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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The Curious Case of Carlos Beltran

Carlos Beltran stands frozen at home plate, his knees buckled by a nasty curveball that ends Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS.

Ask most Mets fans what they remember most about that terrible night, and chances are that image will come to mind first. Even though Oliver Perez escaped that same fate by the skin of Endy Chavez's glove, and Aaron Heilman gave up the game winning home run, Beltran was the guy who choked in the biggest of spots.

It's really a shame, because Carlos Beltran should be remembered as one of the greatest players to put on a Mets uniform. After a rough first season Carlos rebounded with a three year stretch that was among the best in baseball, averaging 33 homers and 113 RBI while playing a superb center field. Following two more injury plagued seasons, he shocked everyone this season by regaining his All Star status AND emerging as a team leader. Perhaps only Darrell Strawberry can prevent Beltran from laying claim to the title of best Mets all around outfielder of all time.

Yet despite his stellar performance, Beltran is still thought of by many Mets fans as a disappointment. We know Game 7 stands out, but there must be other contributing factors. Maybe it's the fact that Beltran wanted to play for the Yankees, or the huge contract the huge contract the Mets gave him to convince him otherwise. Maybe it's the injuries, or the seemingly apathetic way he played the game. Perhaps it's the fact that he never led the Mets to the World Series.

Whatever it is, Beltran deserves a better Mets legacy. He helped bring the Mets back to relevance in 2005, a status that was destroyed from above by bad management. Now that he is gone, fans will likely finally realize just how great a Met he was.

Here's to hoping that Carlos helps San Francisco beat the Phillies in October and goes on to win his first ring. He certainly deserves it.

Monday, July 25, 2011

An Alternate Mets Universe

With Carlos Beltran in his final days as a New York Met, there's been a lot of talk about the last five years and the end of an era. In 2006, one year after Beltran signed, the Mets seemed destined for greatness. Beltran, Reyes, Wright, and eventually Santana in or entering their prime and poised to lead the Mets to contention for years to come. Accomplished veterans like Pedro Martinez, Glavine and Delgado would round out this potential dynasty and end their careers on top of the world. These were "the New Mets".

What we didn't realize is that the only thing "new" about these Mets would be the ways that they tormented us fans. Instead of penants and rings, we got a heartbreaking Game 7 loss, two unbelievable collapses and a couple of seasons destroyed by injuries and marked by mediocrity.

But let's go back to that fateful October night in 2006, right before Beltran stood frozen at the plate on a called strike 3 and the Cardinals rushed the field, to see what could have been...

2006: In Game 7 of the NLCS, with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, the bases loaded and the Mets trailing 3-1, Beltran hits a nasty two-strike curveball from Cardinals closer Adam Wainwright for a series winning homer. Beltran is mobbed by his teammates before can reach 2nd base. The Mets go on to sweep the Tigers in the World Series. Robin Ventura cries knowing that his own "grand slam single" will be immediately forgotten and he will only be known for getting pummeled by Nolan Ryan.

2007: The Mets, about to fall victim to the biggest collapse in baseball history, are saved when Tom Glavine shuts down the Marlins in game 162. Oliver Perez then beats the Phillies in the one game playoff, further establishing himself as a fan favorite of Mets fans. Pedro Martinez says the Yankees may be his daddy but the Red Sox are his little brother who he helps raise and then beats up.

2008: The Mets win the Wild Card and beat the 1st place Phillies in the NLCS. During the offseason, Aaron Heilman calls the Phillies "choke artists" because they've blown it the last two seasons, and they prove him right by falling into a downward cycle for the next several years thanks to horrible starting pitching. The Mets are so impressed with Oliver Perez that they sign him to a 3 year, $36 million contract.

2009: Citi Field opens with 8 foot high blue walls, enabling David Wright to hit a career high 42 home runs. The Mets capture the Subway Series when Luis Castillo drops a pop up but then throws out Derek Jeter, who wasn't hustling on the play. The loss is a major psychological blow to the Yankees, who miss the playoffs and deal the lackadaisical Jeter to the Royals in the offseason. Meanwhile, the Mets medical staff is lauded for keeping their players so healthy all year.

2010: With the core of the Mets healthy and playing great the past few years, the Mets pass on Jason Bay and instead pick up a few cheaper alternatives. The starting lineup is so good that insurance pickups Gary Matthews, Mike Jacobs and Alex Cora languish in AAA and don't see the majors all season.

Oh, what could have been.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Mets Get Smart with K-Rod Trade

Francisco Rodriguez and a boatload of cash for two players to be named later may go down as the best trade of 2011. And I don't mean for the Brewers.

Believe it or not, the Mets made a great move by dumping their star closer for basically nothing in return. With that $17 million option looming, it was a move they had to make.

Look, I liked having K-Rod on the Mets. He was a pretty stable force in the Mets bullpen, especially when he wasn't punching out his elders. But there was absolutely no reason to keep him around. If he K-Rod remained the closer, he would have easily finished the 21 more games needed to kick in that daunting option. If he became the set-up man, he would not be nearly as effective (see his performances in non-save situation) and probably would have become an angry distraction (again, the punching thing).

Unless the two players to be named later turn out to be Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, I don't see how this trade can go wrong for the Mets. The extra $17 million can go towards paying Jose Reyes and other free agents. Heck, they could use some of the money to build another Shake Shack and I'd be happy.

And while many view this move as the Mets throwing in the towel, I disagree. Most closers are fairly interchangeable these days, and now we get to see what the younger and cheaper Bobby Parnell is made of. Unless (or until) they trade Beltran, the Mets can remain on the fringes of Wild Card contention, which is exactly where they were with Rodriguez on the team.

So the AARP members in the Mets clubhouse shoulnd't be the only people thrilled with this trade. All Mets fans should rejoice knowing that we finally have a GM willing to make the smart and necessary moves, even if they may not be totally popular.

And an extra $17 mil doesn't hurt either.