The Hall of Fame announces the Baseball Writers selections for the Hall of Fame Tuesday night at 6 PM. The Hall of Fame Ballot Tracker shows third baseman Adrian Beltre as a shoe in, although he won’t be unanimous. He is certainly in the top five of third basemen all time, although an inconsistent offensive career probably kept him out of the top slot.

ESPN talks to four baseball men close to Beltre, each providing a view of his greatness. In the section on Elvis Andrus, comes the bit about Beltre’s joy for the game:

Beltré’s Hall of Fame résumé was built on his prowess, but his essence was marked by the spontaneity and hilarity of his antics — by the unique ways in which he emanated joy. Like when he dodged a liquid bath with a push broom. Or ran toward the pitcher’s mound during a rundown. Or stopped his stride like a Looney Tunes character. Or pushed José Altuve off third base. Or mockingly danced at Andrelton Simmons. Or screamed at Hernández on his way to first. Or dragged the on-deck circle before an at-bat, triggering one of the most ridiculous ejections in recent memory.

Beltré’s ability to exude levity and tenacity simultaneously made him unlike any others before him. It was his gift to the sport — and Andrus, his shortstop partner throughout his eight-year stint with the Texas Rangers, often triggered it with those unrelenting attempts to rub the top of his head.

ESPN.com

He was also the rare player who could actually play through pain.

Beltre managed to stand out in a golden era of third baseman. Brooks Robinson had some competition from Graig Nettles in the second half of Robinson’s career. George Brett and Mike Schmidt lit up the second half of the 1970s and the 1980s. Beltre’s career started in 1998 and ended in 2018. Adding two seasons around that gives us a good view of his contemporaries. The list is sorted by at bats as a third baseman. The top six were incredible, and the top nine were certainly excellent.

Beltre brought offensive skills, defensive skills, and leadership skills to the game, not going into a decline until his late 30s. He checks all the boxes for the Hall, and it’s good to see that he will go in with a very high vote percentage on the first ballot.