Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long described his first coaching assignment nearly three decades ago: transforming then-prospect Carlos Beltrán into a switch-hitter. This task, Long said, was instrumental in shaping what Beltrán himself called the "biggest decision of my career" during his Hall of Fame induction speech on Sunday.

In the spring of 1997, Long, then 31 and newly retired from his minor league playing career, was tasked with working with Beltrán, a natural right-handed hitter who was then in his third professional season. The collaboration took place during extended spring training.

"That was my first assignment as a coach,'' Long said. "Somebody there thought he should be a switch-hitter and they put that in my hands, which I’m very grateful for. It taught me a lot at a very young age."

Beltrán, who was less than 20 years old at the time and still learning English, worked closely with Long. Their daily sessions involved hitting in the morning, sharing lunch, and hitting again in the afternoon. Long recalled the communication challenges, noting, "There was a lot of Spanglish going on from both of us."

Despite the language barrier, Beltrán's exceptional athletic abilities were evident. "His tools were off the charts,'' Long said. "The arm, the speed, the power, his bat speed. He was an elite player with an extreme skill set in every area."

While Beltrán struggled at the plate in 1997, he experienced a breakout season the following year, progressing from Double-A to the majors in September. He went on to earn American League Rookie of the Year honors in 1999.

"It was not hard to see how good he could become,'' Long said. "He could do things on a baseball field no one else could do."

The pair reunited years later when Beltrán signed with the New York Yankees before the 2014 season, with Long serving as the hitting coach. "It was nice to be together again so many years later,'' Long said. "For us to both have all that success was pretty special."

Long expressed gratitude for Beltrán acknowledging his early contribution during the Hall of Fame ceremony. "It’s a pretty cool story,'' he said.