Ignore him?

by Southern Lion on Jul 8, 2007 3:00 PM CDT

With the Astros up 8-0 in the top of the 6th, Carlos Beltran came to bat and most of the fans in attendance at Minute Maid Park abruptly booed him, in reference to his opting not to return to Houston and the Astros in favor of the Mets in The Big Apple.

Beltran subsequently hit a two run homer to make the score 8-2 Houston. After Beltran crossed home plate Greg Lucas, who's doing color commentary on the FSN tv broadcast, suggested that the Astros fans would serve themselves better to ignore Beltran when he comes to bat as opposed to booing him, because the boos would probably cause him to focus better at the plate, and he could then possibly get hits off 'Stros pitching.

Now, this may now be a moot point, since today's game is the last of the season between these two teams.

My question is quite simply this: Should the fans continue to boo when a player who goes to a different team over the Astros bats, or should they take the high road and simply ignore the player and let bygones be bygones?

Curious as to the result.

Poll

Should Astro fans boo Beltran or ignore him?

Ignore him totally.

8 votes

Find some other way to express their frustration

0 votes

Boo like crazy and let the game take care of itself

8 votes

16 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 15 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

I don't necessarily

mind players leaving for other teams. But what Beltrash did (along with Boras) was a deception act like none other. They played up their love for Houston to get New York to show the money. I say boo him until the man is out of baseball. He may hit homeruns, he may strike out, he may hit a lazy single through the infield, but chances are he was going to do that anyways.

by saylinara on Jul 8, 2007 4:49 PM CDT reply actions

may be moot

As I mentioned in the diary entry, since today's game was the last meeting of the year between the Mets and Astros, the point may be moot in the Beltran case, but the question applies to all former players. I would like to see Clemens booed in Houston. I think he gave our team a lot of disrespect when he said last year was wasted. What an arrogant POS he is. He'll probably re-retire after this year, so he'll not be back in Houston as a player. Unless he does to NY what he did to Houston. He may have lots of fans on this site, but he doen't have one in me.
Respectfully.

"...and if I claim to be a wise man, well, it surely means that I don't know." SL

by Southern Lion on Jul 8, 2007 6:03 PM CDT up reply actions

Love

the Kansas reference.

I for one don't think Clemens deserves to be booed, and I do think that Beltran does.

There's a level of deception to what Carlos and Boras did that Clemens and Hendricks didn't have.

Maven of Positivity

by rastronomicals on Jul 8, 2007 6:53 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't know....

..everything about the Clemens situation or the Beltran situation for that matter, but it was my understanding that Roger signed with Houston to be close to his family. After the season he was quoted as saying that last year, for him at least, was wasted. If he really wanted to be close to his family (and I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt) then the rest of the season (in which he only played the last half BTW)should not have mattered. He has the team rules (in NY as well) bent to his accomidation and has the nads to say the season was wasted! My respect for him took a nosedive when I heard that. I'm sure he has a large fanbase on The Crawfish Boxes, and I mean no disrespect to that, but Clemens has soured my opinion of him and I don't see that changing in the near future. Will he play or won't he play? He seemed to string the fans of Houston, Boston, and both New York teams along this spring with all the specualtion. I'm just tired of his act. No disrespect to Clemens fans.

"...and if I claim to be a wise man, well, it surely means that I don't know." SL

by Southern Lion on Jul 8, 2007 7:09 PM CDT up reply actions

No Disrespect Taken

My only point is that Roger never tried to pretend that he was anything but a hired gun, even if he did kinda like the state of Texas, and the fact that his son played in our system. It was Andy played that fambly card; him I'm not so charitable with.

Maven of Positivity

by rastronomicals on Jul 8, 2007 7:25 PM CDT up reply actions

With Roger

that kind of pitcher demands some keytowing to. I'm not a fly on the wall, but I think once his demands got too outlandish for the Astros, they gave him an honorable discharge. I don't doubt that he asked just short of the kitchen sink.

Andy, however, knew the game he was playing and tried to squeeze more $$$ and an extra year out of the Astros, because of the "family". Later, IIRC, he tried to downplay his involvement by screeching that the Astros wanted him gone. He has a history of playing hurt and not pitching well because of it and that history seems to be turning it's ugly head towards him in New York; two years would have been a complete waste.

I'm not happy with Andy and I'll never really like him again, but I don't know if he'll get the Beltrash treatment because he hasn't been that good now that he's gone.

by saylinara on Jul 8, 2007 7:49 PM CDT up reply actions

Pettitte

I'm not an Andy Pettitte fan either, although I don't dislike him at all. His Astros situation I know absolutely nothing about. I have been an Astros fan since the 70s. Anyone remember Roger Metzger? He played shortstop in the 70s and was from a little town close to my home town, and that's how I started following Houston.

I really enjoy this site and am glad to be able to trade opinions with fans of the Astros. Thanks for all the dialog.

"...and if I claim to be a wise man, well, it surely means that I don't know." SL

by Southern Lion on Jul 8, 2007 10:14 PM CDT up reply actions

Metzger Was A Triples Machine

and the best defensive shortstop the club had ever seen before Adam Everett. Kinda hit like him, too, apart from the triples.

Maven of Positivity

by rastronomicals on Jul 8, 2007 10:30 PM CDT up reply actions

RE: Clemens

Roger left NY under the impression that it was his last year....he was 'officially' retiring. Don't you remember the huge spectacle that ESPN put on for that last game, and him waving to the stadium fans as the thousands of flash-bulbs went off? With the exception of calling to get George's blessing first, Roger pretty well left NY out in the cold when he signed with the Astros.

Now I'm not saying that he was the most dignified about the proceedings for his contract the past 2 seasons, but it was well-known by all that Roger was looking out for #1. He always has. He's Roger f'ing Clemens, and he's always expected the world to revolve around him.

Yes, there is quite a production put on when it is time for negotiating with Clemens. And to like it or not is everyone's individual choice, but the man has maintained this same personality for a long time. It's not like there were any surprises along the way for Houston fans.

by Shake on Jul 9, 2007 11:33 AM CDT up reply actions

Salary Arbitration

I don't understand why McLane & Purpura continue to torture themselves (and us) with the loss of high profile free agents and don't bring out the salary arbitration stick more often.

Houston will never be able to hang with the big boys and spend their way to success, therefore they shouldn't be gambling with potential draft picks chasing the dragon.

by pel on Jul 9, 2007 12:19 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm not upset with...

Carlos Beltran. His agent, Scott Boras, plays hardball for those he represents. If you're on the receiving end, he isn't very nice. If he represents you...then you might count yourself lucky...at least in terms of monetary reward. Playing bidders against each other is Boras' stock and trade. Even as irritating as Boras strikes me, he simply is doing what many lawyers might view as zealous advocacy for his client. I am grateful for Beltran's brief meteoric play for the Astros in 2004. And as far as I know, Beltran may really have been offended by the Astros' refusal to include a no trade clause. (The Astros considered that a ruse, but they could be wrong.) The Astros had given Pettitte a no trade clause, and subsequently Berkman, Oswalt, and Lee all got no trade clauses.

At this point, it's water under the bridge (even though I could still dream of a Berkman-Beltran combination in 06, when both had MVP quality seasons). It's not worth my time anymore to figure out who was right or wrong in the Astros' negotiations with Beltran.

by clack on Jul 9, 2007 7:51 AM CDT up reply actions

But Boras Is Not Representing His Clients Well

when they have to hear boos and insults for the rest of their career in any particular city.

he is not representing them well, when they get to be known as selfish because of his association with them.

When Houston fans boo Beltran, one of the things they're saying is, "you trusted the wrong guy, Carlos, and you should have known better."

Maven of Positivity

by rastronomicals on Jul 9, 2007 12:07 PM CDT up reply actions

RE: "should have known better"

Really?

I thought that when we boo, we are saying "You're a dick Carlos, and we hope you get herpes." But it's been a while since I took my college language class in Booing, so I might be off with the interpretation.

by Shake on Jul 9, 2007 8:45 PM CDT up reply actions

Do you really think...

... Beltran cares that he gets booed in Houston? Or about anything other than money and winning, probably in that order? Any time a free agent leaves one market for a bigger market and a bigger payday, the fans left behind are going to gripe. Look at El Caballo's reception in Milwaukee. Do you think he feels he did the wrong thing because they boo him at Miller Park?

by Austin Astroholic on Jul 10, 2007 5:23 PM CDT up reply actions

No I don't.....

...think Beltran cares at all, but I was curious as to what the fans thought about what Lucas said.

"...and if I claim to be a wise man, well, it surely means that I don't know." SL

by Southern Lion on Jul 11, 2007 5:06 PM CDT up reply actions

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