Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame

Puerto Rico and Curaçao may be small islands, but the support they showed was massive as elite center fielders Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Both joined slugging second baseman Jeff Kent as the newest members before an estimated crowd of 12,000 fans at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, with 57 other Hall of Famers on stage, creating the largest gathering of current Hall of Famers.

Jones' speech was almost like a love letter to his home country of Curaçao.

"There's no easy way to get here from the small island of Curaçao, more than 2,000 miles away," Jones said in his speech. "But today Cooperstown and Curaçao are forever joined together."

The longtime Atlanta Braves outfielder, a 10-time Gold Glove winner and five-time All-Star, is the first player from Curaçao to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But he said he doesn't plan on being the last. He pointed to players who have followed him, including Ozzie Albies and Kenley Jansen, as part of the Curaçao legacy started by Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens.

Among the highlights, Jones' tribute to his late father, Henry Jones, stood out. He said his father used to hit him flyballs from foul pole to foul pole to teach him how to track the ball, and how to build strong wrists by rolling a sledgehammer.

"Everything he taught me had a purpose," Jones said. "Henry Jones was a legend in Curaçao, a great player in his own right. And I'm not standing here in Cooperstown without his constant coaching. Dad, we did it."

Chants of "Puerto Rico" broke out before Beltrán even uttered a word. And whenever he mentioned his home island, the crowd cheered for him and waved flags.

"Everywhere I played baseball, I always tried to represent my island," Beltrán said. "I tried to do the best I could for the organizations that I played, but also I wanted to represent Puerto Rico."

The 20-year veteran and 1999 AL Rookie of the Year ran through each organization he played for, thanking them for the different lessons each provided. The New York Mets received the most praise.

"When people ask me about why I chose (the Mets) cap, I have to say this," he said. "Guys, it's simple. Every organization shapes your career. New York shaped my life."

When discussing the teams he played for, Beltrán gave specific examples from some of his stops, including watching teammates Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell "play with pain" in Houston. But he did not mention winning the World Series with the Astros in 2017. That title carries controversy because of an illegal sign-stealing scheme and