Noah Syndergaard thinks Met and All-Star teammate Bartolo Colon has right idea to keep arm healthy for second half of season.
Beltran’s stock continues to rise as he savors 9th Classic
SAN DIEGO — The mere mention of the topic seemed to throw Carlos Beltran for a loop. It does almost every time.
But with his ninth All-Star appearance looming and numbers that rival almost any switch-hitter that’s ever played the game, the idea that he could someday find himself in the Baseball Hall of Fame shouldn’t come as a shock to the 39-year-old.
“I’m so caught up in my job every day and getting to the ballpark to help the organization, so I don’t think about it,” Beltran said. “That will be something when I retire from baseball that hopefully I get the consideration. I just focus on the moment.”
That focus has shown up in his performance all season, as Beltran was the Yankees’ most consistent everyday player. He leads the team with 19 home runs, 56 RBI, a .299 average, .888 OPS and 18 doubles. Not bad for an old guy with bad knees.
“It’s been very satisfying for me to be able to stay healthy for the most part and to be able to contribute,” Beltran said. “For me to get to this point of my career and to be here in this room with so many young superstars that are representing Major League Baseball, it really means a lot for me.”
Many of those young stars look up to Beltran like the way he admired Bernie Williams and Roberto Clemente as a young player. His reputation as one of the smartest, most thoughtful hitters in the game has followed him from city to city, leaving an imprint everywhere he’s gone.
“His knowledge of the game and the strike zone, what pitchers are trying to do to him, I always felt like he was one step ahead of the pitcher he was facing,” Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said of his former teammate. “He’s got great baseball instincts and a really good swing.”
Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt played against Beltran for three years in the NL, admiring his approach to the game as much as his production.
“He’s such a smart hitter; that’s the first thing that comes to mind,” Goldschmidt said. “As you get older and maybe it’s a little tougher physically, mentally you’re so much further ahead of the game.
“He’s a guy I definitely look up to as much as anyone I’ve played against. He plays hard, he’s smart and everyone
speaks so highly of him as a teammate. I would teach my son to play like that guy does.”
Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg has not given up a hit to Beltran in their six career meetings, but that doesn’t mean the righthander finds the matchup to be easy. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
“He can hit your best fastball, he can hit your best curveball and he can hit your best changeup — or whatever pitches you throw,” Strasburg said. “You have to be on your toes and stay out of a pattern with him. It’s a fine line. As a pitcher, you want to pitch to your strengths, but it’s a back and forth you have with a guy like him.”
With 411 home runs, 1,499 RBI, 1,494 runs scored and 311 stolen bases, Beltran’s numbers are certainly worthy of Hall of Fame discussion. Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray are the only switch-hitters to reach the 500-homer mark, leaving only Chipper Jones — a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer — as the only other one ahead of him on the all-time homer list.
“When I look at the switch-hitters that have played the game of baseball and I see my name so close to Eddie, Chipper, Mickey Mantle and guys like that, I’m super proud,” Beltran said. “I never thought in my wildest dreams when I first joined the team with the Kansas City Royals that I would be able to accomplish all that.”
Although Beltran doesn’t spend much time thinking about it, he’s always flattered when somebody brings up his chances for induction in Cooperstown.
“It motivates me to continue to work hard, but at the end of the day it’s out of my hands,” Beltran said. “I just hope that when my career is over, my numbers look good to be there.”