Photo courtesy of AP.
Now that Carlos Beltran is officially the Mets manager, there is still a small pocket of folks who can’t seem to let go of his backwards K to end the 2006 NLCS.
It’s not like the loss was Beltran’s fault then, and it certainly shouldn’t hold any bearing on whether he will be a good manager or not now, but regardless, it’s time to let go.
So if you still have a grudge against Beltran for Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, hopefully this article can help you move past it.
Now let’s get in our time machine and travel back to Oct. 19, 2006 and Game 7 of the NLCS.
It was an amazing year for the Mets, who put up 97 wins and captured the NL East title, returning to the postseason for the first time in six years.
The team was constructed of young studs in David Wright and Jose Reyes, coupled with established stars like Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Shawn Green, a rotation led by Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez and a bullpen anchored by Billy Wagner.
The team opened up the postseason against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but unfortunately, Martinez and Hernandez were not on the roster due to injury. Thus, the Mets leaned on Tom Glavine, Steve Trachsel, John Maine and mid-season acquisition Oliver Perez, who was acquired when reliever Duaner Sanchez was injured in a taxi accident and missed the remainder of the season.
The Mets made quick work of the Dodgers, sweeping them in three games, then awaited their opponent for the NLCS, who turned out to be the St. Louis Cardinals.
The teams fought tooth and nail for the whole series, with it all coming down to a decisive Game 7. St. Louis had taken a 3-2 series lead after Game 5, but the Mets came back to force a Game 7 with a 4-2 win in Game 6.
New York got off to an early lead when Carlos Beltran doubled in the first and was driven in by David Wright.
St. Louis tied the game in the top of the second, but Perez, the Mets starter, buckled down and went on to twirl six strong innings, topped off by a miraculous catch turned double play by Endy Chavez that robbed a home run to end the sixth. You know, this one:
You would have thought the Mets would have had the internal stamina to finish that one off after such a catch, but sadly, they didn’t.
Chad Bradford pitched a scoreless seventh, but Aaron Heilman surrendered a two-run blast to Yadier Molina in the top of the ninth.
The Mets loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, then came Beltran’s infamous at bat. He struck out looking, and the season was over.
But just because Beltran struck out doesn’t mean it was his fault the Mets lost. What about Aaron Heilman giving up the two run shot just a half inning prior?
What about the Mets only registering four measly hits the entire game?
What about Billy Wagner allowing three runs in the ninth inning in Game 2? Getting shutout in Game 3? What about Paul Lo Duca and David Wright’s poor offensive series?
The team lost. That’s what we know. The emphasis is on team. Beltran didn’t lose us the series, in fact he hit three home runs and batted .296/.387/.667 in the NLCS.
It’s just like how Bill Buckner is remember in Boston for “costing” the Red Sox the 1986 World Series, despite the fact that Calvin Schiraldi and Bob Stanley couldn’t lock down the final out despite having a plethora of chances. No one remembers that.
Beltran appeared in five All-Star Games, won three Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger awards and held the single season Mets home run record until this year. He was one of the best free agent signings the Mets have ever had, and is one of the best players in team history.
Now, we get to enjoy him as manager of the team. The only team he wanted to manage despite his volatile relationship with ownership over the years.
So let’s look forward to the future and let ’06 go, not that he should have been blamed in the first place.
