Former Montreal Expo Vladimir Guerrero has been officially inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In a speech that lasted just five minutes, Guerrero, whose speech was translated from Spanish, thanked his mother, who cooked dinners for him, and father, the fans and the people in his hometown of Dan Gregorio in the Dominican Republic.
Guerrero was elected on his second try, receiving 92.9 per cent of the vote.
The nine-time All-Star outfielder batted .318 with 449 homers and 1,496 RBIs and was a notorious bad-ball hitter, a skill he learned as a kid growing up in the Dominican Republic playing a game similar to cricket.
Guerrero, who spent eight years in Montreal, became the first player inducted wearing the cap of the Angels, the team where he enjoyed his greatest success.
He helped lead the Angels to the post-season five times in six seasons, reaching career highs for runs (124), hits (206), and RBIs (126) in 2004 when he won AL MVP honours.
His son Vladimir Jr., the top prospect in the minor leagues with the Blue Jays, was in attendance.
Sluggers Chipper Jones and Jim Thome, first-ballot electees, headline the latest induction class.
- With files from The Associated Press