The Beltran Situation: What Next?

[Ceetar]

I've heard 8-12 weeks as well, which almost seems like it's feasible for opening day. I think he'll miss some time in April, but he'll probably be back by May. of course, anything can happen.

I think it'll depend how he feels around March 8th (8 weeks) and he'll start seeing the docs and what not then and see about getting cleared to play. Who knows, they could carry him on the roster for the first week due to the usual only need 4 starters right away thing (playing short of course, isn't that the way it goes?) and ease him into things, pinch hits, etc. Not sure that'd be the wisest move, but hey, who knows right?

[metirish]

Omar speaks...........and clears the mess up.....

Mets general manager Omar Minaya said Friday that he did not give the OK for Carlos Beltran to have knee surgery before the team's star centerfielder went under the knife on Wednesday. "Carlos did speak to me before surgery and we had a good conversation," Minaya told Newsday in a telephone interview. "It was one of those things as far as he was telling me what the second opinion was and all that. I basically told him, 'Look, as long as the protocol is followed.' I didn't give an OK because ... we had a good conversation about it that seemed like he was excited about it. I did talk to Carlos about that (Friday) and I did have a conversation with him before (the surgery) and with the simple thing that he let me know what the prognosis was as far as that he was going to have surgery. Bottom line, as long as that protocol was followed, that's all. That's what happened there." Minaya's stance - that Beltran went ahead with the surgery without the Mets' final approval - contradicts what Beltran said in a statement on Thursday issued through his agent, Scott Boras. "I also spoke to Omar Minaya about the surgery on Tuesday," Beltran said in the statement. "He did not ask me to wait or to get another doctor's opinion. He just wished me well. No one from the team raised any issue until Wednesday, after I was already in surgery. I do not know what else I could have done." Minaya, in his first public comments on the matter, said he spoke with Beltran Friday in an attempt to clarify matters. "I just told him that ownership and myself and the doctors ... there was a breakdown in the process, those were the issues," he said. "There was a miscommunication along the way. A general manager doesn't approve it, that's between the doctors and the other people. "Carlos and I have a very good relationship. I told Carlos from ownership, there's no issues with Carlos. The issues that were played out were more on the process. We had a very good conversation. There are no issues between Carlos and myself or the organization." Despite Minaya's contention, there does seem to be an issue. By going on the record as saying they did not approve the surgery and involving the commissioner's office, as they did on Wednesday, the Mets could be setting up a legal battle in which they seek to recoup some of Beltran's salary if his recovery from the surgery goes awry. "I knew that surgery was planned," Minaya said. "He told me that surgery had been planned. My words for him was, 'As long as the protocol was being followed.'""

[metsmarathon]

gee, i just don't know how anybody could get their signals crossed up with omar - he's always so succinct and precise in his language.

[A Boy Named Seo]

"Carlos did speak to me before surgery and we had a good conversation," Minaya told Newsday in a telephone interview. "It was one of those things as far as he was telling me what the second opinion was and all that. I basically told him, 'Look, as long as the protocol is followed.' I didn't give an OK because ... we had a good conversation about it that seemed like he was excited about it. I did talk to Carlos about that (Friday) and I did have a conversation with him before (the surgery) and with the simple thing that he let me know what the prognosis was as far as that he was going to have surgery. Bottom line, as long as that protocol was followed, that's all. That's what happened there."

I read that twice and still have no idea what the hell Omar's saying. If Carlos talked to him last Friday and told him what the second opinion was, and Omar's response was that crazy shit back to him, it's real hard to find any fault with Carlos, except maybe failure to get an Omar-to-English (or Spanish) translator. I bet Brookstone has em.

[Centerfield]

It's gotten to the point where Omar Minaya and parodies of Omar Minaya are indistinguishable from one another.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think it's pretty clear, and has been all along, that nobody defied anybody, nobody betrayed anybody, but somebody misunderstood somebody. And I think the odds-on favorite from the first moment has been Beltran misunderstanding Minaya.

But again, I think we're exactly where we would be had he not.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Edgy DC wrote: I think it's pretty clear, and has been all along, that nobody defied anybody, nobody betrayed anybody, but somebody misunderstood somebody. And I think the odds-on favorite from the first moment has been Beltran misunderstanding Minaya. But again, I think we're exactly where we would be had he not.

Not really clear to me. Beltran's statement completely contradicted Ricco's, and Omar backs Ricco up by saying he didn't OK the surgery. Omar's throwing around "follow protocol" as if that clears anything up, or moves the heat back to Carlos (or off him), but he still seems to be implying that Beltran defied the team's wishes.

Agreed we'd probably be here just the same, but that's a huge-ass miscommunication. Minaya seems to admit as much, but confuses shit more when he says he didn't give an OK, but said he explained to Carlos that he's not the guy who gives the OK anyway. Huh?

[Guest Edgy DC]

It seems to me that "Omar didn't make himself all that clear even though he thought he did" is a great default explanation for any he-said-she-said situations, now and in the future.

Let's hope for not too many more of these.

[duan]

seriously though, at what point in time does Tony Soprano come into the mets front office and say "Loose Lips Sink Ships".
It's like there's NO WAY that they can possibly NOT say something stupid about anything.
This could have all been handled privately, release the statement saying "Carlos Beltran underwent surgery, when he was unable to increase his training to the level he desired to get into shape for the new season. The decision was taken to undergo the surgery now to allow for the minimum disruption possible to the 2010 season. It is unfortunate that the need for the surgery did not become clear till this point, but as Carlos had been successful in playing a number of games in September he thought he would be able to work his way back to peak condition naturally."

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST WHY IS IT ALWAYS NECESSARY TO TRY AND POINT SCORE IN THE MEDIA

[smg58]

I think Omar took it for granted that Beltran would get official approval before going ahead, and Beltran took it for granted that nobody would object to him going ahead with the surgery since there was, well, no good reason whatsoever to do so. But somebody did object, and then decided the best way to handle this was to bring in the commissioner and the media. And again, who benefits, besides the reporters who get another free opportunity to slam the Mets?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Jim F. Edmonds is making comeback noises.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

F. Jim Edmonds

[MFS62]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: F. Jim Edmonds

That is a brief, but accurate, description of the way I feel, too.
LOL!

Later

[ashie62]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: F. Jim Edmonds

Thats not bad!

[Benjamin Grimm]

The Mets should hang back and see what Ed Price thinks.

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's Ed F. Price.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

As in, "Omar, dear... there was some ratlike rustling, then some noises that sounded like a old-fashioned modem squeal in the pantry overnight. Should I call the exterminator, or is that Ed F. Price again?"

[nymr83]

I'm not looking to pull a 40 year old who didnt play last year out of retirement, but why does anyone dislike Edmonds? or do you all just dislike the prospect of him becoming a Met right now?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Juicer, meathead, showoff, old, equity with the Cardinals. What else?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Plenty-diminished and rapidly-diminishing skills at the plate and field.

Additionally, power is to straightaway and the gaps.

Additionally, fuck that guy for the reasons JCL said.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yeah, fie on former-Cardinal-who-hasn't-played-since-2008-desperately-trying-for-a-comeback Jim Edmonds. Not when we can reach out to former-Cardinal-who-hasn't-played-since-2007-desperately-trying-for-a-comeback Preston Wilson.

Make it happen.

[TransMonk]

Here's another Cardinal available: Rick Ankiel

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Here's another Cardinal available: Rick Ankiel

F him.

[MFS62]

Speaking of F, Fernando Martinez had hit 5 hits in 6 AB yesterday (homer, 2B and 3 hits)

Also with 6 RBI's...he has HR in two consecutive games in the final series of the DWL between Escogido and the Giants of Cibao.

his line is .345/.333/.621 in 9 playoff games...an XBH machine right now.... *

Hmmmmm.

Later

* = The numbers are from a subscription site.

[Centerfield]

MFS62 wrote: Speaking of F, Fernando Martinez had hit 5 hits in 6 AB yesterday (homer, 2B and 3 hits) Also with 6 RBI's...he has HR in two consecutive games in the final series of the DWL between Escogido and the Giants of Cibao. his line is .345/.333/.621 in 9 playoff games...an XBH machine right now.... * Hmmmmm. Later * = The numbers are from a subscription site.

I know the guy doesn't walk a whole lot, but he must be really bad to hit .345 and still have an OBP of only .333.

[seawolf17]

Quick! Trade him for an overpriced middle reliever!

[ashie62]

Ed [bigpurple:1grxtkv1]F[/bigpurple:1grxtkv1]Price is the tool for AOL Fanhouse..thats about all you need to know

[Benjamin Grimm]

Except that I've never even heard of AOL Fanhouse, at least until Ed Price came along.

We're mocking him now, but one day he'll probably be President of the United States. Or Emperor of the World, or something like that.

[Guest old original jb]

The Mets should put out the oldest group of players they can, and Jim Edmonds fits right into this.

Think about it; if they win anything, anything at all, they will be the heroes of past their prime middle aged guys like me everywhere. If they don't win anything, well, what do you expect from a bunch of old guys.

Maybe they can get Julio Franco back to play first while they are at it.

[Guest themetfairy]

old original jb wrote: The Mets should put out the oldest group of players they can, and Jim Edmonds fits right into this. Think about it; if they win anything, anything at all, they will be the heroes of past their prime middle aged guys like me everywhere. If they don't win anything, well, what do you expect from a bunch of old guys. Maybe they can get Julio Franco back to play first while they are at it.

jb! How the hell are you?