Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Joe Mauer, and manager Jim Leyland face the crowd this afternoon in Cooperstown during their Hall of Fame inductions. It’s a great group. Beltre stood out in an era of great third baseman. He hit well, he fielded great, and continued playing at a high level into his late 30s. Helton stood as one of the few Rockies who was a great hitter away from Coors. While Coors helped him a great deal, he hit .287/.386/.469 on the road. Mauer combined great hitting with great defense behind the plate, and I think voters did a good job here of recognizing that Hall of Fame standards need to be a little different for catchers given the injuries they accumulate.

I really hope Leyland gives his speech with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Bun E. Calos would: