Bully for Beltran (split from Appreciation for Santana)

[Edgy MD]

One of those (Guerra?) was a favorite of our dgw too, I think.

[dgwphotography]

Edgy MD wrote: One of those (Guerra?) was a favorite of our dgw too, I think.

I don’t really remember Guerra. I remember being high on Gomez, but it was a trade that had to be made

[Edgy MD]

Amazin' that Guerra didn't even debut until three seasons after Johan had thrown his last big league pitch. He has a modest little career going for himself now with the Angels, and is still only 28 going on 29.

[Frayed Knot]

Guerra was the youngest guy with the potentially high ceiling but was so far off that I had no problem including him.
Mulvey was a 2nd round pick, 62nd overall (2006) but was never on the fast track to anywhere.
Gomez wound up better than I thought he was going to be, so I didn't have a problem with his inclusion either.
And if Humber had lived up to his 3rd overall pick status he wouldn't have been included ... but then again if he had lived up to the status you likely wouldn't have needed to deal for Johan.

[Edgy MD]

MetsJetsFTW wrote: I absolutely HATE Carlos Beltran. He is my least favorite player on any team in all of sports. .... If there were some way to kill Carlos Beltran and get away with it or have him disappear permanently, I would do it.

http://www.fieldchatter.com/forum/Thread-The-Mets?pid=19391

[Centerfield]

How did you find that?

Do you post on other forums?

[MFS62]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: And that disproves Zvon's claim that Beltran is afraid to hit a foul ball.

OOOOOOOOOH!

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

Centerfield wrote: How did you find that? Do you post on other forums?

WHAT??? Is Edgy cheating on us?

And... I'm thinking we probably shouldn't invite MetsJetsFTW to join us here.

[Edgy MD]

I found it with The Google.

[Vic Sage]

I don't know if I agree with that, Edgy. I just think people had unrealistic expectations. They probably thought they were getting the otherworldly guy they saw in the playoffs and were let down that they got a guy who was merely excellent. Met fans embraced Gooden and Strawberry and other African American players. BREAKING NEWS: WHITE MALE REPUBLICAN SKEPTICAL OF RACISM Details at 11

this.

If you didn't see the racism underlying alot of the negative attitude toward Beltran, then you are actively trying NOT to see it. The response to "Los Mets" was a matter of public record and historical fact. But right, what do facts matter?

and yes, the called third strike was heartbreaking, but his selectivity was part of what made him a great hitter. He wasn't going to change his approach in that one AB. He is the best CFer, and one of the top 10 players, ever to wear the blue and orange.

[Edgy MD]

Edgy MD wrote: Or ask T.C.!

Anybody follow that link?

T.C. is white and says he has no problem with hispanic players. As a matter of fact, he cites Keith Hernandez as being one of his all-time favorites. “But they not only changed the roster when Omar was here, they also forced everything Spanish down our throats at Shea Satdium (sic).”

I have no problem with hispanic players because Keith Hernandez is an all-time favorite is about as rich as it gets.

[Benjamin Grimm]

There was a lot of complaining about how Omar was making the Mets "too Hispanic". I'm sure that there are references to it (if not examples of it) here in our own archives from 2005 and 2006.

ON EDIT: Oops, maybe not. Our archives only go back to June 2005, months after Omar signed Beltran and Pedro. I would imagine that the biggest anti-Hispanic backlash would have been during the 2004-05 offseason.

[Ceetar]

There was a lot of complaining about how Omar was making the Mets "too Hispanic". I'm sure that there are references to it (if not examples of it) here in our own archives from 2005 and 2006. ON EDIT: Oops, maybe not. Our archives only go back to June 2005, months after Omar signed Beltran and Pedro. I would imagine that the biggest anti-Hispanic backlash would have been during the 2004-05 offseason.

Try May 16th+ 2008. That's when Billy Wagner made the "Ask those guys questions, they speak English, believe me." comments. Which I don't think were racially tinged on Wagner's side, more that "ask the guys that actually played and aren't always standing here after games. They all can answer your questions too"

Many saw that as confirmation of a clubhouse divide when really it was Wagner being tired of answering questions about losses he mostly twiddled his thumbs during.

[nymr83]

the Wagner comment can be taken a lot of different ways, but racism on Wagner's part is probably the least likely intent.

#1 - Those asshole players can talk to you too, they choose not to, but why don't you go try talking to them - i dont need to stand here and answer questions for all the assholes who cant stand in front of their lockers after they went 0-4

#2 - You asshole reporters should stop asking me all the questions just because I'm white. go talk to those guys, they speak English too, you know?

[nymr83]

As for the "Los Mets" thing - I didnt think there was a lot of racism going around against the latino stars, Mets fans fell in love with Pedro especially in a very short time period.

Omar was the one taking the racist flak.

[Ceetar]

Of course, Willie floated some of it on his way out too.

[Frayed Knot]

I remember, in the midst of one of the [u:3sszliut]Los Mets[/u:3sszliut] screeds, finding pictures from a Los Mets promotion back during sometime in the 1970s
Kinda shot a hole in those arguments that it was all a creation of Omar Racist Productions Inc.

[stevejrogers]

Frayed Knot wrote: I remember, in the midst of one of the Los Mets screeds, finding pictures from a Los Mets promotion back during sometime in the 1970s Kinda shot a hole in those arguments that it was all a creation of Omar Racist Productions Inc.

I usually went with a better observation, from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s the Mets produced a Spanish version of the yearbook. Its hard to find bigger examples from a PR perspective when it comes to courting the Latin American audience!

[Edgy MD]

Yes, and they've had Spanish-language broadcasts since 1962, but a minority marketing sideline was easily ignorable for Johnny Budweiser Whiteguy.

When Beltran answered that first question in Spanish, it was a new regime that was IN JOHNNY'S FACE. And Johnny didn't forget.