Seoul: Former Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star and Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre, along with ex-World Series MVP Cole Hamels, will travel to South Korea this month to conduct a clinic for a minor league team, as announced by the SSG Landers of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The Landers revealed that Beltre and Hamels will be the featured guests for a two-day "MLB Legend Mentoring Day" for the Landers' team in the Futures League, the KBO's minor circuit, on June 11 and 12.
According to Yonhap News Agency, both Beltre and Hamels were teammates with Choo Shin-soo, a former Landers player and now an adviser to the team's owner, during their time with the Texas Rangers. Choo, who is responsible for player development for the Landers, played for the Rangers from 2014 to 2020, while Beltre was with them from 2011 to 2018, and Hamels from 2015 to 2018. The Landers stated that Beltre and Hamels will engage in talks and answer questions from the minor leaguers before providing one-on-one instruction to individual players. These sessions will be held at the Landers' minor league facilities on the western border island of Ganghwa.
The two former MLB players will also engage with the Landers' coaching staff and front office about player development strategies, the team added. The Landers emphasized that the invitation to Beltre and Hamels is an integral aspect of their player development system, aiming to strengthen the club for the mid to long term.
Choo expressed that he had been coordinating this trip since the start of the year and extended his gratitude to Beltre and Hamels for accepting his invitation. He noted that the clinic aims to inspire and motivate the Futures League players during the challenging months of June and July, providing them with fresh inspiration and motivation.
Beltre, who played for 21 years with the final eight at the Rangers, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024. His career included 477 home runs, 1,707 RBIs, and a .286 batting average in 2,933 games, along with five Gold Gloves and two Platinum Gloves. Hamels, who was the World Series MVP in 2008 for the Philadelphia Phillies, had a career record of 163-122 with a 3.43 ERA and participated in four All-Star teams.