New Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran took a swing at some Q&A from Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: How would you describe Derek Jeter?
A: When you see it from the outside, you know that he’s a competitor, but when you see him here, you know that he’s about winning, he wants to do things the right way. … Calling this year his last year, I believe that he has so much more in him, it’s just that he just [doesn’t] want to play anymore.
Q: So you think he can play for how many more years?
A: I would say three more easy. He’s in great shape, man. I see him every day, the way he moves … the love, the love for the game, he still has the love for the game.
Q: Is this gonna be similar to Mariano Rivera’s farewell tour last year?
A: I think it’s gonna be exactly the same. Those two guys have been great for baseball, man. When you look at Mariano, what he did as a reliever, as a closer, and this guy as an everyday ballplayer, it doesn’t get better than that.
Q: How did you do against Mariano?
A: I don’t think too many people did well against Mariano (chuckle).
Q: Describe George Steinbrenner.
A: He was very nice. I know he was trying to recruit me and all that, but it was a great meeting, great conversation.
Q: This was before you originally signed with the Mets. Usually he’s good at recruiting guys.
A: What happened was they were close to $180 million-something, and he wanted to sign me for one year, and give me a huge deal, because next year, some of the guys were gonna come off the books.
Q: One year for how much?
A: $20-something million.
Q: Is there a Yankees Way of doing things that’s different?
A: They just want to do things right, man. They want to supply you with everything they can so you have no excuses. You come to the ballpark, here’s everything, prepare yourself, go out and perform.
Q: Was it that way with the Mets?
A: I think so. … when Omar Minaya was [general manager], Omar worried about making sure that you were happy, that you were happy where you were staying. Because he understands that when players are happy, if things are well, it’s gonna reflect in the field.
Q: My brother is a Mets fan, and thought you were underappreciated.
A: For me, honestly, the years that I was healthy, I will say this: I felt like I did my job. The years that I was hurt, I didn’t do my job. But I don’t really put attention to none of that.
Q: I asked him why, and he said: “Because he’s not flashy.”
A: Well you know what? That’s who I am. And I understand the fans sometimes relate to people — they’re crazy on the field, they jump, they do crazy things. We’re entertainers. Fans see us as entertainers. But, I don’t see myself as an entertainer. I see myself as a ballplayer, and I see myself as a guy [who needs] to go out and perform, and do my job and try to help the ball club. Sometimes I wish I could show more emotion, but that’s who I am, you know?
Q: Why do you wish you could show more emotion?
A: When you do something positive, and let’s say you drive in the winning run (chuckle), I don’t know, that’s just who I am — I act like nothing happened, you know what I’m saying? Because I’m doing my job, this is my job, I need to do it.
Q: And you don’t want to fake it.
A: I don’t want to fake it, that’s right. But it’s also fun when I see somebody doing it. I like it. Fans sometimes relate to people that show more emotion than the ones that don’t show emotions at all.
Q: Does it take a certain kind of player to succeed in New York?
A: I will say yes, because New York’s a different market, man. Expectations are high. You’re gonna go through a lot of ups and downs. But maybe a bad game in Kansas City is, you know, just a bad game. A bad game here, they make it huge, they make it bigger. But as a player, you gotta understand you’re gonna go through ups and downs, and it doesn’t matter if you play Kansas City or New York, you gotta believe in your abilities, and just continue to come to the ballpark and do your thing.
Q: Does not being emotional help you in the postseason?
A: I would say yes. It’s not that I’m not emotional, I’m very emotional …
Q: Inside.
A: Yeah inside. Very emotional. I just don’t show emotions. I would say that in the playoffs, I’m very capable of controlling my emotions, and that’s different between being in the moment, or the adrenaline’s high, the expectations are high, and sometimes you can get caught up into trying too hard, being too anxious. So I think by me being who I am, it allows me to control my emotions, and don’t let my emotions just take over. I’m capable of being calm — I know the scenario is big, but I also have to focus on my job, and keep it simple.
Q: You’re two postseason home runs behind Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson (18).
A: Honestly man, I’ve been blessed, I’ve been blessed by being able to perform in big games. I enjoy the moment and … maybe when I retire from baseball I will appreciate more what I have done than now, because I don’t think about it, I just want to go out and do my job.
Q: Have you spoken to Reggie?
A: The first thing that I said to Reggie when I met him, I said: “Thank you for opening the door for us.” Why I say that [is] because sometimes we don’t appreciate what the players before us did for us. Those guys went through good moments, bad moments … segregation, black, white. And just for them to be able to go through all that, and being able to surpass that, actually what that did for us is just open the doors. Right now look at the salaries that we’re making compared to salaries that they make. So every time I see an old-school player, I always say thanks, because they deserve that.
Q: Did Reggie talk to you about being a Yankee at all?
A: I say, “Man, this is great,” and he always says, “This is the Yankee Way.” When I like something, say for example, the food after the game, the spread — lobster, steak — “ I’ll say, “Man, this is unbelievable!” And he’s like, “This is the Yankee Way (laugh).”
Q: You didn’t get lobsters with the Mets?
A: Maybe little lobsters (laugh). Not this big.
Q: Any regrets about your Mets years?
A: Zero regrets, man. I just felt that I wish a few things would have been different, but I cannot be thinking about what happened, I gotta move on.
Q: Describe Pedro Martinez.
A: I would say Pedro has been one of the best teammates I’ve ever had in my career.
Q: Why?
A: The days he didn’t pitch, he was there being a cheerleader for us. You don’t see that a lot. … First inning, he’s there, watching the game, and supporting you. I used to go to him a lot. Like when they got me out — “Hey Pedro, they got me out this way, what do you think the pitcher’s gonna do next time?” He would say, “OK, he will do this, he will do that.” So he kinda like gave me an idea.
Q: Do you think Alex Rodriguez will come back after a year off?
A: I will say yes, man. Alex is a competitor. Some people are counting him out. I think he’s gonna come back and prove people that he still can play baseball.
Q: You text each other?
A: When I signed, he texted me to congratulate me that I was gonna be able to be part of the Yankees, and spring training, I think when I got my first hit, he kinda sent me a text. I know that he’s gone through a lot of things, but for me, I don’t turn my back on people. Since the first day I got to the big leagues when he was in Texas, always treat me good, always talk to me. I used to go to the cage to talk to [Rudy] Jaramillo, the hitting coach from Texas, Alex was there, Juan Gonzalez was there, [Rafael] Palmeiro, all those guys, so I got the chance to watch him hit and watch him do things.
Q: Describe Michael Pineda.
A: Very motivated. I had a good conversation with him in spring training, ’cause I remember him when he was in Seattle. We were talking about taking advantage of the opportunity you have, and he had a little regret that he thought that the year that he had in Seattle, that was gonna take him to be that type of pitcher every year, without putting the work, without putting the sacrifice, so he kinda like started doing other things, and that’s why he got overweight and got hurt. He went downhill, and when he hit bottom, he realized that he made a mistake. So the conversation that we had was like, I said, “Man, you know what? I’m proud of you, that you realized you made a mistake. Now you’re willing to change it, and now put [in] the work, now put the time.” He’s not there yet, but he’s gonna be a big asset to this ball club. He can be the guy that he was in Seattle, man. He’s hungry, he’s real hungry.
Q: Yangervis Solarte.
A: We had a conversation in spring training also. He told me about his story in the minor leagues. I said to him, “Brother, you gotta show these people that you want to be here.” So something that he did was that he’d show up to spring training every day at 6 in the morning … 6:30, he’s in the cage swinging. He just showed the organization that he was hungry.
Q: You’re approaching 400 home runs.
A: I never thought I was gonna be able to do what I have done, man. When I was coming up, I wasn’t like the best prospect. I did have something different than a lot of guys next to me — I had a vision. And that vision was like get to the big leagues, and I wanted to work so hard to get there, and I wasn’t gonna take any no for an answer. And I guess that’s what keeps me going.
Q: What are your thoughts on the Hall of Fame?
A: I hope I just get the consideration to be there. I just want to hopefully these three years that I’m here, continue to improve those numbers.
Q: You won the Roberto Clemente award last October for sportsmanship and community involvement.
A: You could play 20 years and be a good ballplayer, and if you don’t impact anyone off the field, what do you get from that?
Q: What’s different about being a Yankee and wearing the pinstripes?
A: This organization always has been an organization based on having the pride to win. For me as a ballplayer, being able to play all these years in baseball, never been able to win a World Series, and I felt this organization is always trying to put a good team out there for the fans and for the city. I just felt it was the right fit for me to join.
Q: How hungry are you to win a World Series?
A: Every year I come to spring training, you always come with the mentality of getting there. Last year [with the Cardinals] I had the opportunity to be so close, it didn’t happen. This offseason I was gonna make my decision on having the opportunity to sign with a ball club that hopefully gives me that opportunity.
Q: Describe the first time you played at Yankee Stadium.
A: I was with the Royals [in 1999]. I don’t really remember what I did or what happened. But yeah, of course, every time we came here I know it was a big deal, the Yankees tradition, the old ballpark, all the players that have played on that field … and the team that they used to have back then — Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Posada, Paul O’Neil, Tino Martinez, all those guys were there — so it was a great feeling every time to come here and compete with them.
Q: Would your career be unfulfilled if you didn’t win a World Series?
A: Not really, because I know how hard it is to win a World Series. And at the same time, there have been many, many ballplayers that have played this game for many year, and never been able to even been to the playoffs. The World Series last year for me was a great feeling. … I hope I can win one.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you give to ballplayers today?
A: Just take advantage of the opportunities that they have these days. When I came to the big leagues in ’98, the minimum, I guess, was like $170-[thousand] something. Now they’re making half a million dollars. Through this sport, you can do a lot of good things not only for yourself, your family, but also for your foundation, and do something positive.
Q: Compare Yankees fans to Mets fans.
A: I think they’re both the same. They’re passionate about their team. When you’re well, everything’s great, when you’re not doing so well, they’re gonna let you know, and that’s how it is.
Q: What’s your favorite Mets memory?
A: I would say the day that we won the division [in 2006].
Q: Describe what it was like driving home after the called third strike against St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright.
A: I know people were upset that I didn’t swing the bat. … They think that I just struck out ’cause I wanted to strike out. Sometimes fans, they just perceive things different ways. I feel proud because that year it was my best year in my career as a ballplayer.
Q: You played for Yankees bench coach Tony Pena when he was a manager in Kansas City.
A: The way he caught, that’s the way he managed (smile), with all that craziness behind the plate. . . great communicator.
Q: Athletes you admire?
A: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Mike Trout, Yadier Molina.
Q: Your daughters are 6 (Ivana) and 2 (Kiara). Who’s their favorite player?
A: I would say me (laugh)! The little one, she don’t call me Daddy, she call me Carlos Beltran. And the 6-year-old, she sits behind the plate like for a couple of innings and then she goes to the kids’ rooms. They love baseball.
Q: Why does your wife like New York so much?
A: I guess the shopping (laugh). No, no, no. … Everything’s here, man. You can find everything. You could be missing something for your country, and you’ll find it here. And at the same time, we have been able to meet many, many good people that have done a lot of good things for us, for our foundation. At one point in the offseason, I thought she was working for the Yankees (laugh).
Q: The Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy.
A: I’m proud of just being able to do something that is gonna benefit a lot of kids that just need a place where they can have that motivation to continue to move on.
Q: An example was a boy who raised money on his own to help support his mom and is now a pitcher in the States for a university.
A: For me to see a guy so focused and humble … he took advantage of starting in the Academy, and took his grades to a level where he could have a full scholarship in the States, and now he’s just moving forward with his life.
Q: Your favorite dishes at Sofrito?
A: Depends on my mood. When I really miss my mom, I order san cocho. It’s a root vegetables drew with meat. Sometimes pork, skirt steak, salmon, shrimp, lobster soup.
Q: Why did you choose to live in Manhattan?
A: My wife [Jessica]. Remember: happy wife, happy life (laugh).