New York Mets: You Are Still on the Beltran Strikeout?

New York Mets to interview Carlos Beltran.
Apr 3, 2018; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros former player Carlos Beltran poses with owner Jim Crane as he receives his ring during the World Series ring ceremony at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Imagine your production at work was based off one mistake you made out of your whole successful career. Unfortunately we have more than a small minority of Mets fans who do the same thing to Carlos Beltran.

We all know the story at this point. Game 7, 2006 NLCS and Beltran was up with the bases loaded and down by two Adam Wainwright. Down 0-2, Wainwright snaps of the nasty curveball he’s had his whole career, to strikeout Beltran and send the Cardinals to the World Series.

Layoff the Man

Now don’t get me wrong here, Beltran should have attempted to put the ball in play, but he was frozen. Beltran ended up taking unfair amounts of criticism and ended up being used as a scape goat for the Mets inability to make the playoffs for the next couple of seasons.

Beltran put together some of the best seasons any Met ever had. During his career with the Mets, he hit .280 with 149 home runs and 100 stolen bases. He was a five time All-Star, won three gold gloves and two silver sluggers.

https://twitter.com/Baseballvic42/status/1190733999632736257

 

Instead of pointing the blame at the horrible bullpens and lack of depth, Beltran is held responsible for the Mets failing to reach their potential during his tenure as a Mets. They seem to forget the collapses of 2007 and 2008, in which Beltran had nothing to do with.

During Sept 2007: .282/.328/.555 8 HR 27 RBI 5 SB 0 CS

During Sept 2008: .344/.440/.645 6 HR 19 RBI 6 SB 0 CS

2009-11 were seasons marked with injuries and the roster on the decline. A smear campaign from the Wilpons in 2011, whom which the fans claim to loathe, also plays into the destructive Beltran rhetoric. Lets not forget, he brought us Zack Wheeler.

This all leads to Beltran’s hiring as manager. What he lacks in experience, he will make up in knowledge. Beltran and Callaway were both inexperienced when hired, but that is the only thing they have in common. Callaway was never the high caliber player Beltran was and never even sniffed an important game.

Beltran is regarded as one of the best postseason players of all time and rightly so. No matter where he has played, his teammates rave about him. His leadership qualities and respect are unmatched by any of the candidates the Mets interviewed, outside of Joe Girardi.

There is no guarantee Beltran is going to be the next Davey Johnson or Gil Hodges, but let’s give him the chance to grow or fail before we completely bury him again. Most fans reading this understand the greatness of Beltran, but some need to be enlightened before they make another ill-informed comment about him.