Carlos Beltran Says “It’s Personal” Between Him and Mets

Dec 20, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees new outfielder Carlos Beltran speaks during a introductory press conference at Yankees Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Carlos Beltran used to play for the Mets, and now he plays for the Yankees. Sure had some issues with the Mets once upon a time but that’s all water under the bridge. Carlos Beltran, he’s not the kind of guy who holds a grudge.

Yeah right.

Clearly, Carlos Beltran is still a little miffed about how things went down with the Mets. He spent seven years there, but things ended ugly. Near the end of his tenure there was a little controversy where Beltran and some teammates were painted as jerks for skipping out on a visit to the Walter Reed hospital. Beltran claims he had a good excuse – he was attending a meeting about the building of his academy in Puerto Rico – but still, the negative story stuck to him and it still stings.

A lot.

Beltran remembered the ugly episode and others during his introductory press conference with the Yankees on Friday.

“The controversy about Walter Reed and the knee, the organization trying to prove as a player that I was a bad apple,” he said. “I was this, I was that. I can deal with 0-for-4s and three strikeouts and talking to you guys. I can deal with that. When somebody is trying to hurt you in a personal way, trying to put things out there that are not me, we have trouble.

“Now it’s personal, you know what I’m saying? In that point, when they say all that about myself, of course I was hurt.”

Beltran was traded by the Mets to the Giants in 2011, then signed with the Cardinals for 2012 and 2013. His pursuit of a ring came up short in St. Louis and now he’s back in the Big Apple on a 3-year, $45 million deal.

This time, Beltran feels like he’s on the right side of the non-rivalry.

“As a player – and first of all as a fan – I used to look up at this organization because they always did what it takes to put good teams out there and win championships,” Beltran said of his new team. “As a player, you always want to join an organization where you’re going to have an opportunity to win a championship.”

I think we’ve got our storyline for the first Subway Series in 2014. “The Revenge of Beltran.”

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