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Watch: Vladdy receives hero's welcome in Dominican Republic

ERIKA SANTELICES / AFP / Getty

Vladimir Guerrero returned to the Dominican Republic on Sunday for the first time since being elected into baseball's Hall of Fame and received quite a welcome from his homeland.

The 42-year-old Guerrero, who announced he's entering the Hall wearing the cap of the Los Angeles Angels, was honored with a day-long celebration.

"Only greats get to receive this kind of honor," ceremony leader Francisco Javier Garcia said of Guerrero on Sunday, according to MLB.com's Daniel Kramer and Dionisio Soldevila. "We all agreed that Vladimir deserved to be in the Hall of Fame because of his numbers, but also for his humility, integrity and hard work. Not only he played with his muscles, but with his heart, too."

Guerrero was welcomed by hundreds of people at the airport in Santo Domingo before an eventual celebration ensued - which was attended by his family and peers - in his native Don Gregorio.

Guerrero was officially elected into the Hall on Wednesday along with Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, and Trevor Hoffman after spending 16 seasons in the bigs. He hit 449 home runs and drove in 1,496 RBIs, winning the AL MVP in 2004.

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