Intense and eccentric, no one had more fun than Adrian Beltre
One of the great misconceptions about the brilliant career of Adrian Beltre is that he was mean and unapproachable. Those eyes, that stare, sometimes kept those who didn't know him at a distance.cheap nike nfl jerseys paypal
The truth is, he was one of the most enjoyable players to be around. Those eyes were actually so warm and soft, and that smile could light a scoreboard. He is a future Hall of Famer, only Brooks Robinson played more games at third base, no third baseman had more assists, and George Brett and Wade Boggs are the only other primary third basemen to finish with 3,000 hits. But Beltre's legacy will be the fun with which he played.
Toward the end of his career, when a fair ball bounced over the third base bag down the left field line for a sure hit, Beltre would fake throwing his glove at the ball in mock frustration. And on a first-and-second situation, with two outs, when a ground ball was hit to him at third, and the runner on second had nowhere to go, Beltre would love the interaction with the runner -- always hilarious -- when the runner knew it was a simple tag out.
Before the start of every game, when the ball came to him after going around the horn, he would do a ritualistic toe-tap of the third base bag, to signify another game was starting, and how he was lucky to be playing the position for another day in the big leagues.nfl nike jerseys cheap china
When he played for the Mariners, he and teammate Richie Sexson would play a game in the indoor batting cage to see who could throw a ball through a tiny opening in the netting. When Beltre won, you could hear that infectious laugh all around the ballpark.
