Mets’ Carlos Beltrán Could Lead in Sports Business too
By Joe Favorito
It’s rare to look at a market like New York at the end of 2019 and still be finding “firsts.” After all, those in Gotham consider themselves trailblazers in every aspect of business, sports or media. As Sinatra said, and you hear when exiting Yankee Stadium, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.”
However one of the things that makes New York, or any major market that can be progressive in business, so appealing are those who can achieve “firsts” and also invoke change. The Mets are the latest in that group.
Historic place
Now we are not talking about the latest sale of the team to billionaire Steve Cohen. We are talking about the value of Carlos Beltrán as manager. It’s not just because of his numbers, his thoughtfulness or the leadership that he portrayed in New York, Kansas City, Houston and St. Louis. It’s because as he begins his run, which will take him through the Winter Meetings in San Diego, he holds another very unique place in Gotham sports history; the first Latino manager/head coach in any sport in the City.
When you think about the great players and coaches who have tried, succeeded and failed in some cases in the bright lights of New York, it’s hard to believe that no Latino has taken the mantle to date. There have been head coaches of color, but none with deep Latino ties. It seems almost unconscionable, but it is true.
What does it mean?
”It means a lot – honestly, it means a lot,” Beltrán told SNY’s Steve Gelbs following his hiring. “And I’m just very proud of where I’ve come from, very proud of my roots as a Latino and I just want to encourage people out there that, if it’s in your head and you want to accomplish something, all you want or need to do is just fight for it and educate yourself, always be willing to learn, always be willing to surround yourself with good people around you and there’s a lot you’re going to receive, successful advice.”
With a core of Latinos, from Amed Rosario and Robinson Canó to Yoenis Cespedes and Edwin Diaz, New York’s opportunity to engage and grow with baseball-loving Latinos has never been stronger as hopes grow for 2020. Now of course there are question marks there, but one thing is for sure, there is no question about the role that the Puerto Rico native can play not just there, but in the business community.
“I have been honored to have been able to spend a lot of time around Carlos Beltrán, especially when he was with the Yankees, and I can safely say that there are few, if any, people of higher integrity, and that will translate well into his new roles,” said Ray Negron, a longtime advisor and front office staffer for the New York Yankees. “He is not only a student of the game, he is a leader in life who any company would be honored to have around.”
Beltrán appreciates New York
Negron touched on an area of note, one that continues to be a hot button in the sports marketing world. The business of marketing to Latinos can really amplify now in Beltrán’s new role.
We continue to see an uptick in mainstream brands that are now seeing multilingual, telegenic Latinos stars in baseball as a way to reach a multicultural audience. From Carlos Correa to Ricardo Acuña Jr. to Francisco Lindor, companies are seeing these young stars can be a gateway to the fastest growing audience in America; the young Latino who loves his or her cultural roots but is American in a traditional sense of the word.
In turbulent New York, where a minute lasts only a few seconds, the entry point may be the new Mets skipper.
“Carlos Beltrán has seen the highs and lows of New York as a player and comes out really unscathed. He has also won elsewhere and has always done so with integrity and grit, and that’s what marketers want,” said Chris Lencheski, a longtime sports marketing expert now CEO of Winning Streak Sports and professor at Columbia University. “Not only is he a multilingual leader, he will probably outlast many athletes in this market if he is successful. So if you are a brand who wants in on the ground floor, he is the ticket.”
Led by Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso and Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, there is no doubt that the Mets’ stock rose as their team performed at an amazing level down the stretch last fall. However having Beltrán as their chief spokesperson will help them on the field and in the business community, as the team looks to not just capitalize on their success but grow as well.
Stage is set
The Mets are one of the traditional leaders in Latino engagement, not just because of the core of players but because of the team’s proximity to a vibrant multicultural environment in Queens. Beltrán was beloved not just during his time in Flushing – save for one fateful strikeout in the playoffs against the Cardinals – but for his time just north in the Bronx with the Yankees as well. All of that factors into consistency and opportunity for the Mets.
“Carlos knows the game and the marketplace, and he knows you have to win first,” Negron said. “However, that doesn’t mean that he has ever lost sense of the opportunities off the field, be it in marketing or business. He is better positioned now than ever to realize that chance as well, and I’m sure he will pick his spots as the offers flow in.”
Where can those offers come from?
“Someone like Carlos Beltrán can certainly have the traditional offers for sure,” Lencheski said. “He is not that far removed from the field. But when you look to New York and the businesses that look for leadership – accounting, financial services – and when you have someone with a multicultural background, that’s where impact can be made, as well as in the social responsibility space. There is so much there for the taking that will come along.”
Will it be an overnight flow of new opportunities to the Mets and their manager? No. Most realize that winning is first. However as Latinos keep growing in the sports business space, the Mets’ new manager is suddenly poised to take advantage of a burgeoning space just minutes from Madison Avenue. Yes, young stars will get their share, but a Latino leader with a rising club in New York?
That has star appeal too.
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