Mets to retire Carlos Beltran’s number years after Astros fallout
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Six years after Carlos Beltran was expected to manage the New York Mets, the organization is making him the face of the team once again.
The Mets hired recently Hall of Famer Beltran ahead of the 2020 MLB season to make him their next manager after firing Mickey Callaway. But when the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal involving Beltran came to light, he and the organization parted ways without him officiating any games.
But on Monday, the team announced that Beltran’s No. 15 would be retired on Sept. 19.
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Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets smiles during a baseball promotional press conference on November 4, 2019 in New York. (Seth Wenig/AP)
Twelve Mets have worn that number since Beltran’s last game with the Mets in 2011; Outfielder Tyrone Taylor currently wears that number. But Beltran’s Hall of Fame plaque this summer will include a Mets cap, making him the third player to represent the Mets in Cooperstown, along with Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza.
When MLB released its findings regarding the investigation into the Astros in 2020, Beltran was the only player named in MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s report.
It is widely claimed that Beltran spearheaded the operation along with then-Astros bench coach Alex Cora, the Boston Red Sox manager.
While Beltran’s most memorable moment in a Mets uniform was an unfortunate one – looking at Adam Wainwright’s 3-2 homer that filled the bases until the end of Game 7 of the National League Championship Series – he is still one of the best players in team history. He ranks third in WAR, fourth in OPS, and seventh in home runs and RBIs.
Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets is greeted by Angel Pagan after scoring both times on Beltran’s two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on July 5, 2011. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
WORLD SERIES AWARD WINNING MANAGER GOT EMOTION AFTER LEARNING ON LIVE TV THAT HIS TEAM WILL RETIRE HIS NUMBER
The nine-time All-Star has been a steady force throughout his entire career; he even made it into the Midsummer Classics in his second and final season as a New York Yankee, when he hit .295 with an .850 OPS, 35 home runs and 101 RBI.
As a hitter, Beltran won three Gold Glove Awards, amassing 2,725 hits, including 435 home runs. He also stole 300 bases in his career, making him one of eight players in the 300-300 club in MLB history. Beltran has the fourth most home runs behind Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray and Chipper Jones.
New York Mets right fielder Carlos Beltran lunges for the ball in the third inning of an MLB baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 22, 2011 in New York. (Bill Kostroun/AP)
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He is also one of 39 players who both walked in and scored at least 1,500 runs. 32 of those players, including Beltran, are in the Hall of Fame. The other seven are either not linked to performance-enhancing drugs (Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro, Gary Sheffield, Manny Ramirez) or are not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame (Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera). Beltran hit .307 with a 1.021 OPS in 65 postseason games.
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