It’s probably not a surprise to those of you who know me, that the word of Carlos Beltran’s impending trade broke my heart in two.
Carlos is the reason I fell in love with baseball. It wasn’t just his smile or his stats, it was the way he played the game. I had never seen a player glide in the outfield so gracefully and wow you with his nearly impossible catches – or the bombs he could hit outta the park – and the bases he would steal with such ease.
Then you get to hear about all his off the field charities, he was one of those few athletes who actually cared about the world and the community around him here in New York or home in Puerto Rico. I know he will continue to do those wonderful things, they just won’t be with my New York Mets anymore. Honestly, even if only for a only a couple of months, the San Francisco Giants just gained a bandwagon fan.
Just for the record, I never blamed him for not swinging at strike three. I was sad for him having to take one for the team in that NLCS even though he was the Mets top performer and MVP in that series. It could have been anyone else up there at the plate, but it just happened to be him. Sometimes fate just sucks. I know that not everyone has the same feelings as I do when it comes to Carlos Beltran, but I know a few of my best friends, Joe D. and Ed Leyro, share in the sadness.
We’re going to miss you CB15, our outfield never looked as good as it did when you were controlling it. Maybe one day you will return to Flushing. Good luck in all that you do, I will be following along.
