On Tuesday, in the spirit of the All-Star Game, the official Mets twitter account (@mets) went through and allowed fans on the social media network to determine the “best” All Star Team in the Mets 52 year history.
Everything seemed to be just fine expect there was a problem…
They completely and utterly omitted Carlos Beltran.
As in – you couldn’t vote for him. He wasn’t one of the five outfielders @mets nominated. Who were the five? Dave Kingman, Darryl Strawberry, Cleon Jones, Duke Snyder, and Willie Mays.
Mays, of course, played parts of two seasons with the Mets, hitting .238/.352/.394/.746 (112 OPS+) over 135 games in 1972 and 1973.
The point of this article is not to denigrate one of the greatest outfielders in baseball history, but having Willie Mays eligible in a list of All Star NEW YORK METS outfielders is a complete and utter joke.
Here is the tweet:
Vote now for the Ultimate Mets All-Star OF. #Kingman, #Mays, #Strawberry, #Jones #Snider, #Mazilli (pick 3) pic.twitter.com/FnoiDCNGSA
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 15, 2014
Carlos Beltran was signed to a seven year deal in the winter of 2004 and he more than lived up to it, with a career .280/.369/.500/.869 line, good for a 129 OPS+.
He amassed 878 hits, 208 2b, 149 HR, 559 RBI, 100/116 SBs. He was a Gold Glove caliber center fielder who made numerous highlight reel plays.
He literally played with a broken face in 2005 after that horrific collision with Mike Cameron (that still gives me shudders just thinking about).
He played on balky knees throughout the latter portion of his Mets career, and yet rebounded in 2011 to be valuable enough to trade for ZACK WHEELER, who is a huge part of this team going forward.
And yet, most likely because of one curveball (that we all wish Adam Wainwright had purposely allowed Beltran to hit), ONE darn at bat in 2006, and because of the team he currently plays for (the Yankees), he wasn’t chosen as one of the All-Star Mets?
That’s outrageous, unfair and criminal. Par for the course for the Mets, sadly.
