Mets’ Beltrán Primed For Rookie Managerial Season
SAN DIEGO – Mets manager Carlos Beltrán was always one of the most respected players on his teams. He was as studious as he was talented, carrying himself in a dignified manner with a maturity beyond his years.
Even two decades ago when he won the 1999 American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award with the Kansas City Royals, it was easy to predict that he would manage in the majors. Those predictions were easier to make as he took leadership roles with Team Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic.
With the exception of a Most Valuable Player Award, he won everything you’d want to win during his 20-year career. He was Rookie of the Year, a nine-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, two-time Silver Slugger recipient and, more importantly, a World Series champion.
Beltrán remains as studious as ever as he prepares for his rookie season as manager of the Mets, so it is no surprise that he has reached out to several managers to seek advice.
“Be authentic, be you; that has been the advice that I have received from veteran guys that has managed the game before,” Beltrán said Tuesday during his media briefing at the MLB Winter Meetings. “So I’ve always been a student of the game of baseball, so I don’t have a problem reaching out to people for advice.
“And that was something I did when I first got the job. I called some of the veteran guys in the league that have done this job for a long time, try to collect information from them, and that has been the advice from all of them almost.”
Beltrán, 42, should benefit from the experience he picked up playing for both New York teams, first in Queens with the Mets for parts of seven years and then with the Yankees for parts of three seasons late in his career.
The Manati, Puerto Rico, native won his only World Series title in his final season in the majors in 2017 with the Astros, where he was credited with teaching a young core of stars how to win.
MLB investigation hovers
The New York media is one of the toughest in the world, as he knows well. Just in case he forgot, however, he was given a fresh reminder on Tuesday during his scheduled media session at the Winter Meetings at the San Diego Grand Hyatt.
He wasn’t grilled as badly as Astros manager AJ Hinch was during 19 excruciating minutes two hours after Beltrán spoke, but Beltrán definitely was peppered with questions about the sign-stealing scandal that has prompted Major League Baseball to investigate the Astros.
Beltrán’s former teammate Mike Fiers has accused the Astros of using a camera in center field at Minute Maid Park to steal signs from opposing catchers and relaying them to Astros hitters. Soon after The Athletic reported those accusations, The Athletic reported that Beltrán and Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was the Astros’ bench coach at the time, were major protagonists in the sign-stealing plan.
Despite issuing an opening statement for almost a minute declaring that he wouldn’t and couldn’t discuss the allegations because of the MLB’s investigation, Hinch fielded more than a dozen questions on the subject.
Beltrán didn’t escape the questions either. He deflected them like a seasoned manager in a way that he might eventually employ in a market where controversy always seems to be around the corner for coaches and managers of New York sports teams.
“Carlos, what’s your level of concern that there could be a suspension for the whole Houston situation?” Beltrán was asked about two minutes into his briefing with the fourth question of his session.
“Honestly, on Houston’s situation, I don’t have any comment for the respect of the process that has been happening. So I’m here to talk Mets baseball,” he said.
The next question was more pointed even if it wasn’t very direct while implying that he was at risk of being suspended by MLB.
“So you expect to begin the season managing the team?” he was asked.
“I’m sorry?” Beltrán replied.
“You expect to begin the season managing, right?” the reporter added.
“I’m looking forward to managing this ballclub,” Beltrán replied.
The theme continued, though: “If there is a suspension, would it be a setback if you couldn’t start until May or June?” another reporter asked.
“You know what, I’m not going to comment on that because, like I said, the whole investigation is in the process by MLB baseball,” Beltrán said. “So anything related to suspension, the Astros, I don’t have any comment on those.”
Beltrán remained as cool as ever after another follow-up question.
“Have you spoken with MLB as part of their investigation?” Beltrán was asked.
“I wouldn’t talk about it,” Beltrán said.
Beltrán deflected the questions with ease. Then the subject changed for a few minutes.
Beltrán received two more questions on the subject toward the end of his briefing. He responded in a similar manner than he had earlier.
New York experience should help
He wasn’t flustered by the questions. He was prepared, just as he always had been during his 20-year career. He knows the New York market well. In many ways he has been preparing for this position since his first season with the Mets after starting his career with the Royals and a brief, exciting stint with the Astros after he was traded in June 2004.
Beltrán was the prize of the 2004-2005 offseason before picking the Mets over remaining with the Astros in January 2005 with the richest contract given that winter. He knows about high expectations in Queens. He coped with them in 2005 and was stronger in 2006.
“Well, at least in my case, because I came with a big contract I was trying to please everybody and forgot about my priorities as a player,” he said. “My priorities as a player were to prepare, to be ready, and to try to make sure that I did check all the boxes before I got to the game.
“So a lot of times I got caught up in doing things that were not related to baseball. So that really cost me. So (in the) second year, I understood that, and I made good adjustments.”
The star from Manati, Puerto Rico, is ready for his second stint in Queens, this time as a rookie manager.
Featured Image: Julie Alexandria