3
2012
It Was Carlos Beltran Who Told Cardinals Manager To Appeal The Torres Double
An article by 
As you all know, Andres Torres lost an apparent leadoff double in the ninth inning when he was ruled out for missing first base, and the St. Louis Cardinals held off the Mets 5-4 Monday.
What you may not know is that according to an Associated Press report, it was former Met and current Cardinals star Carlos Beltran, who was on the bench, that told manager Mike Matheny to make the appeal.
“We’re saying our MVP is Carlos Beltran, who never hit the field,” Matheny said.
Said Beltran: “I was in the cage and watching him running. He was looking at the ball and not the bag. I saw sand coming up around the bag area and told them let’s try to throw to first.”
Torres obviously touched the bag, and that blown appeal call completely killed what could have been a game altering rally in the top of the ninth.
Umpiring in his first MLB game, first base ump David Rackley said he wouldn’t make that call if he weren’t sure.
Crew chief Dale Scott said the umpires watched televised replays afterward and agreed the call was correct.
“It was exactly what (Rackley) described. His foot went over, the toes hit the ground, the heel never did,” Scott said. “And did you see where (Rackley) was? He was right there to make the call.”
Terrible call… But #BlameBeltran… For Reals!
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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“Crew chief Dale Scott said the umpires watched televised replays afterward and agreed the call was correct.”
What a load of B.S.
The visuals of the original play and the televised replays were inconclusive. So the umps circle the wagons and the truth be damned. If umps aren’t certain they shouldn’t overrule.
Well, I watched the play on TV with two of my sons and soon as Torres rounded first, before he reached 2nd base, I said “Damnit – he missed first base!!!” The play at 2nd base was close & I was hoping that no one else noticed.
Regardless, it was a BS call as the replays appear quite inconclusive. With the game on the line, an ump shouldn’t interject himself into a situation like that and reverse a critical play unless the miscue is obvious. In this play, notwithstanding my initial reaction, it was still too close to reverse. The humpire simply reveled in being Mr. Prick.
And for you baseball purists, Jason Motte balked when he initiated the appeal play as he didn’t step off properly and turned the wrong way toward 2nd base. So, technically, Mr. Prick, the balk constituted a play which should have placed Torres on 3rd and deprived the Card’s of their very cheap gamesmanship.
At the end of the day, Torres needs to be more careful, as does Ike, who looked quite foolish in almost being thrown out at 2nd base, and as did Shoppach for not backing up first base on Murphy’s overthrow. Sloppy play catches up with you in the game of baseball. And sometimes it give an ump the chance to be Mr.Prick.
Beltran got his payback. What more needs to be said?
That’s what I said, it was pay back from the non-double during the no hitter is all. “Beltran’s Revenge”. Just for that, the Mets will take the next 2 and the Cards will miss the playoffs. 17-10 the rest of the way!
Payback for what? Making a ton of money, yet playing for a team that couldn’t re-sign him? I’m not really sure where you are going with the payback thing.
Woosh….
June 1…no hitter….Beltran hits a fair ball called foul.
hahaha… What’s the story here? Beltran could have been a Met but apparently Sandy Alderson didn’t want a consistent good fielding strong armed 20+ home run hitting 85+ run driving in 90+ runs scoring right fielder…
by the way my gneuis is once again on display.. for your consideration.
my pre-season offensive projections included,
Duda .250 avg 15 home runs 76 rbi 65 runs scored Not too shaby if I do say so myself!
HI Lifelong,
You can talk about why Beltran is no longer a Met – I do not have the permission to do so…. LOL
Lifelong: You truly, truly believe Beltran would have re-signed with the Mets?
After not wanting to be here from day 1, needing Julio Franco to push him out of the dugout because he didn’t like how the fans treated him prior, getting in a dispute with the owners etc about knee surgery and having the team plummet since he got here
Why on earth would Carlos Beltran want to come back to NY after all of that? Seriously. Would you? Would you in the last years of your career re-sign with the Mets instead of looking elsewhere and signing with a team you know will be competitive for a title?
So keep him for 2 months, then have him leave anyway and you get maybe a draft pick for him?
Come on. I don’t know what Wheeler will be, but I can guarantee you most Giants fans regret that deal and I will take the prospect of Wheeler being in a Mets uniform within 2 years over a draft pick.
Lifelong, think about this. we could’ve had wheeler AND beltran as of right now.. Lol.. It’s amazing how some people here always pick a person to judge by what they are without knowing the full story. the guy was not a happy camper i agree, but he felt the love and passion of the fans here, his wife LOVES NY, but hey. according to some idiot who claim to know the guy, he didn’t wanna be here etc.. How on earth would anyone really know if not even a phone called was made his way? If sandy would’ve called and say the same deal the cards had how can anyone say he wouldn’t have come back? it’s easier to just say “he didn’t wanna be here” etc.. F’ing idiots… But we all know the reason why they’re saying that, it’s just another excuse for their inept lord SA. Pathetic situation we real fans of this team are with these slurpers and their continues excuses for the FO.
Alex, lets think about this just a second. You are right they could have had Beltran and Wheeler, which has been my point in all that trade crap that comes up over an over. However, looking at Beltran from a FA standpoint where would he have fit in?
Were we to know that Duda would suck? While it’s easy for us to say, just cut Bay and move on we know that most teams including the Mets would not have cut Bay with TWO seasons left on his deal. So effectively LF was taken. As mentioned the Mets were committed to Duda in RF, where else could they have played him if Bay was in LF? Thus Beltran would have been in CF, if the Mets believed he could have been productive in CF they would not have moved him to start with. As much as now it seems like an easy decision with Beltran actually being healthy and very productive, it wasn’t a fit considering the personnel the Mets had. Again, in a perfect world they would have put Bay on the bench, moved Duda to LF and re-signed Beltran… No team including the Mets would live in that world.
For the record I misspelled genius on purpose… the little people need something to talk about, keep their hopes up.
Yes Beltran made the call as did the 1st base ump but where was the thinking of Torres, who kinda reminds me of some base running bungles by Pagan, who’s main goal was to get on base, then try for double if he thinks he can make it and he still would of made it while tagging 1st.
Even in supposed comeback, almost, games there is a mental error in play, though to be honest it has been awhile for this team.
I say we play Murph in RF and Baxter at 2b, since he seems to be playing just about in the OF; has his range been so bad that he needs to play that far into OF?
How many more rushed throws because of positioning at 2b?
‘“It was exactly what (Rackley) described. His foot went over, the toes hit the ground, the heel never did,” Scott said. “And did you see where (Rackley) was? He was right there to make the call.”
Good to know that the rest of that ump crew is as clueless when it comes to looking at a repay as Rackley is. That doesn’t bode well if/when they add more instant replay.
Do I have this right Jason Bay will earn $17M in 2013 and then in 2014 has a $17M Vesting Option or the Mets can terminate their relationship with Bay by using the $3M Buyout. Is that right?
However if Bay has 600 Pas in 2013 or 500 Pas in both 2012 and 2013 the Mets are obligated to pay Bay $17 million in 2014?
Exactly… Good luck getting rid of that P of S…..
well, that is his contract. But most likely he is cut before the season even starts, so he just gets the guarantee part (17+ 3) that he is getting no matter what. And there is a better chance that you or I get 600 PAs for the mets next year than Bay getting them!
I don’t think he’ll get cut. however, there’s a reason why duda was playing LF in the minors.. They’re platooing him no matter what next year. HE won’t get near 400 At bats next year.
It’s not AB’s you need to worry about for the contract, it’s plate appearances. So the at bats where he walks count towards the total. Regardless he aint making that threshold.
well, he won’t get near 400 PAs either.
my guess on Bay: They will try everything possible to move him this winter. Under the very likely outcome of they can’t, he gets to go to ST (don’t cost nuttin!). Then, the only way he makes the team (as a platoon LF) is if he looks totally revitalized during the games (like the guy they signed, not the guy they got). Smoking the ball, hitting for power, etc. And, if there is no other RH OF bat stepping up to stake a claim.
If those 2 things happen (and I seriously doubt the first will, but say it does), then he will make the team, and start against lefties. But, he will be on a very short leash. If he hits the regular season and dies off, he maybe gets a month before they waive him bye bye.
If I had to bet, I would go with the mets bring in another RH hitting OF that outplays him in ST, and Bay looks like he looks right now, leading to him getting released before the end of ST.
But as always, MLB is a crapshoot, and sometimes guys do rise out of the ashes and salvage their careers.
I think another key is how Duda does the rest of this season, off-season and spring training. If the Mets believe he is ready and doesn’t need a platoon partner then Bay certainly isn’t a fit. Unless the Mets can convince Bay to be an overpriced 5th OF, then he’s done.
In 2013: If the Mets have Bay and Duda platooing in LF, Spin in CF, Hairston in RF and Kirk as the 4th outfielder. How many OF’s do they have.
Answer two as Duda is not an OF and Bay is no longer a majpr leaguer and Spin also is not an OF..