Carlos Beltran

For this post, I'm going to share an e-mail I sent to Ted Berg regarding the departure of Carlos Beltran. This was sent the day after the all-star game and bears mentioning in the wake of the recent trade.

Hi Ted,

Something about last nights game really moved me. I think I came to grips with the fact that Carlos Beltran will be leaving the Mets soon. Say what you will about the All-Star Game, but I'm extremely glad I got to see his two plate appearances, rally-starting single, and coming across the plate as the tying run off of Price Fielder's home run. Somehow, that one inning put his entire career as a Met in perspective for me.

I realized last night how much I'm going to miss Carlos' understated-yet-graceful style of play, and how central he has been to these Mets we've come to know over recent years. Moreover, I began to fully comprehend the tragedy of having his whole career unfairly boiled down to one plate appearance, one pitch, and one backwards letter "K".

Carlos Beltran truly is awesome, and I hope he gets the chance to win a World Series on a legitimate contender. He is clearly past his prime physically, but continues to carry himself with dignity and has proven time and time again that he can still play.

I'm sure Carlos will do anything he can to help whatever team he's on, and will continue to do so quietly and without hesitation, unlike so many of his aging counterparts that we've heard about this year.

Beltran, playing in a largely meaningless game and in an unfamiliar setting, showed just what kind of a ball player he is last night. He made the absolute most out of his two plate appearances, and contributed to giving his team, and NL fans everywhere, the win. He did it for a team that he has never played for before, and never will again. Carlos Beltran is not selfish, he is a treasure of the game, and Mets fans are lucky to have witnessed his peak years. Hopefully we're also smart enough to realize this.

If there's any way you could pass this sentiment on to people closely associated with the team, I would appreciate it. Beltran might be one of the most under-appreciated players on the team. I'd like for him to know that the fans are going to miss him dearly, and that we wish him the best of luck in future baseball endeavors.

Yours,

Kevin Easton

Ted, a professional journalist for SNY, took the time to respond to me. He's a passionate Mets fan and a funny, clever guy. If you're not reading his blog, do yourself a favor and fix that.

Goodbye Carlos Beltran. We'll always miss you in flushing, but best of luck with the Giants!