Johnson, Biggio, Smoltz, Martinez Inducted in Baseball Hall of Fame

Picture Courtesy of Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame

By Francisco Romero. – A very emotional, festive and grateful ceremony took place in Cooperstown, New York on Sunday, as four of the greatest players who have stepped on a baseball field were inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Former pitchers Randy Johnson, John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez along with catcher-center fielder-second baseman Craig Biggio took the big stage and became members of a special fraternity in the baseball world.

Johnson became the first player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of fame with a Diamondbacks hat.

Part of Johnson’s speech mentioned the Diamondbacks World Series Championship: “Individual accomplishments are great but in 2001 we had a team that in spring training we were all on the same page and we never deviated or wavered from that. And it led us to the World Series, against the greatest team of all time, the New York Yankees. Those were some very memorable moments there in Arizona. I’m so grateful for everybody I played with and the franchise.”

During Smoltz speech he sent a strong message to parents with kids playing baseball in order to avoid Tommy John Surgery: “I want to encourage the families and parents that are out there to understand that this is not normal to have a surgery at fourteen and fifteen years old. That you have time, that baseball’s not a year-round sport. That you have an opportunity to be athletic and play other sports; Don’t let the institutions that are out there running before you guaranteeing scholarship dollars and signing bonuses that this is the way.

Martinez became only the second Dominican in the Baseball Hall of Fame: “I feel proud to be from Dominican Republic. I give this to all the fathers in the Dominican because today is Father’s Day in Dominican. The day I got called to be in the Hall of Fame is January 6th, which is Kid’s Day. To all the fathers in the Dominican Republic, feel like this is your gift today.”

Biggio became the first Houston Astros player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of fame: “I was lucky to have some incredible coaches and managers, like a lot of successful for organizations, you’re only going to be successful with good people around you. One of those coaches was Hall of Famer Yogi Berra. Yogi was the smartest baseball man that I was ever around. Although he’s known for his Yogi-isms, his baseball intellect was second to none.”

The Baseball Hall of Fame Plaques make their way to the cities where the players had their careers. 

The following is a schedule:

Pedro Martinez plaque:

– Removed from display: Monday, July 27 in the afternoon

– Special event: At Fenway Park in Boston, July 28-29

– Returning to display: Thursday, July 30 by 12 noon

Randy Johnson plaques:

– Removed from display: Wednesday, August 5 in the afternoon

– Special event: At Chase Field in Phoenix, August 7-8

– Returning to display: Monday, Aug. 10 by 12 noon

John Smoltz plaque:

– Removed from display: Thursday, Aug. 13 in the afternoon

– Special event: At Turner Field in Atlanta, August 14-15

– Returning to display: Monday, Aug. 17 by noon

Craig Biggio plaque:

– Removed from display: Thursday, Aug. 20 in the afternoon

– Special event: At Minute Maid Park in Houston, Aug. 22

– Returning to display: Monday, Aug. 24 by 12 noon