Associated Press
Bert Blyleven is still fine-tuning his Hall of Fame speech. So is Roberto Alomar, and he might have the more difficult task when the two former major league stars enter baseballís hallowed ground.
ěItís not going to be an easy one. Iím going to start in Spanish,î Alomar said Friday on a conference call, nine days before both will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. ěAfter that, Iím going to finish in English.
ěI think your nerves are always going to take over,î Alomar said. ěYour heart is going to be pumping, your knees shaking. Itís like Lou Gehrig said ó Iím going to be the happiest man that day.î
Alomarís signature moment figured to come a year earlier, but the switch-hitting second baseman who hit 210 home runs, drove in 1,134 runs, and batted .300 was bypassed in his first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame. This year he was named on 90 percent of ballots cast, becoming just the 26th player to garner at least 90 percent in any election, and he was listed on 523 ballots, the third-highest total of all time.
For Blyleven, induction will cap a most memorable eight-day stretch. The Minnesota Twins, whom he helped to the 1987 World Series title in his second stint with the club, are retiring his No. 28 in a ceremony on Saturday.
ěItís kind of a nice steppingstone to the following weekend in Cooperstown. The honors are coming my way and itís very, very nice,î Blyleven said.