11/16/17

Mack's Apples - 11-16-17 - Carlos Beltran, Larry Gall, Kaden Polcovich, Campbell's Field



Good morning.



It’s hard to imagine Carlos Beltran not going into the Hall Of Fame for any other team than the Mets. Sure, there will be some debate whether or not others should get in before him, and yes, maybe the Mets did give up on this guy a little too early, but he did play his best ball as a Met.

Beltran played 20 seasons in the majors, seven with the Mets. It was easiest the longest stint with any team and produced his most productive numbers.

I remember Carlos as being a quiet person in the Mets spring training clubhouse. He wasn’t sullen, like Oliver Perez was, or the ‘Clubhouse Clown’ like Jose Reyes. No, he was just quiet and kept to himself.

His locker was on the back row with all the stars like Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and David Wright were. Reporters weren’t allowed to roam back there. You usually could get away with an unauthorized question or two with the guys in the ‘front row’, especially the rookies right in front of the area where we all were allowed to congregate. When you did get to go back there, as part of a gaggle, Beltran kept to himself.

I never got to ask him a question because I was so far down the totem pole for that gaggle. Jay Horowitz, PR Director, never allowed me as part of a gaggle. I was a reporter for a Class A Affiliate and nothing more.

On, and off the field, Beltran did his business and went on his way. This is how he chose to play pro ball and everyone respected it simply because of his talent.

I loved the day the Mets traded him to San Francisco. He was in his move year and batting .289 at the time. There was no indication that he was going to sit down with the Mets to sign a new deal and we had the opportunity to steal the Giants number one prospect, SP Zack Wheeler. In a tradeline deal. This was truly a win/win deal.

Still, I did miss him and found myself sneaking onto the Baseball Cube site over the years to check out what he was doing while playing for the Cardinals, Yankees, Rangers, and Astros. The 32 home runs he hit for the Cardinals in 2012 especially stung.

We wish him well and I do expect to read about him helping his people recover in Puerto Rico. Let’s remember that 20 kids from his baseball academy in Florida for Puerto Rico prospects were drafted by major league teams.


Larry Gall turned his love of baseball into acclaimed coaching career –

Like any other young man who grew up playing baseball, Larry Gall had dreams of becoming a major leaguer. He even had a shot at playing pro ball in the Detroit Tigers' system, but it came with a high risk and no guarantee of a high reward.

"When it was my senior year at Scottville (High School), the scout for the Detroit Tigers approached me at a tryout and asked me if I would join the Tigers,"



Kentucky baseball dismisses highly  touted freshman -

One of Kentucky’s top baseball signees in the 2017 class is no longer with the program.

Kaden Polcovich, a freshman infielder from Edmond, Oklahoma, was dismissed from the team according to a UK spokesperson. 

Polcovich told The Cats’ Pause he’ll enroll at Northwest Florida State College for the spring semester. He plans to pursue a professional career after one season at Northwest Florida State College.

Polcovich was the highest-rated high school position player in Kentucky’s 2017 class. He was ranked No. 282 nationally by Perfect Game. Baseball America ranked Polcovich as the No. 9 draft eligible second baseman prior to the 2017 MLB Draft.

Details why players like this are dismissed are usually kept hush hush.

The point to walk away with here is whatever it was, it has nothing to do with his talent on the baseball field. We’ll make a mental note of this name and come back to it next year to see what his mock rankings are in November 2018.

The downward spiral of a $21M baseball stadium built on taxpayers' backs, explained. Campbell's Field -

The 6,400-seat baseball stadium formerly known as Campbell's Field has been without a major tenant since 2015, when the Camden Riversharks minor-league baseball team folded under a pile of debt. Nearly a billion dollars of development continued on the waterfront around it, but the stadium, still used for Rutgers University Camden's Division III baseball team, seemed to be an afterthought.

That changed late last month after South Jersey powerbroker George Norcross predicted the stadium would be demolished and $35 million state taxpayers shelled out to develop and build it would go whoosh, down the drain.

This was just a shame. This is a good stadium in a good baseball town that was doomed because of New Jersey botched financing.


The only business this state ever seems to understand is gambling and they even screwed that up.

9 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Forget New Jersey, I want a Beltran jersey. What a shame that Beltran missed so much time and played impaired with that leg issue he had as a Met (spanning 2009 and 2010, if I remember correctly), or his Mets stats would have been off the charts.

I was so disappointed in 2006 that he had 39 homers by August 29, but only managed to hit 2 more - I was hoping for at least one Met to have a lot more than 41 homers - wasn't meant to be. Great season, though.

Kaden Polcovich - probably will be the Mets' first round pick, the way things go in Queens.

Unknown said...

I agree Tom (thankfully I have his Jersey) but Mack is right even though it hurt to see him go it was a win/win situation for all parties involved

Reese Kaplan said...

It was an even bigger win for Wheeler's surgeon. He probably bought a new Maserati on what he earned from him.

Unknown said...

Still remember when I heard we signed him and wondering if I heard it right...he signed with us instead of the evil empire and I just couldn't believe it of course were the Mets so there had to be a kicker and it was that he would have signed with the Yanks for less money. Great right that we finally got one over on them but had to know we weren't his first choice. He was probably the best position player we ever had besides Straw but of course he self destructed which was such a shame.

Tom Brennan said...

Gary, whether it is Beltran or Otani, this organization has a long way to go to become the first choice for any marquee player. Not sure the Mets are in the Top 10 in that regard. Yanks have to be top 3.

Unknown said...

Totally agree. Yanks probably #1 based on history with L.A. #2. As long as we keep shopping in the bargain bin we will be also rans and how much longer do we have to put up with this ownership...too long I'm afraid.

Bill Metsiac said...

The Beltran story is very ironic---In 2011, he was regarded as being on his "last (arthritic)legs", so he was traded for a young stud pitcher with "future STAR" engraved on his forehead.

SIX YEARS LATER, Carlos played for the World Champions, while the "stud" still hasn't pitched 400 IP, and has a career ERA of 3.90.

Eddie from Corona said...

Beltran was the best / most underappreciated player we had... and all because he went down looking on a un-hit-able pitch... as if he went down swinging would have made any difference...

As far as being the top destination... 99% of player play where the team pays the most money... So he would have gone to the Yankeees if they wanted him... We got him and he played well when healthy...
We are just snake bit with injuries... That's our curse....

David Rubin said...

Of course I want him in the HOF as a Met, but he actually played 7 years for the Royals too & I just get the feeling, sadly, he'll be wearing their uniform when/if he gets in. Most under appreciated Mets star of all time!!!