent or as effusive or as emotional as his fellow inductees, whose speeches ranged from 15 to 20 minutes and were filled with moments of poignancy and humor, so be it.<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cVladdy is not much for words, but I thought he did a great job in his way of addressing and thanking the people who meant so much to him,\u201d Salmon said.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe biggest thing is he got up there and showed off that amazing smile a few times, and that, to me, is Vladdy. That speaks more words than he can probably ever say.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"A<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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Vladimir Alvino Guerrero (born February 9, 1975) is a Dominican<\/a> former professional baseball<\/a> player who spent 16 seasons in Major League Baseball<\/a> (MLB) as a right fielder<\/a> and designated hitter<\/a>. He played for the Montreal Expos<\/a>(1996\u20132003), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim<\/a> (2004\u201309), Texas Rangers<\/a> (2010), and Baltimore Orioles<\/a> (2011).<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

A nine-time All-Star<\/a>, Guerrero was widely recognized for his impressive offensive production\u2014regularly hitting for power and average\u2014as well as his defensive range and strong throwing arm.<\/sup> In 2004, Guerrero was voted the American League<\/a> (AL) Most Valuable Player<\/a> (MVP). He helped lead the Angels to five AL West<\/a> championships between 2004 and 2009 and was voted one of the most feared hitters in baseball in a 2008 poll of all 30 major league managers<\/a>.<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Regarded as the game’s premier “bad-ball hitter,” Guerrero consistently hit balls thrown well outside the strike zone<\/a>, a skill evident on August 14, 2009, when he hit a pitch after it bounced in front of home plate<\/a>.<\/sup> With his aggressive batting style, he hit more than 30 home runs in each of 8 seasons and surpassed 100 RBI 10 times, though he had just 2 seasons with at least 65 walks.<\/sup> In the first pitch of the at-bat, Guerrero hit 126 home runs, believed to be the most ever, and put 1,780 balls in play.<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

On September 26, 2011, Guerrero surpassed Julio Franco<\/a> as the all-time MLB leader for hits by a Dominican player. (Adri\u00e1n Beltr\u00e9<\/a> claimed the record from Guerrero in 2014.) Guerrero was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame<\/a>on January 24, 2018, in his second year of eligibility.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"\"Awards and honors<\/span><\/h2>\n