Carlos Beltran Appreciated Short Stint with Giants En Route to Hall of Fame

Carlos Beltran and the San Francisco Giants are footnotes in each other’s histories, but Beltran enjoyed his time in the Bay Area.

San Francisco Giants right fielder Carlos Beltran (15) celebrates with teammates after a win. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Carlos Beltran won’t be wearing a San Francisco Giants cap on his plaque in Cooperstown when he’s inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in July.

But it doesn’t mean he didn’t enjoy his short stay in the Bay Area. In fact, his 44 games played with the Giants are the fewest he played with any of the seven teams he played for in a 20-year career that spanned from 1998-2017.

Beltran didn’t leave his heart in San Francisco. But he did leave a watch. It was the price he had to pay to wear his No. 15, the number he wore for most of his career. That watch went to manager Bruce Bochy, who wore the number for most of his managerial career.

“I also appreciate Bruce Bochy allowing me to wear No. 15, even though that cost me a very nice watch that I hope he’s still enjoying,” Beltran said to reporters during a video call after his election to the Hall of Fame on Tuesday, per The San Francisco Chronicle’s (subscription required) Susan Slusser.

Why Carlos Beltran Enjoyed his Time with Giants

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The Giants traded pitcher Zach Wheeler, then a prospect, to the New York Mets for Beltran at the 2011 trade deadline. The trade stings because Wheeler emerged as a Cy Young-level starting pitcher and is now with the Philadelphia Phillies. Beltran was on the outs after having a surgery the Mets didn’t believe was necessary. He waived his no-trade clause to move to the Giants.

Beltran played well, as he slashed .323/.369/.551 with seven home runs and 18 RBI. San Francisco didn’t make the playoffs, and he moved on and signed with St. Louis after the season.

But he got more out of the experience than just a playoff drive. Beltran got to interact with Giants legends in his short time in San Francisco.

“I remember going to the Giants clubhouse, and on the right side there was a little room, and the first day that I got traded, I looked and — who is there? Willie Mays and Willie McCovey,” Beltran said. “I told myself, ‘Brother, every day when you come into this clubhouse, if these two men are there, just stop, sit with them, talk baseball, because you can learn so much.’ … And I had so many questions about Roberto Clemente and those two guys, they answered a lot of those questions.”

Beltran played 20 MLB seasons and slashed .279/.350/.486 with 435 home runs and 1,587 RBI. He won a World Series ring with the Houston Astros in 2017, was a nine-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner and two-time Silver Slugger. He also won the Roberto Clemente award and was the 1999 American League rookie of the year with the Kansas City Royals.