Let's watch birthday boy Carlos Beltran conquer the now-extinct Tal's Hill
Few players over the past two decades have had a career as storied as Carlos Beltran. He's gone from Rookie of the Year with the Royals in 1999 to a respected veteran with nine All-Star appearances and more than 400 home runs to his name.
Today is Beltran's 40th birthday and he's still going strong back in Houston. Most of his time is spent as a DH these days, but back in his prime, he was a three-time Gold Glove winner with the Mets. In fact, it was at his now-home park where one of his finest catches occurred, on July 7, 2007.
Vintage Beltran could even make sure game-winning hits disappear. The Mets went on to win the 17-inning marathon, 5-3, backed by the go-ahead single from -- who else -- Beltran.
Beltran's longevity is perfectly exemplified by the very place where he made the catch. The Astros opened their park in 2000, two years after Beltran's MLB debut, and it included Tal's Hill, the unusual incline in center field leading up to a flagpole. Beltran himself was no stranger to it, having spent his sensational 2004 half-season in Houston manning center.
At the end of the 2016 season, however, the Astros bid Tal's Hill adieu in favor of a more traditional wall.
By pure coincidence, Beltran is back in Houston, and he can now say that his career outlasted Tal's Hill itself. It's not quite
Happy 40th birthday, Carlos!
