In a post to Mets Today, Joe Janish attempts to evaluate Carlos Beltran’s injury-plagued 2009 season.
I have grown to appreciate Beltran so much more over the last season. Like I have said before, I feel Beltran gets a bum wrap among Mets fans, many of whom see him as not being a leader; they say he is soft, apathetic and selfish… and, the truth is, he is the total opposite of all of that.
From what i can tell, he is quiet because he is focused and serious about winning… it’s like, he cannot be bothered with anything other than perfection. This is how he leads. He puts his arm around a young player who is struggling, and gives him advice. He directs his left and right fielders, helping them to be in better position. He works tirelessly in the batting cage, be it the one in Citi Field or the one in his home. He does the little things, effective things, that we do not see on TV, or notice between the white lines.
Last week, I talked to a few people connected to the team, asking questions about Beltran, and, it turns out, from what I can gather, he had a significant hand in encouraging Oliver Perez to go to Arizona, and enroll in the Athletes Performance Institute. Beltran is big on nutrition, endurance, physical fitness and focus, and playing the game smart, not just because it could mean more wins, but because that is what a professional athlete is supposed to do, he is supposed to be the best he can be, end of story, no excuses. I also heard from people who said Beltran talked with management last week, while he was in town, and, though he never requested specific players be acquired, he said he feels the team’s players, be it guys on the team now or guys coming to the team, they all must be more serious in how they approach the game, as a team, paying more attention to what they eat, how they prepare and train and how and why they do what they do.
Last week, on WFAN, Beltran said, “That first year (in New York) was difficult for me, but now I love it.” He said, it’s not that he didn’t like New York at first, he just wasn’t prepared, noting, “There was a learning process for me.”
Carlos Delgado was needed, I think, to help bring Beltran along. However, from what I understand, Delgado believes that if every player does his job, on his own, the team will be fine. I get the impression Delgado sees baseball as a sport full of individuals, all of whom come together to form a team. Beltran, on the other hand, seems to see baseball as a total team sport, one in which every one works together and does whatever is necessary to achieve a common goal, be it scoring one run, winning one game, or winning one ring. And so, it seems to me, today, Beltran is more than prepared to be the team’s elder-statesman, and so he should be allowed to do so, without Delgado’s influence.
From what I can see, Beltran, Johan Santana, David Wright and Jose Reyes work and play the hardest of anyone on the team, and they also happen to be the team’s biggest stars. The Mets need to make these four players, and hopefully Matt Holliday, their leaders, not just in name, but in demanding that every player do as they do, while working toward a common goal, which is to be the best, end of story, no excuses.
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I’ll take an unfocussed 35 HRs and 900 OPS over a keenly focussed 12 HRs and a 730 OPS any day. Let’s talk talent first, intangibles second.
Delgado v Murphy?
See, and that’s the problem. These guys are not robots. To produce the 35 HR and 900 OPS you desire, the player must be in terrific shape, mentally and physically, and be focused on the task at hand. It is very, VERY rare you get one without the other. Beltran’s point, and my point in the post, is that every player on the roster needs to take their queue from Beltran, Wright, Reyes and Santana, to be sure they produce to the best of their ability, and nothing less should be acceptable from management.
An unfocused 35 HR/.900 OPS player would be a 48 HR/.920 OPS player if he was focused.
meant to say “48 HR/.980 OPS player”
Exactly, but I’d rather take the 35 than the 12. Of course I’d realy prefer the guy with talent focus and bash the 48 you speak of, but even the 35 is preferable to 12, no matter how much of himself Mr. 12 leaves on the field.
Most definitely.
You know what I miss in all of this talk of focus as a fan, is the articulate and motivational manager type (at least the perception), who obviously lived and breathed baseball. Willie Randolph just seemed to talk in generalities like he a poor facsimile of someone he wants to be, while Manuel is just lethargic and doesn’t appear like he’s still an eager student of the game. I don’t know, they both aren’t engaging to me. Of course, this is from afar and my wife tells me I’m a bit nostalgic.
The point is that that “unfocussed 35 HRs and 900 OPS” would become 40+ HRs nearly 1000 OPS with the proper preparation. Each player is different, and it’s not just a matter of this guy will hit this no matter what, and this guy will that that no matter what. It’s not a formula, they’re people.
The problem with this post, is not that Beltran pushed Perez to go to Arizona or is pushing the ‘be serious, work hard’ angle, it’s that if these things were pushed by our pitching coach and deadbeat manager, Beltran would never have had to say anything.
What if instead of not talking to Perez when he went to Mexico, Warthen and Manuel said to him. “You can go, but… You will wake up every day at 8am. You will do your running. Then you will do these exercises if there is no game. These exercises if there is a game. If you don’t pitch, do this. If you do, do this instead. Stretch.” Maybe he wouldn’t have ended up injured and struggling.
Agreed, Warthen was sleeping on thejob with Perez. He was the only Met who did not have a Mets teammate with him on WBC schedule. Reyes had Tatis with him for the DR and Wright had Putz for USA. Perez was on his own down there and he let himself slide into oblivion.
Regarding the last paragraph, for all we know Warthern and/or Jerry may have told Ollie those very words. However, Ollie strikes me as someone with the mentality of a little kid. As soon as he was running around unsupervised, he couldn’t care less what they told him.
Then send someone with him.
These players are not robots, and sure, some of them aren’t the smartest, aren’t the hardest working, but a manager needs to understand that and do what gets the best results out of each guy.
Of course, even an average manager would know that, something I hope Manuel can become in 2010..
What a great post. Beltran was so underappreciated, and to a certain degree still is, here in New York. He probably is the best Centerfielder in the game (overall) and is a legitimate 5 tool player.
He does lead, the problem is the Mets have lost the past 3 years and you aren’t given credit and regarded as a good leader if you don’t win (see Al Leiter and John Franco). Look @ how the Mets suffered this season without his power, defense and leadership.
It’s time for people to appreciate what we have, as Mets fans, and not regret it later like Knick fans did with Patrick Ewing.
It also didn’t help that Beltran made the most gut-wrenching last out possible in the 2006 NLCS. Called third strike with the bases loaded and down by 2 runs in Game 7. My stomach still clenches thinking about it even now.
I know some Mets fans haven’t forgiven him for that, but they seem to forget that Wainwright made the pitch of his life. I don’t think Albert Pujols could have hit that curveball.
I was at that game and the stunned silence in the stadium was the most incredible i have ever experienced. Its not so much that people haven’t forgiven him for not getting a hit, but that he stood there and looked at 3 straight pitches with the bat on his shoulder.
An out is an out, no question and that pitch was brutal, but cmon Carlos look like you have your eye on the ball.
I think he was deathly afraid of swinging at a bad pitch and having it turn into a weak grounder or pop up. Somewhat understandable given the situation. So he took the first two pitches that happened to be called strikes. That third pitch though – it really did look high and then at the last split second dropped into the strike zone. Nasty nasty pitch.
I’m sure he wanted to make the most of the at bat, its just something that will stick in fans’ minds until he does something in the postseason to make them forget, that’s how it is in baseball.
Well, if nutrition is going to be a factor, I guess we can take Bengie Molina off of our list.
Yeah, it funny, maybe Beltran shoud have said something to Omar last year before we signed Oliver Perez.
Great post, Matt. It amazes me how many fans just don’t get Beltran, how good he really is, how hard it is to fill his void in the lineup.
Nice to see Matt coming around on Beltran.
Nice post; go Carlos!
Looking at the picture of Carlos screeming at the umpire really still puzzles me.
I remember that the ump baited him, and admitted it afterwards. I still can’t figure out why he would do that to Beltran. He really doesn’t talk back to umps, so why would he have it out for him?
It was nice to see Beltran show some emotion, but puzzling nonetheless.
Beltran is simply the best player on the Mets
Agreed.
I think Carlos Beltran is the best Center Fielder in baseball and i think he is highly unapreaciated
I see him as a great leader….you don’t have to be this firery emotional guy to be a leader…Beltran leads by example and he carries himself in a ver profressional manner….He is a true Class Act
Not to mention when he is healthy he can drive in a lot of runs
But i think other players need to step up as well…I can David Wright being a Beltran type leader and Reyes needs to be the energetic leader the Mets had in 06….Nobody pumped that team up like Reyes
The Mets just need their guys to step up and they should be fine if healthy
He is a great player but to be a true leader, you can’t throw your teammates under the bus when you are frustrated at their mistakes, Beltran does it and so does Santana, bad example for the young guys no matter how else they treat them on or off the field.
Great post. I really believe that Beltran is not only grossly underappreciated as a player but he is a great but quiet leader. I respect his talent and I have an even greater respect for him as an individual.
I think he’d make a wonderful manager in the future.
I was actually thinking the same thing i just didnt put it in my post….but i think he could become a good manager in the future
Beltran is great guy, and player unappreciated by too many fans who focus on the trvial rather than bigger picture. The best all around CF in the game, a chance for the Hall of Fame as as a top 10 CF. All he needs is to stay healthy and productive, and he’ll make it.
I thrilled with his leadership amongst teammates and management. And even more thrilled he genuinely cares and genuinely loves being a Met and wants to retire as one.
And if he retires as one, he’ll be going into the Hall as one. .
I agree 100 percent….Earlier today I was actually thinking about Beltran finishing his career and entering the Hall of Fame as a met
Beltran is a leaer of what a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in three years. Beltran is GREAT player but his personality doesn’t lend itself to being a leader on a winning team. He is better of just doing is own 30 HR 110 RBI thing and letting everyone else take care of themselves. Wright really stepped in a leader role last year/
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