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February 21, 2008 Spring Training 08 Joe Janish

Beltran Guilty of Plagiarism

According to Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Beltran has committed plagiarism.

The evidence was published in an interview on MLB.com; following are the most important quotes.

First, the lawbreaker’s comment…

“To Jimmy Rollins: We are the team to beat,” Carlos Beltran said.

Next, the response …

“Two things come to mind,” Jimmy Rollins said. “One, there are four other teams in our division who are going to make sure that doesn’t happen, and two, has anyone ever heard of plagiarism?

There it is folks … Carlos Beltran, guilty as charged.

From Merriam-Webster, the definition of plagiarizing:

: to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own : use (another’s production) without crediting the source intransitive verb : to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source

Wow … it’s pretty clear that Beltran stole Rollins’ words, though he might be able to prove he gave Rollins credit. It’s not fair, really, since Beltran is from Puerto Rico, where plagiarizing is legal as well as part of their culture. Luckily the Mets have a large team of high-powered attorneys on retainer, who can probably keep Beltran from serving his sentence until after the season. My guess is they’ll start with a change of venue to hold up the conviction.

Interestingly, Jimmy Rollins also said this in the MLB.com interview:

“The pressure is back on them,” Rollins said. “They were on paper the best team in the division last year and supposed to win and didn’t.”

Strange … the Phillies were ‘the team to beat’ last year, yet Rollins also says the Mets were the best team.

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
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  1. Walnutz15 February 21, 2008 at 12:00 pm
    Enough of this “forced” rivalry crap already — great, Jimmy Rollins said what he said last year.

    Beltran “stepped up” and said his own variation of it the other day….

    *snores*

    The Mets are, and have been — the better team on paper….and has failed to live up to becoming a perennial power in the entire world of Major League Baseball. And it’s time for them to live up to their billing.

    P.S. — Interesting angle…and I’m more inclined to think that he failed his physical than anything else.

    http://staging2006.rotoworld.c….aspx?sport=MLB

    Non-roster first baseman Craig Wilson was in Reds camp Wednesday for his physical, but he was absent Thursday.

    Either he flunked the physical or left on his own accord. The Reds could release a statement soon.

  2. isuzudude February 21, 2008 at 12:18 pm
    Walnutz:
    As per the rivalry – I completely agree. The “team to beat” banter is already getting very old. I know the writers need something to write about, but can’t we find a different storyline already?
    As per Wilson – looks like the offseason surgery hasn’t done as much good as he proclaims. I know some of us, you perhaps included, will still want Omar to at least bring Wilson to camp, but at this point let’s just keep the roster the way it is. If Gotay is out of options, which is the word I’m hearing, then the Mets have no more room on the bench unless they intend on sending someone through waivers. So even if Wilson passes a physical with the Mets, despite allegedly failing one with Cincy, and then goes on to somehow post a .400 avg with a couple dingers in ST, I still don’t think Omar will dump someone already on our bench to bring him north. And Wilson’s gotta have this in mind, and know his best interests lie in signing with a team with more room to operate.
  3. Micalpalyn February 21, 2008 at 12:46 pm
    ‘If Gotay is out of options, which is the word I’m hearing, then the Mets have no more room on the bench unless they intend on sending someone through waivers.’

    MLBrumors posted a list of players out of options yet Gotay was not on that list

  4. Micalpalyn February 21, 2008 at 12:52 pm
    sratch that. The 11.05CST update has Gotay.

    Now: reference Gotay, i think he is a valuable player. he came up and played hard, had several clutch games and worked hard on his defensive game. But I am watching him more because I think he could be traded before the Mets break camp depending on how much roster flexibility Omar may want.

  5. joe February 21, 2008 at 1:18 pm
    oh boy, interesting issue for Gotay … smells like an article to post in the next 24 hours …
  6. Walnutz15 February 21, 2008 at 3:03 pm
    Not to mention an interesting issue for Professor Reyes!

    HOOOORAY!!!!!

    Meanwhile, according to Adam Rubin in the Daily News, Jose Reyes may not be doing the Professor Reyes segment for Shea Stadium this season.

    “I did it two years in a row already,” Reyes tells Rubin. “But I’ll think about it. I haven’t said no yet.”

    In the report, Rubin also writes of Shea’s alternate plan, using John Maine instead.

    http://www.metsblog.com

    fyi — John Maine has been enlisted for a recurring “Maine Street USA” scoreboard skit that quizzes fans on U.S. cities.