Carlos Beltran is a Terrific Player

[Centerfield]

And it breaks my heart that his great play lately may be paving the way for him to be in a different uniform, but I realize this is what's best for the team.

Some assholes may remember him for the Wainwright curve, but I will remember this player. The one hitting frozen ropes all over the ballpark and running down fly balls like he was born to do it. He's gotten so many big hits, the eventual "Memories of..." thread is going to be 87 pages long.

I love Reyes and Wright, but I think there is no question that the best player on this generation of Mets has been Beltran.

[TransMonk]

I still think Wright's been better over their time with the Mets, but that shouldn't take away from your broader point. Beltran is terrific and is IMO the best thing Omar ever did for the Mets.

Honestly, him having a great year would be the best thing for the Mets. The chances of him being with the team in 2012 were slim-to-none anyway. At least his trade value is increasing everyday.

His walk-off HRs of 2006 are some of my favorite post-Piazza moments. I will miss him when he's gone.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I wouldn't get too caught up in the notion that great play will get him traded. Great play will win ballgames. Root, root, root!

[Frayed Knot]

His first year here was an off year for him for whatever reason so he didn't get off to a great start. And of course in the two most recent seasons he's been a hobbled version of himself which barely added up to one complete season. Add those to the fact that he was pre-written off for this year by many and it's logical to take the view that the team didn't and won't get their money's worth with him.

But in the three seasons in between all he did was average .278/.372/.537 while totaling 101 HRs and 221 XBHs while playing a terrific CF - and during that time there was still only a slight slackening in the drumbeat that the team would somehow be better off without him. "Geez", I'd hear, "if only we could trick Boston into giving us Jacoby Ellsbury for him ... maybe if we added a couple prospects to the deal". Joe Benigno, in particular, never mentioned his name without also trying to figure a way to run him out of town.

Even throwing in the strikeout against Wainwright (like that was the reason we lost) I've never been able to get my head around the depth of the anti-Beltran faction.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The 2006 opening day booing and the warped rationalizations justifying it. That was a watermark. It's not often Met fans get that mirror placed in front of them.

[Guest holychicken]

Beltran is one of those players that makes me hate the "typical Mets fan."

Ever since striking out on that nasty curve, the "typical die hard mets fan" has been trying to find reasons to hate the guy. Now it is the "oh, he is in his contract year so he is actually trying now" which totally ignores the fact that he broke his face on Cameron's face and came back to finish the year when no one would have blamed him if he took the rest of the time off. I feel like he is a player who is always trying, just rarely very passionate about it (at least outwardly).

I also think his very-good-at-everything-not-super-at-any-one-thing, other than defense which many fans can ignore easily, and the fact that he is not a flashy player makes him an easy target to dislike despite his skill set.

I am not surprised that he is playing like he is, but if he keeps it up for the year (or at least is able to keep healthy and play reasonably well for the rest of the year), I might be surprised.

In my time paying attention to the game, he is the player who has gotten the most bum deal from Mets fans.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Beltran is one of those players that makes me hate the "typical Mets fan."

Here's Jason Fry in New York Magazine on that "typical Mets fan" you allude to:

I can accept that Carlos Beltran is certain to be traded; he's getting old, his knees are iffy, and he's been treated horribly by the Mets' dumber fans.

http://nymag.com/daily/sports/2011/05/why_the_mets_need_to_keep_jose.html

The only thing that ever hindered Beltran was his health. He had the talent to win MVP's and he played like one for the Mets, body willing. He was hurt in 2005, too -- even though the Mets kept that under wraps for the most part. You can tell by the way his stolen base and attempt totals dropped precipitously that season.

[Guest themetfairy]

Studious Metsimus is a fan.

[Ceetar]

This feels too much like a memories thread.

Beltran's great. I'm so glad he's healthy and playing on my team.

Also, it's kinda sad that he's completely owned the Cardinals in 2 NLCS', one off Babe Ruth's record for home runs against them in the playoffs, and lost both times. Yet another reason to hate Brad Lidge I suppose.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

He's played his tuchus off through pain that would cripple a Spartan, he's done it well when he could stand to be on a field, and he's doing it again.

I'd enjoy seeing him around a little while longer, but understand that probably shouldn't and won't happen; because of that, I think, it's a little easier for me to unequivocally enjoy his renaissance than it is for me in appreciating other rumored tradebait. Each vicious crack of the bat sounds like a happy yelp, each home run feels like a colossal, joyous "fuck you" shouted into the void... divorced from playoff aspirations or expectations or worry, it's truly satisfying to watch in a way it never quite has been.

Also, I think the Beltran's-the-problem crowd is a lot smaller than we think it is.

[ashie62]

How about, Beltran is going to make the all star team.

[Fman99]

I'm cuckoo for him like Cocoa Puffs.

[Gwreck]

Frayed Knot wrote: And of course in the two most recent seasons he's been a hobbled version of himself which barely added up to one complete season.

Here's the thing though: even in 2009, when hurt, he turned in an OUTSTANDING season. He played 81 games and had .325/.415/.500 (!!). It was only half a season and he still gave us 4.4 WAR.

Beltran will go down for me as one of my all-time favorite Mets whether he plays 50 more games or 500 more games with the team.

[G-Fafif]

i�l Todav�a Est� Aqu�!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Vanis takee!

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Carlos Beltran has always been a favorite of mine. He has been a hell of a player for the Mets when his health enabled him to play at full strength. I hope his knees hold out and allow him to keep having a strong season. I'm enjoying his play right now and I'll worry about his departure from the Mets when it occurs.

[G-Fafif]

Ashie62 wrote: How about, Beltran is going to make the all star team.

Elected as recently as 2009. Like Chris Christie, except that guy gets talked about as an All-Star in his field more for some reason.

[dgwphotography]

When I think of Carlos Beltran, the curve ball is one of the last things I think of - the first thing I remember is the catch while running up Tal's hill...

[Guest Edgy DC]

If Lenny Dykstra is a Met who played with passion, give me Beltran every time.

"Passion" is just just a trait we arbitrarily assign to folks. If David Wright's dropoff in performance and uptick in strikeouts the last 2.175 years was done by a Latino, I suspect his passion would be an issue.

[bmfc1]

dgwphotography wrote: When I think of Carlos Beltran, the curve ball is one of the last things I think of - the first thing I remember is the catch while running up Tal's hill...

Great comment.

[Guest themetfairy]

bmfc1 wrote: dgwphotography wrote: When I think of Carlos Beltran, the curve ball is one of the last things I think of - the first thing I remember is the catch while running up Tal's hill... Great comment.

SNY showed a replay of that catch during today's broadcast.

[G-Fafif]

Posted this in KTE thread. Reposting since it seems more appropriate here.

Carlos Beltran: King of the Hill
Composed in the wee hours of July 8, 2007

A man built a park
A man built a field
A man said "quirky!"
Is what I'll yield

I'll make one wall close
Make one wall far
I'll make another wall stand
Behind something bizarre

Gonna have a hill
Gonna put it where?
Puttin' it in center
Way the hell out there

Nobody digs it
Everyone complains
But at least there's a roof
In the event it rains

Two teams played a game
Two teams played forever
What time would they finish?
The teams said �whenever�

Cut to the chase
Get to the point
Arrive in the fourteenth
A victor to anoint

Lamb on first
Burke on third
Joe Smith on the mound
Now isn't this absurd?

Houston had Scott
I've heard that before
They once had a Scott
From the hardware store

Not that Scott
It wasn't Mike
But with first and third
What was there to like?

One out was needed
To keep things tied
When Luke Scott connected
We nearly died

His ball is long
His ball is deep
His ball might end it
That Houston creep

Wait just a minute!
Wait just a sec!
His ball is headed
To that pain in the neck

It's heading for the hill
It's heading there now
It's gonna take a miracle
Scott can take a bow

The hill IS quirky
The hill IS high
I suspect the same
Of the architect guy

It's a Crosley tribute?
Unique incline?
The rest of us think
It's just asinine

Nobody could catch up
Nobody could hope
Unless CAR LOS BEL TRAN!
Was workin' his lope

Carlos ran long
Carlos ran deep
Carlos kept climbing
Carlos went steep

He lunged and he grabbed
He secured it and soon
He fell and held on
Like he was Al Toon

The Astros were stopped
At the one-foot line
Wanna play some more?
The Mets said �fine�

Minute Maid Park
Is truly the pits
I mean can you believe
Where that silly hill sits?

But hitting it to Beltran
Is your mistake
Boo him all you want
Go jump in the lake

He drove in the winner
The 'pen did the rest
Tal's Hill is the worst
That catch was the best!

[metsmarathon]

carlos beltran broke another man's face with his own, only missed 4 games, and has been called soft for the majority of his tenure. fucking met fans.

[metirish]

A great player indeed , one that I think has never been fully embraced in NY and a lot of that probably stems from that business where Julio Franco was seen to forcibly make him take a curtain call. IIRC that was early in the memorable 2006 campaign and the fans were booing him with vigor that series.....against the Nats right?

Several things it seems have conspired against him , the notion that he would have taken less to play for the Yankees tops that list in some fans minds, the Franco business , his quite personality hasn't endeared him either......it's all nonsense as he has had some of the best seasons ever by a Mets player but there you go.

[RealityChuck]

No arguments against Beltran. He's done a great job during his tenure and it's a shame that fans don't recognize that.

He got off to a slow start, and, for some reason, too many people just never appreciated how good he's been.