Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre had an entertaining adventure on the base paths on Tuesday.
Everyone loves Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre because . . . Well, why wouldn’t they? He’s been a great player for many years, with more than 3000 career hits and over 450 career home runs. He’ll be in the Hall of Fame not long after his career ends. He’s also one of the most entertaining players in the game.
At the plate, the great Adrian Beltre has hit more than a few homers while dropping to one knee. When he gets a big hit and is mobbed by his teammates in the dugout, he’ll fight anyone who tries to touch his head.
In the field, he and shortstop Elvis Andrus occasionally pretend to catch pop-ups while standing right next to each other. On the base paths, Adrian Beltre has veered into left field to avoid a tag; baseline be damned.
On Tuesday, the Texas Rangers played the Oakland Athletics, and Adrian Beltre had another baserunning adventure. The game was tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the second inning. Texas Rangers fans were settling in for a pleasant night of baseball, unaware of what they were about to experience courtesy of one of their favorite players.
Adrian Beltre was on first base with one out and teammate Jurickson Profar at the dish. Profar fouled a pitch off, and home plate umpire Vic Carappaza handed a new ball to catcher Jonathan Lucroy, as Adrian Beltre stood on first base. Jonathon Lucroy then threw the ball back to pitcher Andrew Triggs, but it was a wild throw and sailed past the pitcher’s head.
Suddenly, Adrian Beltre and his 39-year-old legs were inspired! The veteran took off for second base as the ball rolled into centerfield. You could see everyone on the field wondering, “What the heck is Adrian Beltre doing now?”
The batter, Jurickson Profar, even glanced back at Lucroy, but Lucroy had no idea what Adrian Beltre was doing either. Texas Rangers fans started to cheer excitedly as Beltre chugged down to second base.
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The pitcher, Triggs, ran to cover second while his teammates looked bewildered. Meanwhile, Adrian Beltre and his 39-year-old legs weren’t content to steal just one base right out from under the noses of the Oakland A’s.
He got to second base and just kept on running for third. Nothing was gonna stop him now!
As the fans cheered him on, Adrian Beltre reached third safely without a throw. Chalk up two steals for Adrian Beltre, giving him 122 for his career and leapfrogging him over Greg Vaughn on the career leaderboard.
Texas Rangers third base coach Tony Beasley gave him a congratulatory fist bump in appreciation of his baseball acumen.
It was a terrific piece of baserunning by a wise veteran player but, sadly, it was not to be. Home plate umpire Vic Carapazza, a Derek Jeter doppelganger, ruled that the ball had not yet been put back in play. He and Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister had a chuckle about it. A’s manager Bob Melvin waved Adrian Beltre back to first.
Next: Beltre the most under the radar (future) MLB Hall of Famer?
Texas Rangers fans booed a little, but rules are rules. It was a dead ball, and a baserunner can’t advance two bases on a dead ball, not even the great Adrian Beltre.