{"id":2519825,"date":"2026-07-28T00:25:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T00:25:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2519825"},"modified":"2026-07-28T00:25:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T00:25:24","slug":"george-brett-disappointed-beltran-didnt-choose-royals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/george-brett-disappointed-beltran-didnt-choose-royals\/","title":{"rendered":"George Brett: \u201cDisappointed\u201d Beltr\u00e1n Didn\u2019t Choose Royals"},"content":{"rendered":"

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COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.<\/strong> \u2014 Carlos Beltr\u00e1n went into the Hall of Fame wearing a Mets cap. George Brett would have preferred otherwise, and he said so.<\/p>\n

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Kansas City Royals\u2019 Carlos Beltran hits a solo home run off Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Nate Robertson during the first inning Thursday, June 24, 2004, in Kansas City, Mo. The Tigers beat the Royals, 12-3. After the game Beltran was traded to the Houston Astros. (AP Photo\/Orlin Wagner)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI was just disappointed he didn\u2019t choose the Royals,\u201d Brett told World Baseball Network. \u201cI was hoping he chose the Royals to go in \u2014 the Royals cap \u2014 because we gave him a start.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Hall of Famer George Brett smiles during a news conference ahead of a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., Thursday, June 13, 2019. (AP Photo\/Nati Harnik)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Kansas City drafted Beltr\u00e1n in the second round in 1995 out of Puerto Rico. By September 1998 he was in the majors. In 1999 he was the American League Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n

Five thousand balls<\/h2>\n

Brett watched all of it, and threw a good deal of it.<\/p>\n

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Kansas City Royals Hall-of-Famer George Brett throws batting practice during baseball spring training on Friday, March 2, 2012, in Surprise, Ariz. (AP Photo\/Charlie Riedel)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI probably threw him 5,000 balls at batting practice throughout his career,\u201d he said. \u201cI was always impressed with the way the ball came off the bat \u2014 learning to switch hit once he became a professional baseball player. It\u2019s hard to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked which side of the plate Beltr\u00e1n was better from, Brett didn\u2019t accept the premise.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think there was a better side,\u201d he said. \u201cHe was just a solid, all-around Gold Glove center fielder, Rookie of the Year. He could do it all.\u201d<\/p>\n