Beltran emotional after Thursday's return to Mets

Have to say that I was a bit surprised by Carlos Beltran's emotional comments following Thursday's return to the Mets. I figured that Beltran would be relieved to make it through that first night after 3 1/2 months of rehab work to get back. But he also was very open about getting a "second chance" coming off knee surgery and revealed a sense of his own baseball mortality with comments like this:

"I see it as a second chance," Beltran said. "God has given me a second chance to play a game. Sometimes as a player, when you come to the ballpark, it's like the same thing over and over and over again. It becomes a routine. Sometimes, it's not that we take things for granted, but it's the same thing over and over and over.

"But when you're away from the game so long, now I appreciate everything, every part of the game. Just being out there, being able to catch a ball. It sounds crazy, but that's how grateful I am with just being able to be back. Now I feel like I don't want to waste any opportunity. I'm going to enjoy the game and have fun, and whatever happens happens."