The winds blew strong through Cooperstown, N.Y., on Sunday, with the threat of a thunderstorm looming. And so the ceremony on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center celebrating the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022 was slightly truncated, with the typical video tributes cut so that the speeches could be completed without being interrupted by rain.

But for a class that is evidence of the winds of change that have blown through baseball over the decades, the conditions were appropriate. That the class was headlined by David Ortiz, a native of the Dominican Republic who developed into one of the most feared sluggers in history, spoke to the sport’s reach and representation. It’s a story that weaves its way through the Class of ’22, tracing back through the generations to include Golden Days and Early Baseball Era committee inductees Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat, and the late Bud Fowler, Gil Hodges, Minnie Miñoso and Buck O’Neil.

On Thursday, Jim Kaat called Nestor Cortes “Nestor the molester.”

On Friday, Cortes was ready to let it slide.

The New York Yankees pitcher wrote on Twitter that Kaat had reached out to him to apologize and that he’s “100%” convinced that the Minnesota Twins broadcaster and former MLB player didn’t mean any harm.

“Hey everybody — Jim Kaat has spent an entire lifetime in this game we love,” Cortes wrote. “He reached out to me and apologized for his remark last night, but he didn’t need to.

“We all make mistakes and feel 100% that there was no malice intended. I plan on lifting him up with this tweet and I hope others do too. No sweat here Jim!”

Kaat, 83, brought Nestor up while calling Thursday’s game between the Twins and Detroit Tigers.

“Nestor the molester, Nestor Cortes,” Kaat said. “Man he is fun to watch.”