Call From the Hall: Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton Elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame

The Baseball Writers' Association of America announced this Tuesday, Jan. 23, the elections of Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Joining the talented trio at the induction ceremony on July 21 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y., is former Major League Baseball manager Jim Leyland, who helmed the Miami Marlins when the team won the World Series in 1997.

Needing at least 75 percent of the BBWAA's annual vote for entry, Beltre had the highest mark by far with 95.1 percent, followed by tallies of 79.7 percent for Helton and 76.1 percent for Mauer.

Beltre and Mauer have been retired from baseball for five seasons, so the two are getting their plaques in Cooperstown in their first year of eligibility.

In separate interviews, the three men spoke with MLB Network shortly after receiving a phone call with the good news.

"I always wanted to be a decent baseball player, good baseball player, but I never thought about being a hall of famer," said Beltre, in a room surrounded by friends and family. "Now that I'm in, it's really an honor. I'm humbled to be called that."

Beltre's major league career spanned 21 seasons, during which he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and Texas Rangers. During his career, the Dominican third baseman compiled 3,166 hits, batted .286, slugged 477 home runs and drove in 1,707 runs.

Beltre, who was named to four American League All-Star teams, also won five Gold Glove and four Silver Slugger awards.

Mauer, Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, played the entirety of his 15-season career with the Minnesota Twins, finishing with a batting average of .306, a total of 2,123 hits, 143 homers and 923 RBIs. The catcher/first baseman was named to six AL All-Star teams, won three Gold Glove and five Silver Slugger awards, three AL batting titles and the 2009 AL MVP Award.

Mauer is now the third-ever Minnesota Twins player to be welcomed into baseball's most prestigious club, preceded by fellow franchise greats Rod Carew and Kirby Puckett.

"It was unbelievable," Mauer said from his home. "I kind of laid low during that time of a possible call, and I just spent it with family. Now I have to sneak into my office because the number is growing with friends and family down here in my basement. So, definitely thrilled to get that call."

Helton, a first baseman, only played for the Colorado Rockies during his 17 big league seasons, batting .316 with 369 homers, 2,519 hits and 1,406 RBIs. Of Knoxville, Tennessee, Helton won the National League batting title after hitting .372 in the 2000 season, made it to five NL All-Star teams, and collected three Gold Glove and four Silver Slugger awards.

In what was Helton's sixth year of eligibility, the 50-year-old finally got to answer the phone call he wasn't certain he'd ever receive.

"I was pretty nervous," admitted Helton, flanked by members of his family. "I really didn't think the phone was gonna ring. When it rang, I was still in shock. When it said 'hall of fame' on (the caller ID), I was very happy.

"This is something you don't play for, but obviously it's the greatest award you can have as a baseball player," he added.

Three-time Manager of the Year, Jim Leyland was also elected to the hall of fame by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee, receiving 93.8 percent of the vote. Leyland, of Perrysburg, Ohio, managed major league teams for 22 seasons, retiring with a record of 1,769 wins and 1,728 losses.

He managed the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies, and Detroit Tigers, reaching the playoffs a total of eight times.

In three trips to the World Series, Leyland won in 1997 as skipper of the Marlins against Cleveland, and lost as Tigers manager to both the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants.