Carlos Beltran Officially Announces His Retirement After Winning World Series
After a 20-year major league career that’ll put him in Cooperstown on the first ballot (if the voters actually get it right), Carlos Beltran has officially announced his retirement from the game of baseball. At least, as a player. Beltran played for seven different teams — Royals, Astros (twice), Mets, Giants, Cardinals, Yankees, and Rangers — and made seven trips to the postseason before finally winning his first World Series ring earlier this month with Houston.
He may not have contributed to Houston’s postseason in 2017 like the legendary run that he went on in 2004 with the Astros when he hit 8 homers in 12 games, but he still played an important role of being a veteran leader and a mentor for those young and talented Astros players.
Beltran, the 1999 American League Rookie of the year, now 40-year-old retiree, calls it a career after hitting 435 home runs, driving in 1,587 runs, batting .279 with an .837 OPS for his entire career, was selected to nine All Star teams, won three Gold Glove awards, two Silver Sluggers, became a member of the 30-30 Club, and perhaps his most prized accomplishment throughout his playing days — he was the recipient of the 2013 Roberto Clemente Award. Clemente being a God in Beltran’s native Puerto Rico.
His career wins above replacement sits at 69.8. Where does that rank among players who are already in the Hall of Fame? Well, it’s higher than Pudge Rodriguez’s (68.4), who just went in on the first ballot, and it’s also better than Tony Gwynn’s (68.8), who’s one of the greatest hitters of all-time, and Tim Raines’ (69.1), who just went in this past year with Pudge. Like I said before, if the voters get it right, Beltran goes in on the first ballot.
But when you hear a guy like A-Rod talk about what Beltran meant to that Astros club beyond just what he did on the field, then you get the overwhelming sense that he won’t be away from the game for long. Most guys take a little breather after they retire as a player, but I’d imagine that Beltran won’t stay away for long. And when he does come back, you’re going to be looking at one of the best managers in the game some day.
