Engel Beltre lifted his right arm in the air in triumph and bounced up and down as he waited for Jayson Nix’s drive to land in his glove.
It’s only June, but the final out of the Rangers’ 2-0 victory over the Yankees Thursday capped a magical afternoon for The Bronx product.
The former DeWitt Clinton and James Monroe high school star, who spent his formative years a few subway stops from the Stadium, made a memorable return to The Bronx this week in front of friends and family.
The Rangers outfielder, called up on Sunday from Triple-A Round Rock when outfielder Craig Gentry was placed on the disabled list, made his major league debut Wednesday as a pinch-runner, and registered his first two hits in yesterday’s Texas win.
“I always wanted to start here in the major leagues,” he said. “It’s a big surprise for me, to get my first hit here in New York.”
Beltre, 23, could stick around for a while. Gentry is expected to be out at least a few weeks.
“He’s a gamer,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said of Beltre. “We’ve been having him in camp with us for a while and finally got an opportunity to get to the big leagues.”
In the second inning, he stayed back on a Phil Hughes off-speed pitch, and laced it into right field for a single. Later, he slapped a ball the other way off third baseman David Adams’ glove for an infield single. He handled all three of his chances smoothly in center, including the final out of Derek Holland’s two-hit, complete game gem.
It has been a long road to the majors for the speedy outfielder, signed as a free agent by the Red Sox in 2006. Born in the Dominican Republic, Beltre moved to The Bronx when he was eight. He was acquired by the Rangers in 2007, and played for seven different minor league teams across seven seasons before finally getting the call.
“I’ve been waiting for that moment a lot, playing in the minor leagues and working and preparing for this,” Beltre said. “I always believed and [kept] the faith. I always put in my mind just working hard and there will be a chance. So you can get your opportunity and be prepared.”