Carlos Beltran is arguably the best center fielder this team’s ever had. In franchise history, he ranks fourth in OPS, sixth in home runs, and sixth in runs batted in. His 41 homers in 2006 were a single-season record shared with Todd Hundley until it was broken by Pete Alonso two years ago. The third-highest bWAR among position players (31.1), Beltran also collected three Gold Gloves.
And the finest display of his defensive ability during his six-and-a-half seasons in Queens came on July 7, 2007 — a play that on its own would be spectacular but earned additional merit for the situation in which it occurred.
The Houston Astros had runners on first and third with two outs in the bottom of the 14th.
Luke Scott launched a fly ball that sent Beltran to the deepest part of the ballpark. And not just any ordinary part. One of Minute Maid Park’s unique features at the time was the now-defunct Tal’s Hill — an incline just in front of the straightaway center field wall.
It’s quite the challenge for a visiting center fielder to navigate, but Beltran had some experience. While a member of the Astros for the second half of 2004, he regularly practiced tracking balls up the steep hill in straightaway center field but never got the chance to scale it.
Now he had his opportunity. As Beltran reached the slope — simultaneously tracking the ball, sensing the fence, and trying to find his footing — he managed to stay upright long enough to stick his glove out while looking back. Falling to the grass, he completed the over-the-shoulder grab. Inning over.
Beltran got a huge greeting from his teammates on the field and in the dugout, but nobody was more thankful than pitcher Joe Smith — who got out of the inning and avoided the loss after surrendering a hit-by-pitch and a walk.
The game pressed on for two scoreless innings before — who else? — Beltran knocked in what turned out to be the game-winning run. David Wright followed with another RBI single.
Beltran’s heroics rewarded a valiant effort from a host of relievers. Seven Met pitchers entered after starter Tom Glavine, the last being closer Billy Wagner — who warmed up nine separate times before entering in the bottom of the 17th. In all, the bullpen tossed 10 shutout frames and allowed just five hits.
But the five-hour, nine-minute game will always be remembered by Beltran’s 10 seconds of acrobatics in center.
