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As noted over the weekend, Carlos Beltran had the following to say to reporters when asked about his team’s chances, now that they have acquired Johan Santana…
“With him, I have no doubt we’re going to win our division. I have no doubt about that…So, this year, tell Jimmy Rollins we are the team to beat.”
According to the New York Post, Endy 
Chavez said yesterday that Santana more or less ‘guarantees’ that the Mets will make the playoffs.
In Newsday, David Lennon quotes Carlos Delgado as saying that, with Santana, the Mets have the best team, but, “You can talk all you want, you can say all you want, but at the end of the day, all that matters is what happens between the two white lines.”
However, Billy Wagner had the following to say, about Beltran’s comments, as quoted in a great article about the subject by Ben Shpigel in the New York Times:
“You can’t say it and then, you know, not start off well or things don’t go well and say, ‘That’s not what I meant.’ Now, you have to lead, you have to stand there and take the punishment and the bad games, and you have to be there to answer the questions and deal with that. You can’s t say, ‘I was just kidding.’ You can’t.”
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“Guarantees” is the correct spelling. The “guarentees” in the headline is incorrect.
Carlos Beltran also guaranteed this:
“We’re gonna be in the World Series. We’re gonna get there, we’re gonna get there. I have faith that we’re gonna get there. There are so many good people here, so many good players that have been waiting for this moment and we are gonna accomplish that.”
Oh wait, he made those remarks about 2007…
Notice that while he said “We’re gonna be in the World Series…”, he didn’t exactly say what year…
I suppose even the Cubs might make the World Series one day too.
Probably before the Phillies.
If you were born during the last Cubs WS you’re ready for early retirement.
If you were born during Phillies last WS you’re in junior high.
I’m guessing Mets will indeed make the WS again some day. Was Beltran’s ‘team to beat’ referring to this year or some generic future season?
Actually did refer to 2007.
It was after the Mets lost to the cards in 06…
He started out like this…
“Next year we’re gonna be a better ballclub, for sure…
“I mean, the front office I know is gonna go out and add more players to this ballclub, and with what we have, and add a few more we’re gonna be better…”
Then threw in the WS stuff…
Some interesting things to look at during ST. Assuming that the Mets like always keep 13 position players and 12 pitchers. (May go one less pitcher to start with because of early schedule but…..)
Wagner
Sanchez
Heilman
Feliciano
all are locks for the pen, that means there are 3 spots left.
Sosa
Wise
Register
Schoeneweis
Lugo
Smith
Padilla
Stokes
Field
Collazo
Muniz
Diaz
Figueroa
Rincon
3 spots for 14 players. I would assume also that Sosa will make the team. So that’s 2 spots for 13 players.
Schoeneweis is an interesting situation. Has2 years and 7.2 million left on a bad deal. I guess the Mets could find a suiter to Mota him but I would assume he makes the team right now. Plus if he is used as a situational lefty and mop up guy he can be effective. So that’s 1 spot for 12 players.
That will be one tough battle and may come down to who has options and who will be willing to go to the minors. Will the Mets go with Wise, who had shown promise before nailing that guy in the head? Register to keep him from losing him? What if Padilla comes back in 05 form?
I think Omar has done a nice job of throwing as many names as possible for that last spot. It will be interesting to see who makes it, who gets traded and who we lose due to no other option.
Schowenwiess is a lock for the pen. I think if Register has a somewhat decent spring he gets the last spot, if not they lose him.
I wonder how the team feels about Wagner. Everything he says is right, but he should keep it in the clubhouse, not go yapping to the press.
Wagner is a pain in the #$%^&. He needs to keep his trap shut and take care of his busienss.
Some of that leftover tension from last year when some Mets would duck the interviews, as LoDuca pointed out with the “Some of these guys have to start talking. They speak English, believe me,”‘ bit?
Honestly I don’t feel Wagner is doing any good cutting down everything his teammates say to the media.
Let’s not forget that the last Mets World Series winner was a bunch of arrogant a-holes.
with that being said, i move for bringing back the excessive curtain calls.
Except the 86 team backed up their talk and didn’t collapse because they got bored. I got nothing against trashtalking before the first pitch is even thrown but I’d like it to come from guys that have shown they can back it up. Beltran better have a great ($120 mil great) season or else I’m booing the crap out of him. And the same goes for everyone who have talked trash thus far. As much as I hate Jimmy Rollins, you have to respect the guy for backing up his mouth with the number he put up. Now Beltran better hope he can back his mouth.
Well, to be fair, the ‘86 team came darned close to losing twice before the captured the WS.
lets not forget how rollins started the season…he played like crap that opening series…
everybody got on his case…
patience is the key..(along with Delgado swinging ala 2006)
if Beltran has the protection….I say he has another .275 40 HR, 120 RBI, 100R, 15 SB year…
Reyes, Castillo, Wright all should easily score 100 R with Beltran, Delgado and Alou in back of them…
our 1-6 has the potential to be the best in baseball…
If you’re referring to the first Mets/Phils series:
Rollins came in hitting .304
Went 0-3 with a run in the first game, with an error
1-6 with a triple and run in the second game
2-4 with 2 Hrs and 3 rbis in the third game
Played like crap=scored more than a run per game, hit on a pace that would have him hitting over 100 HRs and 50 triples in one season, not bad.
Confidence is nice, but I don’t want to hear anything about guarantees. That kind of “comfort” is what got us a one-way ticket home in October rather than a trip to the playoffs.
Can’t wait for Mr. Mole to get his Citizens Bank Park welcome……
Yeah that Citizen’s Bank Park welcome is really gonna rattle him, let me tell ya… I mean he’s only got a .916 OPS in Citizen’s Bank Park over the past 3 seasons and an OPS over 1.000 the last two years at CBP… That welcome is really effective!
I really don’t get why you people think Beltran was “running his mouth”? He’s being confident, and poked some fun at Rollins for what he said at the same time. Why shouldn’t he say we’re the team to beat? That’s the mindset they should have. As for booing Beltran if he doesn’t have a $120 million great season, you’re the kind of fan just waiting for opportunities to boo the players, you enjoy it, and that sickens me. He’s a Met, he’s on your favorite team, he’s a good player, let it go, support these guys. As for Wagner, who knows what that guys thinking.
Agreed. I have no prob with what Beltran said, but I don’t wanna hear guarantees. They haven’t even played a game yet.
What gives Beltran the “confidence” to make that claim? What gives him any right to poke fun of Rollins? And how the hell is he NOT running his mouth?
As for your question, that was the same mindset last year and I’m sure you remember what happened.
The way I see Beltran is the same way I see ARod with the Yankees: they both have the talent but lack the mental strength to be in the spotlight. Can you imagine if ARod guarantees a World Series this year? Now apply that to Beltran. He’s only hurting himself by running his mouth. All he had to do was “we’re just going to go out there and do what we’re capable of doing and things will take care of itself.” If he come out of the gate cold and gets booed at home, he only have himself to blame this time. He ’s been here 3 years and know how the fans are and what they expect, especially of someone who’s made such bold statements.
what gave Rollins the right to make that claim last year…we beat the tar out of the NL in 2006…
to me Rollins went out on a limb moreso than Beltran…
My point is how will Beltran handle the pressure? He can’t even deal with being the2nd or 3rd face on this team as it was and now he’s trying to get in the spotlight?
How do you figure he can’t handle it? His first year was awful, but he’s bounced back the last two years and has done what he was expected to do.
you people are crazy, you’re treating Beltran like he’s some sort of baby. When he does say something bland, all i heard last year was people wanting him to get fired up, now he says something,and you guys want him to shut up and be bland. YOu guys are taking this way too seriously, its baseball for chirst sake, enjoy it, its a game. Beltran can handle the “pressure”, I don’t know why everyone thinks he’s so fragile, why? just because he wasn’t about to give a curtain call to some meaningless HR in april after getting booed all month? Why are MEts fans so demanding and entitled? I can’t even stand it.
Why are “guarantees” coming from players who are not even fully healthy yet? Does Beltran need any more pressure on him during the 9th inning, runners on 2nd & 3rd, and 2 outs with him up to bat?
Not to mention, how it makes other teams play harder against the Mets and their fans despise this team.
Just keep your mouth quiet, play hard and let your playing do the talking.
I honestly don’t think you have to worry about the Phils playing any harder or the fans despising theMets more, regardless of what comments are made. They seemed tohave mastered that last year.
if you were slamming rollins for doing this last year then it’s the same for the mets players. that being said, i’m glad it was from beltran. i love to hear him confident and ready for next year. he is a tough competitor who i respect. he proved it playing hurt last year.
i don’t really like these guarantees, for one thing all last year we got on them for being too over confident and just assuming they were going to win the division. I thought they’d come in to camp and say there are no guarantees and you just gotta go get it. Did they forget they became way too over confident last yr an collapse?
Yes, Phils are without question. I was referring to the teams that don’t matter that somehow always bring their A game when they play the Mets….Nats, Marlins, etc.
Sometimes it is as if Wagner is on someone else’s team. I understand than honesty is usually always a good thing, but he speaks of Beltran as if he is on another National League team.
I don’t like it.
i hear ya, same goes wit willie
I just hope that Beltran got carried away and wishes he could take that comment back and Endy had a couple of days to reflect on what Beltran said so he’s just stupid, I guess. Delgado made the smart comment this time (as opposed to the time he said he was bored, although he now says he didn’t use that word – I wasn’t there to know, unless it’s captured on tape). All that matters is what goes on between the lines, at least when it comes to baseball. All this talk is BS and really makes me mad coming from the Mets and Mr. Look at Strike 3. Nothing is assured or entitled to. Beltran needs to fight for it. I know he’s fired up and plans to fight for it with all of his heart, as does Endy, but I still think it’s ridiculous to make totally empty claims, since they can’t know what the future will bring.
First of all, when listening to Beltran’s comment, you can tell he wasn’t 100% serious; he was sort of kidding. That’s why everyone else laughed after he said that.
Second of all, Wagner needs to shut up and stop criticizing his teammates’ comments. Who is he to say what it is right or wrong to say? NOBODY!
If he put the same energy he puts on talking crap; on his pitching, he wouldn’t be throwing less 95 mph BALLS and more 95 mph fast balls…….
*he wouldn’t be throwing mph BALLS and more 95 mph fast balls…….
Way to be positive there Billy-boy………no wonder the Philthy Phans hated him !