I just watched Carlos Beltran working with Angel Pagan in the locker room.
The two men were facing one another in front of a mirror, as Beltran mimicked Pagan’s batting stance, emphasizing to him the importance of keeping his balance, and staying centered, even when shifting his weight during his swing. But, more important, Beltran kept saying, was for Pagan to not think of these things, get to a point where it’s natural and repetitive, day in and day out.
Pagan was focused on Beltran like a laser, with the lesson starting at their lockers, then moving to the mirror, then back to the locker, all lasting a good 20 minutes.
I asked Pagan about the tutorial, and he showed me a notebook, which was full of hand written notes from previous lessons with Beltran, who looked very serious in his preaching.
In fact, as Pagan was scribbling in his notebook, Beltran walked back over to clarify a few things, and Pagan began to scramble, writing faster like a student falling behind in class.
He told me he often approaches Beltran with questions, but that Beltran also approaches him as well. He said, “It’s my job to study, it’s my job to be better and help the team,” and, “If you’re going to be the best, you have to learn from the best.”
To hear more from Pagan about his lessons from Beltran, watch this:
Maybe Beltran will stop being tagged as having no leadership skills, doesn’t care about the team, is disgruntled with the organization, etc. I think Beltran is highly underrated IMO because seems to go about his job quietly and isn’t flashy.
Awesome observations Matt. I love this insider perspective we have because of you. THIS is worthwhile journalism. Thank you and keep up the great work!
btw, makes you start to feel the GMJ is a little superfluous, doesn’t it?
One of the many reasons that Carlos Beltran is extrenely under appreciated.
He should be with the Mets until he retires(baring a injury that derails his career), even if that eventually means moving to a corner OF spot as he ages and slows.
Too bad his agent (Boras) won’t allow that to happen. I expect Beltran to leave as a Free Agent in two years, the same way Damon is not longer a Yankee (ridiculous salary demands during a negotiation).
One of the many reasons that Carlos Beltran is extremely under appreciated.
He should be with the Mets until he retires(baring a injury that derails his career), even if that eventually means moving to a corner OF spot as he ages and slows.
You can say that again.
Somedays you get the Blackberry, somedays the Blackberry gets you.
Always great to see this kind of stuff, and it’s no surprise it’s coming from Beltran. Also just read the following statement in an article on MLB.com
From a Mets player: “Jason Bay and Jeff Francoeur are so great for this team. They’ve created a completely different vibe in the clubhouse than what we had last year.”
Great to hear this. Keep the optimism coming!
I like this. While I certainly admire/appreciate this aspect of Beltran, I am far more impressed with Pagan. No question Beltran is a serious player and a good teammate, but I love the effort that Pagan is making to get better, and when you’re talking about a guy who is so athletic, but struggles with baseball IQ, the fact that he’s filling up a notebook tells me his head is exactly where it should be.
I’ve been a Pagan fan for a long time. While his stock has hardly ever risen above 4th OF, I’ve always had a feeling that a team with 8 Pagans in the lineup would do quite well. Obviously, a team with 8 Beltrans in the lineup would be unbeatable.
This is what I want to hear and see. I’m glad so many members of the Mets seem to be dedicated towards improving themselves. I hope this really does become second nature to them, as I feel that they they have the talent to really do some damage if they can just stay healthy and stay out of their own heads (a tall task it seems for this group though!)