“It was just some sticking points. It should never, never have gotten to this.” Those unforgettable words are the ones that were heard by Houston Astros fans on January 8, 2005, by then team owner Drayton McLane as the door slammed behind Carlos Beltrán.
Beltrán, 40, twice an Astro, a dozen years apart, announced his retirement November 13, a dozen days after helping Houston capture its first World Series Championship in franchise history.
Adios Astros
What “this” should never, never have gotten to was the bolting, by Beltrán, of the Houston fold, thus betraying the hundreds of thousands of fans who had grown to love his stunning play, affable personality, and his simple boyish love of baseball. At least, that’s how many Minute Maid Park faithful saw it as they watched him pack his bags (and wallet) for the bright lights of the Big Apple, having signed a multi-year contract with the New York Mets.
According to the January 9, 2005, Houston Chronicle, “the Astros had hoped to make Beltrán (a native Puerto Rican) the face of the franchise, both as a player and as an ambassador to Houston’s large Latino community.”
In 2004, Beltrán had 38 home runs with 104 RBIs and 42 stolen bases between the Astros and Kansas City Royals. The Astros were 38-34 and two games behind in the National League Wild Card race when Beltrán was obtained on June 24, 2004. The Royals traded Beltrán to the Astros in a three-team deal, which also sent relief pitcher Octavio Dotel from the Astros to the Oakland A’s, while the Royals picked up two Oakland minor leaguers and Astros’ catching prospect John Buck.
The 27-year-old switch-hitter, who led the team to its first-ever playoff series win, had a famously mind-blowing 2004 postseason for Houston, hitting .435 with eight home runs, 14 RBIs, nine walks, and six stolen bases over 12 games. He led the Astros within a victory of the franchise’s first World Series appearance, which would actually come a year later, minus Beltrán, in the four-game sweep suffered at the hands of the Chicago White Sox in 2005.
“Slipped Through Our Fingers”
Beltrán had no problem captivating Houston’s fans with his dizzying multitude of skills, which made it all the more shocking to them that he turned down the biggest contract in Astros history. The pact was believed to be for seven years and more than $105 million, eclipsing, in total value, the Astros’ previous record contract of $85 million for eventual Hall-of-Famer Jeff Bagwell.
“It slipped through our fingers in the last, last few minutes,” said McLane, who was told by Beltrán’s agent, Scott Boras (now Jose Altuve’s agent), that Beltran was finalizing his deal with the Mets.
“We must have had eight or nine conversations (with the Astros) today,” Boras said at the time, “and they made a very competitive offer.”
Who Knew He’d Come Back?
Astros fans were livid. As Beltrán meandered his way through his six years with the Mets and seasons with the Giants, Cardinals, Yankees, and Rangers, he had to endure the lusty boos and verbal brickbats by the thousands as his teams trooped through Minute Maid Park. Whenever he came to bat, his walk-up music may just as well have been the 30-second chorus of boos that cascaded from the rafters.
“Traitor” was probably the most-shouted, family-friendly word screamed in his direction during those years he was away; years that coincided with the gutting of the team of his fellow veteran teammates. They were replaced by not-ready-for-MLB prospects and cost-effective over-the-hill veterans to produce the now-famous run of years of 100+ losses by the Astros in the years following…those long, arduous years of about 2009-2014.
About the time of GM Jeff Luhnow’s arrival in late 2011, the parade of first-round draft picks, shrewd free agent signings, a handful of fortuitous trades, and the patience to piece it all together began, and finally marked the transformation of the long-beleaguered “Lastros” (aka “Disastros”) into the 2017 World Series Champion Houston Astros.
The Final Piece of the Puzzle
After 4,350 calendar days of conjuring more bleacher vitriol to hurl in Beltrán’s direction on any given game day he might be patrolling the outfield, Houston fans were forced to swallow their venom on December 5, 2016.
In January of 2017, several weeks after signing his new free agent contract with Houston, Beltrán called up Altuve and Carlos Correa and invited his fellow Hispanic stars (Venezuela and Puerto Rico, respectively) to invite them out to dinner.
Related: Jose Altuve Wins 2017 AL MVP + A Look Back At Altuve’s Early Years
Beltrán, himself, picks up the narrative from his January 10, 2017, The Players’ Tribune piece: “I was hoping to get a sense of how they were preparing during the off-season, their expectations for next year, stuff like that.
“Almost immediately after we sat down, I realized that the upcoming season was going to be even more fun than I had imagined.”
And, then this: “Astros fans, I’m here to tell you: It’s going to be a special year. Mark it down. I can already tell.…after just one dinner uptown.”
The Torch Passes
During his first pass through Houston, in 2004, Beltrán was the youngster, eager to learn from veterans the right way to play the game. Houston fans should know that the Astros’ stars from that year played a huge part in shaping the player Beltrán was during the ’04 regular season and playoffs, and continued to be for this year’s team.
It all came around full circle when the quiet, humble superstar got his chance to “pay it forward” to the young crop of 2017’s young Astros, looking no less hungry, wide-eyed, and eager to learn from the master than has he was soaking up knowledge from the Killer B’s back in the day.
Again, Carlos, in his own words, reflected on his predecessors from 2004: “I decided I was going to learn as much as possible from [Craig Biggio]. It was going to be my No. 1 priority. At the same time, I watched Jeff Bagwell and Roger Clemens work. I saw Andy Pettitte battle. I watched Lance Berkman and Jeff Kent and Roy Oswalt, guys who were some of the best to ever play this game. I soaked it all in, every last bit of it.
“There are four or five guys who, more than anyone else, really and truly shaped me into the player and person that I am today. Craig Biggio is one of those guys. I owe so much to that man.
Related: Craig Biggio, 2015: First Astro in the Hall of Fame
The Trophy Proves They Listened
“The Astros have an unbelievable group of young players leading the team — and, believe me, it’s not just Altuve and Correa either, there’s George Springer and Alex Bregman and A.J. Reed, a whole bunch of extremely talented guys. But nothing in this sport comes easy. You’re going to go through a lot of ups and downs. There’s no escaping it, no matter how talented you are.
“Over the years, I’ve become passionate about helping guys get through those down times — whether it’s sharing preparation tips, or things I do in the cage, or just providing encouragement. If someone’s struggling, or needs some guidance, I want to do all I can to help, and I told (manager) A.J. Hinch that straight up.
“Put my locker next to young guys who I can help,” I said. “Get me around the kids … the players who I can have an impact on. In spring training, during drills, whenever you can. Give me the opportunity to help all the young players get better.
“He promised me he’d do that, and I couldn’t be happier about it.”
From Carlos’ November 13, 2017, The Players’ Tribune article: “I will leave you with a story about something that happened right after we won the World Series.
“We were in the clubhouse, celebrating as a team, and all of the young guys — Springer, Marwin [Gonzalez], Correa, Altuve — they were all coming up to me saying, “Thank you, Carlos! … Gracias! Gracias! … Thank you for everything!
“I stopped them and I said, ‘No, no, my friends. No….
“‘Thank you.'”
The Astros Tip Their Caps
“Congratulations to @carlosbeltran15 on an amazing career. Thank you for your leadership, big hits and helping bring a championship to Houston! #Respect“-Reid Ryan, Astros’ President of Business Operations
“Legend.”-Alex Bregman
“Such a class act, on & off the field. I wish Carlos nothing but the best in retirement.”- Robert Ford, Astros broadcaster
“A great baseball player and a true pro.”-Steve Grande, Astros’ Media Relations Sr. Manager
“Thank you for everything CB, you are the best around. A lot of guys, myself included, wouldn’t be where we are without you. Good luck in Boston!”-Astros pitcher Lance McCullers, Jr.
“Congrats to @carlosbeltran15 on an amazing career! We only played together for a short time but what a ride we had! I learned a lot about what being a veteran means and the impact we can have. You’re an amazing teammate and leader. What a way to bow out… a World Champion!”-Astros pitcher Justin Verlander
“Thank you Carlos for being everything you are. Proud to have been a teammate as a player and a manager. Forever a champion.”-A.J. Hinch, Astros manager
Congratulations on a spectacular and storied career, @carlosbeltran15! Thank you for all you’ve done in Houston. Forever a champion. pic.twitter.com/SKz4O0Eol0
— Houston Astros (@astros) November 13, 2017
Longtime Houston Astros fans remember the countless years when annual triple-digit losses kept Astros caps and t-shirts hidden deep in our closets.
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