An Open Letter To Carlos Beltran
Thomas already posted about this on Sunday, but I'd like to take a decidedly different approach to the subject.
After the Pirates swept the Mets recently, Carlos Beltran had some things to say about it. Namely,
"The reality of this is coming here to Pittsburgh and getting swept, me, I feel embarrassed. I mean, we have to take this personally. It can't happen. It can't happen, us being able to come here and lose three games just like that. Three games to this team. I know they're a big-league ball club, but we're better than them."
Adam LaRoche of the Pirates didn't take this remark lying down, and when asked about the comment said
"I think it shows zero class and zero professionalism. When somebody says that, they know what they're saying, and they know it's going to get out. He knows we're not going to be real happy about it. If you go and say that to your buddies, it's one thing. If you go to the media and make that public for us to hear? Yeah, that's no class. You know, if we're as bad as he says we are and we swept them, then what's that make them?"
Told of this, Beltran again had some words.
"What I said was, in a way, as a team, we all should feel embarrassed. Being honest, I don't care what he said. I believe we're a better team than them. I don't care what he said. I know that we could have won the first game, and there's no excuse. If we would have won that one, I tell you we would have won one or two more. There's no doubt. I don't care what he says. I say the way I feel. This is how I feel about the team that day. If he said that, I don't agree with him. I've got class. And I've got what he said that I don't have."
With this in mind, I'd like to proceed to write an open letter to Carlos Beltran.
Dear Mr. Beltran,
Adam LaRoche is right.
You got swept by the Pirates. You're embarrassed, and understandably so. However, to say that in public shows a lack of class and makes you look like an idiot.
Players are taught since Little League to not be sore losers. There's the post-game handshake and all the other rituals designed to show respect to the other team. Not to mention this little thing called sportsmanship.
Simply put, saying you're better than a team you just got swept by is bad sportsmanship.
But I mean, far be it from me to question Carlos Beltran. The Mets certainly ARE a better team than the Pirates. After all, the Pirates haven't had a winning season since 1992. The Mets have been good enough these past two years to choke away a large division lead in epic fashion.
The fact is this, Mr. Beltran. Your team got swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Not only that, but two out of your three games against them were started by the best pitchers on your staff. You were outplayed and outclassed for three games.
Perhaps instead of spouting off, you should worry about what you and the rest of your team are going to do with your game so you won't get swept by a team with a .456 winning percentage, followed by losing 7-1 to the Nationals.
By the way, if you have to say "I don't care what he says" three times, it becomes obvious that you care. Ditto with having to say "I have class. I have what he says I don't have." If you have to say you have class, you probably haven't got it.
Oh, one last thing. Adam LaRoche may be your team mate after this year's trading deadline. You may want to patch things up with him before that happens.
Sincerely,
Nate
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