Sample Player Profile Page

BELTRAN, CARLOS


Nickname:	N/A	Position:	CF
Home:	Manati, Puerto Rico	Team:	METS
Height:	6' 1"	Bats:	S
Weight:	205	Throws:	R
DOB:	4/24/1977	Agent:	Scott Boras
Birth City:	Manati, Puerto Rico	Draft:	Royals #2 - 1995 - Out of high school in Puerto Rico
Uniform #:	15		Royals #2 - 1995 - Out of high school in Puerto Rico

YR	LEA	TEAM	SAL(K)	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	OBP	SLG	AVG
1995	GCL	Royals		52	180	29	50	9	0	0	23	5		13	30			.278
1996	NWL	SPOKANE			215	29	58	8	3	7	29	10		31	65			.270
1996	MWL	LANSING			42	3	6	2	0	0	0	1		1	11			.143
1997	CAR	WILMINGTON			419	57	96	15	4	11	46	17		46	96			.229
1998	CAR	WILMINGTON			192	32	53	14	0	5	32	11		25	39			.276
1998	TL	WICHITA			182	50	64	13	3	14	44	7		23	30			.352
1998	AL	ROYALS	$170.00	14	58	12	16	5	3	0	7	3		3	12			.276
1999	AL	ROYALS	$200.00	156	663	112	194	27	7	22	108	27		46	123			.293
2000	AL	ROYALS	$350.00	98	372	49	92	15	4	7	44	13		35	69			.247
2001	AL	ROYALS	$310.00	155	617	106	189	32	12	24	101	31		52	120			.306
2002	AL	ROYALS	$3,500.00	162	637	114	174	44	7	29	105	35		71	135			.273
2003	AL	ROYALS	$6,000.00	141	521	102	160	14	10	26	100	41		72	81			.307
2004	AL	ROYALS	$9,000.00	69	266	51	74	19	2	15	51	14		37	44			.278
2004	NL	ASTROS		90	333	70	86	17	7	23	53	28		55	57			.258
2005	NL	METS	$11,571.00	151	582	83	155	34	2	16	78	17		56	96			.266
2006	NL	METS	$13,571.00	140	510	127	140	38	1	41	116	18	3	95	99	.388	.594	.275
2007	NL	METS	$13,571.00	144	554	93	153	33	3	33	112	23	2	69	111	.353	.525	.276
2008	NL	METS	$18,623.00	161	606	116	172	40	5	27	112	25	3	92	96	.376	.500	.284
2009	NL	METS	$19,244.00	81	308	50	100	22	1	10	48	11	1	47	43	.415	.500	.325
2009	New	BROOKLYN		5	18	1	3	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	5	.250	.167	.167
2010	FSL	ST. LUCIE		14	49	5	18	5	0	0	5	0	0	7	6	.439	.469	.367
2010	NL	METS		11	39	3	8	2	1	0	2	0	1	6	6	.311	.308	.205

PERSONAL:
Carlos was the Royals 1998 Minor League Player of the Year. He had been selected the Carolina League's most exciting player, best outfield arm, and best defensive outfielder early in the season in a poll by Baseball America. Beltran is pretty laid-back and soft-spoken. In 1999, Carlos was named the American League Rookie of the Year.	Beltran was married to his high school sweetheart, Jessica Lugo, November 6, 1999, then took a Caribbean cruise for his honeymoon. "We have fun together," Carlos said. "When we're home we like to have some dinner and then see a movie. We love movies. I like funny movies the best." Before every at bat, Carlos signals his love to his wife. He draws a "J" in the back of the batter's box with his bat.

When Beltran was asked how cool it was to be asked for his first autograph, he said, "I tell you what was great. It was when someone gave me my baseball card to sign. I thought, 'Wow, that is ME on this card. That's when the reality of being a professional baseball player hit me. It is a dream come true." In July 2000, Beltran bought a monkey through an exotic pet dealer. He showed it off to teammates, bringing it to the Royals' clubhouse. He named it "Mikaela." Carlos found the pet on the Internet from a St. Louis dealer and drove two hours to meet the owner halfway. A neighbor had a monkey during his youth, and the thought of owning one appealed to him. The life expectancy of the monkey is 45 years.	Beltran thought it through, however. He would be responsible to take care of the monkey for 45 years, a very long time. So he sold the monkey. Carlos is quiet; he doesn't talk much at all. He is not very confident. Even during his tremendous 1999 Rookie of the Year season, he would go several at-bats without a hit and was genuinely afraid he would be sent down to Triple-A. This, while he was hitting nearly .300! The Royals suspended Beltran without pay August 3, 2000 for failing to show up for rehabilitation in Florida. So Carlos's agent, Scott Boras, filed a grievance. Beltran felt he could receive better medical attention in Kansas City.

In 2001, Beltran made an effort to be more vocal, talking with his teammates more than ever before. "I'm still kind of quiet because I'm not a guy like Carlos Febles -- always yelling and happy," Beltran said. But he made an effort to interact with teammates. The occasional lack-of-interest and waste-of-talent effort Carlos showed in 2000 was not visible in 2001. In fact, Beltran is growing as a team leader. Though still basically quiet and shy, he is becoming more vocal in hitters' meetings and in the way he talkes to the media.	Carlos and pro golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez live near each other in Puerto Rico, and they've become great friends. Chi Chi says Beltran is a natural golfer. He introduced the centerfielder to golf in Dorado, Puerto Rico during the winter before 2002 spring training. FAMILY Wilfredo and Carmen Beltran raised Carlos and his older brother, Nino, and younger twin sisters Marie Liz and Liz Marie in modest circumstances in Puerto Rico. They lived on Calle Zafiro, a side street in the city of Manati. Wil supported his family by working in a pharmaceutical company's warehouse, shipping and receiving. Carmen, better known as Mimin, tended the house and made ends meet. Nino and Carlos played baseball. The twins played volleyball. The parents sacrificed what they had for the kids. It was a happy life in a small home, made comfortable by love.

Carlos and his wife bought a home for his parents. They furnished it completely, taking Carlos's Mom, who knew nothing of the impending gift. Once everything was in place, Carlos and Jessica had a house-warming party. Carlos was so overcome as he began to announce the gift that Jessica had to take over. "We just want to tell you guys that this house is not for us," she said. "It's for you, Mimin, and for you, Wil." They held up two sets of keys, one with a "C" for Carmen, one with a "W" for Wilfredo. Now it was Mimin's turn to cry. "It was a surprise, a great surprise," she said. "Everyone knew it but us." Jessica said Wil was so stunned he sat motionless in his chair for 15 minutes. "My Dad and my Mom gave me everything they could have given me," Beltran said. "Even if they didn't have the money, my Dad used to get the money from somebody else to give me. As a kid, I always dreamed about doing this. I always told my Mom, 'When I get to the big leagues, I'm going to get you a new house.' " The promise was kept. "It was from me and from God," Beltran said, "because he's the one who gave me the talent to play this game." TENNIS BALLS	During 2004 spring training, Beltran spent a lot of time looking at tennis balls. At the suggestion of new teammate Juan Gonzalez, the Royals used a system called COE (Condition Ocular Enchancement). Put simply, it's a cannon-like device which fires yellow tennis balls at home plate at anywhere from 80 to 150 mph. Batters track the balls and try to pick out a small red or black number painted on each side. "The first time that we did it, I couldn't see the numbers. But now that we're doing it every single day, I can see them," Beltran said, "and that's really helping me to stay with the pitch and track the ball all the way to the glove.

The purpose is to wait as long as possible before swinging. "The longer you can see the ball come into the plate, the better. Your hands will automatically make the adjustment," said Mike Victorn, who operates the system. Beltran soon became an advocate. "This is something that George Brett told me the first year I was in Spring Training in Florida," Beltran said. "He told me you need to track the ball all the way to the glove because if you do that, you will stay with the ball more and you won't jump forward. I never figured it out until now when I've been doing it with the machine. It really works."	Victorn says eventually players can pick up the rotation of the ball, enabling them to tell what kind of pitch is being delivered from the time it leaves the pitcher's hand. "It's an exercise," he said. "The muscles in the eyes are just like any other muscles in your body. The more you use them, the better they become. And the longer you can keep your eyes on the ball, the more it'll benefit you." (Dick Kaegel-MLB.com-3/9/04) Carlos likes to go deep-sea fishing. He also is a good cook. It is nothing for Beltran to spend four or five hours playing computer baseball in the off-season.

Carlos often begins sentences with "I pray to God ..." And he means it. One day early in 2005 spring training, Carlos arrived at the parkwith his head shaved and just a hint of stubble remaining. It seems his wife, Jessica, gave him a haircut and he wasn't completely satisfied with the results, so he just took it all off. "It will grow back," he said. "I've done it before. It's not my favorite, but it will grow back." Carlos treasures the short time he had with the Astros. "The experience I had in Houston was incredible," Beltran said early in the 2005 season. "God gave me the opportunity to play with good Christian people. I really got along well with all of them, and I enjoyed my time in Houston."	In July 2005, Carlos gave all of his teammates a copy of a book titled, Your Best Life Now. The book had been recommended to Beltran by his pastor in Puerto Rico. He bought one, and he and his wife, Jessica, began reading it together. "It's a good book. It's about life and how to walk straight," Beltran said. "I wanted to share it with all my teammates." At the end of the trying 2005 season, Carlos said, "I think God has helped me," said Beltran, "because I pray every single night to come to the ballpark, not worrying about getting hurt again. I put my faith in Him; that's the way I do everything in my life. know God has control of everything. He's teaching me something about where I am and I know the next years to come will be great years for me because He's preparing me for something better. I believe that."

During the offseason before 2006 spring camp opened, Beltran built an indoor batting cage at his home in Puerto Rico and used it every day, including Christmas, as part of his winter regimen. October 26, 2007: Carlos' daughter, Ivana, was born when his wife, Jessica delivered her. And Carlos was forever a happier man -- a happy father. TRANSACTION REPORT June 1995: The Royals drafted Carlos out of high school in Puerto Rico. June 24, 2004: The Astros sent P Octavio Dotel, C John Buck, and cash to the Royals, acquiring Beltran. (The Royals then sent Dotel and cash to the Oakland A's for P Mike Wood and third baseman Mark Teahen). When Royals Manager Tony Pena came into his office the morning after the trade, he found a bat on his desk.	The inscription in Spanish: "To Tony. Thank you for your support and friendship. In my heart, you're the best manager I ever played for. Thank you and God bless you. Carlos Beltran." December 2004: The Astros offered Carlos a six-year, $96 million contract. (That's $16 million a year for six years). Beltran's agent Scott Boras had hinted that he wanted a 10-year, $200 million deal for Carlos, but "lowered" the starting price to 7 years for $112 million. So he and Beltran looked around at the Yankees, Mets, Tigers, and Cubs. In January 2005, the Mets reportedly offered a bid in the range of $100 million. January 9, 2005: Carlos agreed to a 7-year, $119 million contract with the Mets.

The Mets didn't induce Carlos Beltran to play the next seven years at unsightly Shea Stadium until they agreed to lease out a Conditioned Ocular Enhancer machine for their center fielder. The final incentive to land Beltran is a contraption that propels numbered tennis balls. The exercise calls for hitters to, say, take balls numbered 1 and 2, and whack the No. 3's. "It's something we do for several of our clients and something we started Carlos with while he was in Kansas City," said Beltran's agent Scott Boras. "It has both a visionary and physiology benefit."

BATTING:
Carlos is a 5-tool player. He has a real flair for the dramatic, whether it is with a big hit or a key defensive play. He is very much a clutch player. BECOMES A SWITCH-HITTER Beltran taught himself to switch-hit following his first season of professional baseball in the United States (1995). He sought advice from Yankee centerfielder Bernie Williams, a fellow Puerto Rican. Bernie told Carlos to hit often off a batting tee and work on an inside-out swing. One night in June 1996, while playing with the Royals Northwest League affiliate in Spokane, Carlos told his manager he was a switch-hitter and then posted three hits lefthanded. He was in the Major Leagues two years later.	He had occasional problems with switch-hitting, which he started doing in 1996. The switch-hitting Beltran has an exceptionally fine, super-fast swing from the left side. He looks very natural from that side of the plate. And he hits well from the right side also. In 1999, it had been 12 years since an American League rookie had driven in over 100 runs, but Beltran did it. The last hitter to reach that mark? Mark McGwire. PITCHERS FIGURE HIM OUT In 2000, Carlos didn't make the adjustment to the way pitchers continually nibbled with off-speed and breaking pitches. He almost never saw a fastball. His lack of self-confidence came to the fore. He didn't have the makeup to fight his way through the slump. He looked clueless against off-speed stuff. He had the 7th-lowest batting average in the AL with two strikes on him (.139).

Carlos does get over-anxious and needs to stop trying to hit the ball out of the park all the time. He is a free swinger -- a hacker who has never met a pitch he doesn't like. And he doesn't feel obligated to take a pitch. He really has pretty much adjusted to that steady diet of curves and breaking pitches he is now seeing. It is just that he still chases pitches. Beltran is much better when he lays off bad breaking pitches. Pitchers try to set him up with hard stuff up and in and then tempt him with changeups and breaking balls out of the zone. In 2001, after the Royals traded Johnny Damon, they went to Beltran to bat leadoff for just over a month, but then put him in the #3 spot in the order, where he does well.	In 2001, Carlos hit .358 after the All-Star break, behind only Jason Giambi (.367) and Frank Catalanotto (.359) in the AL. In 2002, when he drove in 105 runs, he became the first player to lead the Royals in RBIs in consecutive seasons since Big John Mayberry in 1975 and 1976. BREAKDOWN VS. LEFTIES AND RIGHTIES In 2003, the switch-hitting Beltran batted.325 with 7 home runs in 151 at-bats against lefthanded pitchers, and .300 with 19 home runs in 370 at-bats against righthanders. In 2004, Carlos had a .276 average with 11 home runs in 174 at-bats vs. lefthanders, and a .264 mark with 27 home runs in 425 at-bats off righthanded pitchers. In 2005, Beltran hit .308 with 2 home runs in 130 at-bats vs. lefthanded pitching and .254 with14 home runs in 452 at-bats against righthanders.

During July 2006, Carlos became the eighth player in Major League history to hit three grand slams in a month. The last was Devon White in 2001, when he played with the Brewers. Mike Piazza hit three with the Dodgers in April 1998. In 2006, Carlos was dominant, especially with guys on base. And Beltran cridited the addition of Carlos Delgado, his longtime friend and fellow Puerto Rican. It put Beltran at ease in the clubhouse and gave him protection in the lineup. Beltran hit only .247 with 8 home runs in 166 at-bats vs. lefthanded pitchers, and .288 with 33 home runs in 344 at-bats against righthanders. In 2007, Carlos nailed lefthanded pitchers for a .304 average with 11 home runs in 158 at-bats, while hitting righthanders for a .265 with 22 home runs in 396 at-bats.	In 2008, Beltran slammed lefthanders for a .326 average and 10 home runs in 178 at-bats, while hitting .266 with 17 home runs in 428 at-bats vs. righthanded pitchers. In 2009, Carlos hit .326 with 5 homers in 86 at-bats vs. lefty pitchers, and .324 with 5 home runs in 222 at-bats off righthanders. Entering the 2010 season, Beltran had a career batting average of .283, with 273 home runs and 1,035 RBI in 6,027 at-bats.

FIELDING:
Carlos is a natural, pure center fielder, with a very strong arm and great instincts. Beltran excels at timing catches near the wall, diving to snare line drives off the grass and unleashing strong throws. "I want to catch any ball in the outfield," Carlos said. "If somebody hits a ball between center field and right field, I'll dive for the ball. I want to be known as the best center fielder there is. "I love it -- running after balls, diving, taking a home run away -- it gives me such a good feeling. I am happy I do it." Beltran's range is outstanding. And he will sacrifice his own body to make a catch.	In 1999, Carlos made at least seven catches leaping above the wall to rob opposing hitters of home runs. And he threw out 16 runners, finishing second in the AL in assists (to teammate Jermain Dye). But he also committed 12 errors. Royals officials attributed a few of the errors to an occasional lack of concentration. In 2000, Carlos committed only six errors. And in 2001, only five errors. And he added 14 assists, often using his interesting fire-and-flip-over appraoch to unleash powerful throws. He has been compared to former Royals five-time All-Star Amos Otis. Otis won three Gold Gloves. Beltran does look like a young Amos Otis in center field -- graceful, athletic and quick.

When he unleashes a long throw, he does so with such force that he sprawls straight out onto the ground. It is the ultimate follow-through. "Nobody taught me that. I just got that by myself," Carlos said. But he has to make sure he hits the right cut-off man. His throws to the wrong base every once in awhile. Carlos has very good leaping instincts. When he goes way up in the air for a ball, he almost always comes back down with it. Beltran grew up playing shortstop in Puerto Rico, until one day when the centerfielder on his youth league team could not be at a game. The manager asked for a volunteer to replace him. Carlos, 15 at the time, raised his hand. And he liked the position so much that when the regular centerfielder returned for the next game, Beltran refused to go back to shortstop. (Tom Verducci-Sports Illustrated-6/28/04)	In 2006, Carlos was rewarded with his first Rawlings Gold Glove. For years he has been named as one of baseball's top defensive outfielders. He posted a career-best .995 fielding percentage over 1,184 innings. Beltran made just two errors in 372 total chances, recording 357 putouts while contributing 13 outfield assists and six double plays -- not including a memorable throw that nailed the Cardinals' Albert Pujols for a twin killing in Game 1 of the 2006 NL Championship Series. In 2007, Beltran won his 2nd Gold Glove. And he won his 3rd Gold Glove in 2008.

RUNNING:

Carlos has above average speed and is an accomplished baserunner and basestealer.

In 2004, Beltran led the Majors by stealing third base 16 times -- without getting thrown out even once.

As of the start of the 2007 season, Beltran had the best stolen base success rate percentage in all of Major League Baseball -- 87.6 percent.

"I'd rather steal 20 to 25 and not get thrown out," he says, "than steal 45 and get thrown out 20 times."

CAREER INJURY REPORT:
April 1996: Beltran went on the D.L. with a strained knee. Arthroscopic surgery was required to repair torn cartilage. December 1998: Carlos strained a muscle in his lower chest while taking a swing while playing in the Puerto Rican Winter League, ending that season for him. July 5, 2000: He went on the D.L. with a bone bruise on his right knee. He was reactivated September 4. March 12-April 18, 2003: Beltran missed the last half of spring training with a strained oblique muscle on his right side. And he started the season on the D.L. April 15, 2006: Carlos injured his hamstring (quad) and had to sit out several games.	July 25-August 10, 2007: Beltran was on the D.L. with a strained oblique. October 3, 2007: Carlos had arthroscopic surgery on the patella tendon of both knees in what was described as a cleaning out of the area. Beltran's legs, and specifically his quadriceps, were so weakened by the matching pair of operations that he's had to build them up again from practically zero. During 2008 spring training, the task was a bit more complicated. "When you have surgery, you lose all the muscle in your quads, everything goes away," Beltran said. "Because the knees are fixed, the sensation of tendinitis I was having, I don't have anymore. But if I don't strengthen my quads, then all the pounding is going to be in the knees, and I'm going to aggravate the knees again."

September 22, 2008: Beltran crashed into the outfield wall in Shea Stadium, hurting his left knee and knocking the wind out of him while making a catch of Mark DeRosa's long drive. "I hit my elbow into my rib cage, and I had trouble breathing, but I'm more concerned about my knee because it's swollen and it hurts," Beltran said. June 22-September 8, 2009: Carlos went on the D.L. with an aching right knee. An MRI detected a bruise under his right knee cap. His knee had bothered Beltran for weeks. January 13, 2010: Beltran underwent surgery on his right knee in Denver, and was on the D.L. at the start of the 2010 season. He didn't return until the All Star break, on July 14, 2010. Carlos had a flareup of osteoarthritis of the right knee during the offseason. He had not been experiencing pain following the conclusion of the season and into his early offseason conditioning. The symptoms returned to the point where pre-spring training conditioning became too painful. He elected to undergo arthroscopic clean out of the arthritic area of his knee by [his] personal physician Dr. Richard Steadman. And Dr. Steadman found 20-to-30 cartilage fragments in the knee.