Astros hold funeral for glove of designated hitter Carlos Beltran
When you’re 32 games above .500, you’re allowed to have a little fun. The Houston Astros don’t have much to worry about this year. There are plenty of games left to play, but the team currently holds a 16.5 game lead in the division. Barring a massive collapse, life looks pretty good.
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Well, except for this one thing. The team signed 40-year-old Carlos Beltran last winter. Beltran was expected to be an outfielder and designated hitter, but he hasn’t done much of the former lately. Beltran has only played nine games in the outfield this season, his last of which came May 16.
His time as an outfielder appears to be over. Since he doesn’t need his glove anymore, the team decided it was time to put the thing to rest. They held a funeral service for Beltran’s mitt prior to Monday’s game.
It wasn’t just a solemn circle of players, though. Nope, there were props. The team put the glove in a box net to three tiny gravestones. It also looks like catcher Brian McCann presided over the service.
More photos from Carlos Beltran’s glove being laid to rest. Rev. Brian McCann presiding. (Photos from Getty Images). pic.twitter.com/IRNoUsRmac
— Matt Young (@Chron_MattYoung) July 17, 2017
One of the gravestones has a list with some of Beltran’s career highlights, which includes three Gold Gloves. While Beltran is no longer an elite defensive player, he did win the Gold Glove in three consecutive seasons starting in 2006. He was once a fleet of foot centerfielder who was known for his speed and elite defense.
Those days are over now, of course. That’s what happens when a ballplayer turns 40. Beltran is mostly in the lineup for his bat these days anyway, though he’s hitting just .231/.289/.408 over 77 games.
The Astros may want to a hold funeral service for that next. There’s no way the bat he’s using is alive right now.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
