Carlos Beltran hopes for first title, along with Beltre, Rangers
Despite a Hall of Fame career, Carlos Beltran has been a welcome stranger to many new clubhouses.
Beltran entered the Texas Rangers’ clubhouse as the respected 39-year-old veteran that he is. If anyone was feeling awkward, it was probably some of the young Rangers giddy to get to know the 19-year major league veteran. The Rangers are the seventh club he’s played for since debuting with the Kansas City Royals in September 1998.
Beltran was back in Houston on Friday night for the Rangers’ series opener against the Astros at Minute Maid Park. It’s the same park where Beltran became a star after joining the Astros from the Royals in midseason and having a legendary 2004 playoff run.
In 12 postseason games, Beltran hit .435 with eight homers, 14 RBIs and six steals. He also made a number of acrobatic plays in center field and helped lead the Astros to within one game of their first World Series appearance. [They did it in 2005 without him.]
Beltran, a free agent, signed a big contract with the New York Mets after that season. He is still lustily booed by Astros fans when he comes to the plate, as he was Friday night during the Rangers’ 5-0 loss to Dallas Keuchel, who threw a three-hit, complete-game shutout, his first of the season.
The Rangers had two hits in the first inning and then were held hitless until a two-out double in the ninth by Adrian Beltre. The Astros cut the Rangers’ lead in the American League West to 5 1/2 games. Martin Perez took the loss after allowing five runs, including four in the third, over seven innings.
It takes time to get adjusted to a new clubhouse, to new people. The fact that this clubhouse is so different, meaning it’s so happy, so loud, so crazy, it makes it fun for me.
New Rangers player Carlos Beltran
For the third time in his career, Beltran joins a clubhouse midseason, hoping he bolsters their lineup and helps win them a World Series. It’s an expectation that Beltran respects.
“It takes time to get adjusted to a new clubhouse, to new people,” said Beltran, who collected his 526th career double in the first inning Friday, which tied him with Dave Parker for 42nd all-time. “The fact that this clubhouse is so different, meaning it’s so happy, so loud, so crazy, it makes it fun for me. Being a veteran player I know that I’ve been in this type of situation before. The fact that the Texas Rangers acquired me to help this ballclub really means a lot to me.”
Beltran, like Beltre, is still looking for that first World Series title.
“That’s the right mindset, that’s the right attitude. We’re all here because we want to win,” he said. “You work so hard during the off-season, spring training and regular season to get to that point, to be the last team standing. So hopefully this is our year. That’s something I really want to experience and I’d hope it will happen this year or it will happen before I retire.”
I’m proud of my career. I’m proud of the work I’ve put into the game of baseball to be the player that I am.
Carlos Beltran
Which won’t be any time soon, Beltran said, as long as he’s producing, to echo a sentiment often heard from Beltre.
“I’m proud of my career. I’m proud of the work I’ve put into the game of baseball to be the player that I am,” he said. “I’ve gone through a lot of ups and down as a ballplayer, but I’m still here competing. This is the game that I love. The passion I have for the game of baseball is off the charts. I don’t even know when I’m going to retire from the game of baseball. As long as I continue to contribute and help I want to be a part of this game.”
He and Beltre had two of the three Rangers’ hits Friday on a night Jonathan Lucroy, Nomar Mazara and Jurickson Profar weren’t in the lineup.
“I know how competitive and how professional he is. He plays the game hard all the time in the field. He’s a leader to the younger guys here. The fact that they added another guy with experience, we both can lead in different ways. He can take some of the guys, I can take some of the guys and continue to propel the team forward,” said Beltran, who knows the Rangers acquired him, in part, for his postseason success.
They got me for the records I have in the playoffs. I know I will find a way to contribute in a positive way.
Carlos Beltran
He’ll play some outfield, including a start there Saturday, manager Jeff Banister said. That’s fine with Beltran.
“I want to give him flexibility with the DH spot,” Beltran said. “I’d be more than happy to be out there because I like to be in the outfield. I know that at one point I have to consider DH a full-time job because it is what it is. Right now, I don’t see myself like a full-time DH. I love being in the outfield.”
When he joined the Astros in July 2004, Beltran said switching leagues was like “going from the Earth to the moon.” The Astros are now in the American League, and his transition from the Yankees to the Rangers is less startling at this stage in his career.
“They got me for the records I have in the playoffs,” he said. “I know I will find a way to contribute in a positive way. I think the way I play the game, I’m always under control. When you’re playing important games, playoffs and things like that, sometimes the hype can take you away from your game plan. That doesn’t happen to me because I’m always in control.”
Stefan Stevenson: 817-390-7760, @StevensonFWST
Rangers at Astros
6:10 p.m. Saturday, FSSW, Root Sports
This story was originally published August 5, 2016 at 11:05 PM with the headline "Carlos Beltran hopes for first title, along with Beltre, Rangers."