Cards' Beltran puts Mets years behind him
Carlos Beltran takes a called 3rd strike in the 9th inning as the New York Mets host the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 of the NLCS. (Oct. 19, 2006) Credit: Newsday/Audrey C. Tiernan
Carlos Beltran doesn't know if it will be weird for Mets fans to see him in a St. Louis Cardinals jersey this year, considering how the 2006 NLCS ended. He also doesn't care.
"I'm not thinking about the fans," Beltran said. "I'm thinking about myself."
Speaking before a fundraiser dinner for Baseball Assistance Team, Beltran stressed Tuesday that he has "no regrets" about his seven years with the Mets, saying he realizes he had his best seasons in New York.
But Beltran also made it clear he's long beyond dissecting his most famous moment here, when he looked at strike three from St. Louis' Adam Wainwright for the final out of the 2006 NLCS, leaving the bases loaded and the Mets down two runs.
The Cardinals went on to win the World Series that year; the Mets haven't been back to the playoffs since.
"What happened in 2006, you have to turn the page," Beltran said. "That's over. We can't bring 2006 back up in 2012. It's been six years. If they want to continue to think about that moment, that's their problem. I turned the page. I moved on."
Beltran recently signed a two-year, $26-million contract with the defending champion Cardinals, saying he believes they give him the best shot at contending for his first World Series title.
"I feel it's a good fit for me," he said.
The Cardinals might have a tough task repeating, given that superstar Albert Pujols signed with the Los Angeles Angels and longtime manager Tony LaRussa retired.
