Beltrán Gets A Call To The Hall

Image Credit: MLB

NEW YORK, NY — Carlos Beltrán signed a seven-year, $119-million contract with the New York Mets after a one-year stint with the Astros. All-Star credentials enough for the largest contract at the time in franchise history.

The Mets unveiled their newest addition at Shea Stadium in 2005, the old Diamond Club dressed for the occasion. Beltrán, the New York media market, and a reception under the former Wilpon ownership that was rare because free agent acquisitions then and the Mets were never a story.

A few weeks later, Beltrán and the Mets held a pre spring training media event in New York City at the New York Public Library on 5th Avenue, conveniently across the street from their team store. And there was Beltrán once again patient and answering the questions.

Of course, Beltrán from Manatí, Puerto Rico, was destined to become an All-Star in New York. I, of course, had to ask him about his interest in boxing, aware he was a good friend of Miguel Cotto, the first four-division champion from Puerto Rico.

“He’s a champion for all the people of Puerto Rico,” Beltrán said about Cotto. But he wasn’t there to talk boxing, “Can we talk baseball,” he said in a quiet demeanor that carried on with his playing career in a Mets uniform.

So Tuesday afternoon he got the call, Beltrán was a Hall of Famer and will be inducted up in Cooperstown, NY, later this year on July 26th. Andruw Jones will join along with Jeff Kent, another former Met elected in December in the Contemporary Era Committee Voting.

The nine-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner is the sixth Puerto Rican player elected to the Hall along with Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Alomar, Iván Rodríguez and Edgar Martínez.

As always the Hall of Fame voting process is subject to debate, Beltrán, though was inevitable despite skeptics of his involvement with the 2017 Astros trash can scandal, the sign-stealing that were headlines and became a tainted World Series championship.

But the writers who get to vote, obviously have bypassed a bylaw of credibility and integrity to the game, though Beltrán was dismissed quickly when named new manager of the Mets. Regardless, Alex Rodríguez and Barry Bonds have failed the threshold number of votes for enshrinement in a steroid era scandal that hindered their credentials on the field.

And since then, Beltrán has made his presence known at Citi Field as special assistant to President of Baseball Operations David Stearns.

Beltrán was never considered a cheater, though will always have that trash can hovering around his head. The Hall of Fame honor finally will put that to rest. His tenure with the Yankees is also another part of his resume.

He hit .279 in a 20-year career with 2,725 hits, 435 home runs, 1,582 runs, 312 stolen bases, and is one of four players to compile 2,700 hits, 400 homers, 1,500 runs and 300 steals. And he joins a rare number of center fielders to the Hall.

“Today, my life really has changed just being able to be named a Hall of Famer and what it really means to me,” said Beltrán. “To Puerto Rico, to your family, to our project in Puerto Rico promoting baseball.”

Over the years his teammates always said Beltrán was bound to be a Hall of Famer. He had a clubhouse presence as a leader. Many, too, refused to implicate Beltrán as a leader of the Astros scandal. Beltrán also knows that still remains a part of the story and his career.

Though the testimonials were unanimous Tuesday evening. Beltrán was a leader and deserving of being the newest inductee to the Hall.

“An accomplishment,’ said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. “Carlos impacted those around him, earning a reputation as one of the best clubhouse leaders in the sport,” said Stearns.

“He paved the way for future generations of Puerto Rican baseball players and set them on a path to success,” said Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor.

On the other side of town, Yankees senior vice president and general manager Brian Cashman said, “What shouldn’t be lost about his career is the impact he made on giving a stronger voice to Latin baseball players including the way he spearheaded the effort to have Spanish language interpreters in every clubhouse.”

However it was those numbers produced at the plate, the defense in center. All worthy of Hall of Fame credentials and that day of talking baseball instead of boxing with yours truly showed his passion for the game.

Congratulations Carlos Beltrán from all here at Latino Sports. See you at the ballpark soon and of course for your day up in Cooperstown.

Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

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