GEORGE VECSEY
Good Week for NYC: Beltran In, Trump Out
Sports Illustrated rummaged around and discovered Queens native Donald Trump was there when Carlos Beltran took that called third strike in 2006. Thanks, SI,
My home town has done well in the past week, with former Mets and Yankees star Carlos Beltran being named manager of the Mets, and former New York popinjay Donald Trump announcing he had changed his official place of residence to Florida.
Trump may soon be looking to spend more time at "home" now that many of his lackeys are having amazing memory surges, either from medication or dream sequences or advice from counsel in the Ukraine caper.
He is surely doing it to avoid taxes that he may not pay anyway. But until the process server or Roger Stone's police escort come a-knocking, he can preen in Mar-a-Lago.
Don't tell him that the Florida coast is going to be inundated sooner rather than later by the rising seas that he is increasing with his wanton scorn for the Paris environment agreement.
The part I liked best about Trump's announcement was the way it was greeted by his former neighbor, New York governor Andrew Cuomo. Trump is older, but for many years his family lived on Midland Parkway in Jamaica Estates and the Cuomo family lived on Rio Drive in Holliswood. Their homes were roughly 10 blocks apart, via Henley Drive. I know this because my family lived for a very long time on the busy 188th St., with the buses and the cabs and the lunatics, right in between those two tony neighborhoods.
Yes, Queens boys are a yappy lot -- from point guards to tennis stars to rappers to comedians to politicians -- even a few journalists. In his see-ya farewell to his former Queens neighbor, the Guv channeled his inner Gene Wilder in the movie "The Frisco Kid."
As a rabbi, a long way from Poland, Wilder refuses to allow the killing of an outlaw who is threatening him, Instead, (in heavy Yiddish accent): the rabbi shows mercy, saying: "Would somebody please show this poor asshole the way out of town?"
Now, about Carlos Beltran. Remember Carlos Beltran? The Mets made him the first Latino manager of any major New York team, not that I think they were making a statement like that. He always struck me as a proud, skilled and somewhat reticent artisan, who plied his trade in modesty. I never saw him as a manager. But the teams he served near the end of his admirable career attest to his knowledge and quiet leadership. Plus, he has the reputation of a Hall of Fame signal-stealer.
But can he manage? Never done it. There is something to be said for learning the trade in the minor leagues where the stakes and the attention are not so high. Leadership can be learned, even taught (I still remember the ROTC leadership manual we used in college;an they could pass it out in companies like Facebook and Boeing.)
Managers these days seem to have a bench coach to give them backup. (Trump could surely use one.) Managers also have to live with instructions from the Analytics Laboratory. Personally, I'd like to see Terry Collins, an old-school manager who had the Mets hustling during his regime, back as bench coach.
One thing the Mets won't have to worry about is moving expenses since Beltran already lives in a sumptuous "apartment" on the East Side of Manhattan. I know this from the collected works of a real-estate maven named Laura Vecsey:
https://streeteasy.com/blog/carlos-beltran-buys-ues-condo/
Nobody really knows how Carlos Beltran, quiet star, will fare as a manager.
But as for the shady character who is now officially leaving New York as his official residence, may I summon the dismissive words of Casey Stengel whenever the Mets dispatched one of their early failures:
"I seen what he done."
Indeed. Buena suerte, Sr. Beltran.
Josh Rubin
Trump for Beltran is a trade I'd make every day, whether for president, CF, manager, dog catcher, etc.
Nothing against Beltran, but I can't figure out the Mets' strategy or rationale (perhaps my mistake is in assuming there is one). They have a team they seem to think is a win now roster. Why keep hiring managers without experience and a track record? I wish Carlos all the best but I have no idea what to expect.
Josh: agreed, but i don't think Girardi or Showalter would have worked. Dusty great guy but been around yanks did well with Boone but then again cashman has proven himself (and The Boss for advancing him so long ago.) Beltran-Collins could work.
Altenir Silva
The world is always connected. "The Frisco Kid" was directed by Robert Aldrich. He also directed one of the best war movies, "The Dirty Dozen". This movie was written by Nunnally Johnson (his masterpiece was an adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel, "The Grapes of Wrath"). Mr. Johnson was a journalist (just like you) and, like Carlos Beltran, also went to New York (your city).
About Carlos Beltran, I think a good example can be taken out of Brazil (my country). Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo was great as a player and coach of the Brazil National Soccer Team. He was a World Champion on and off the field. And since everything is connected, maybe Mr. Beltran will be great as a coach as well. Then, everything is correlated, at least in my mind.
And what about "The Grapes of Wrath"? Always when I watch the movie "Coal Miner's Daughter" adapted from your book, it takes me on John Steinbeck's world.
Best to you all.
Altenir (Live from Lisbon).
Hi, Altenir: you've written for the screen, so your words mean a lot.
As for Zagallo, was he a good manager? He presided over the Ronaldo mess in final of 98. Not his fault but he seemed out of control....
Finally, thanks for the comparison. Steinbeck had respect for the poor; i tried as a news reporter in Appalachia or NYC.
One of our regulars loves book "Grapes of Wrath " writes eloquently about it.
Zagallo was a coach more emotional than a strategist. I presume that because of that (his profile) he had a difficult time in 98. By the way, that World Cup was very strange and without an explanation of Ronaldo's problem in the final game. Nobody knows what happened, and everyone who knows doesn't talk about it.
Best. Altenir
ahron horowitz
beltran-swing the bat
Ahron: Gotta get over it, man.
Of course, I'm still mad about last strike on Dale Mitchell in Larsen perfecto.
It was a ball.
I saw it on the radio.
beltran was too big a star to start in the minors, i reckon.
your boy trump probably thinks he can forget about turning over his tax returns now that he's officially florida's worry..
as for casey, 'can't anybody here play this game' might be applicable too.
Bruce, Casey did not say that. Breslin made it up. I was standing near Casey that evening, a birthday party for him in St. Louis.
Breslin admitted it years later.
He was creative.
Plus, Casey agreed he would have said it, if he had thought about it.
breslin made something up?!
whoda thunk it?
just in from a walk and yer boy is out there doing his thing.
i'm feeling kind of guilty.
i didn't realize that everybody was lying about him.
poor donald.
Everybody picks on him.
Breezy here. Wind transforms 40F to 28F.
I blame your maliciious little country
life's not fair sometimes....trump is proof.
as for malicious.....you must be right. youz guyz in the world's greatest country are experts on that by now.
since you primitives are still using F, i'll humour you.
33 here with a wind chill of 27.
which is odd because there ain't no wind.
must be trump's bloviations floating up to the true north strong and free.
as always, with the utmost love and respect.
and speakin' of the utmost love and respect, i'm wondering if mr savin's lofty opinion of your boy is loftier these days?.
Gene Palumbo
Nothing to add, George; just want to say this is such a fine post. Very fine. Thanks for it. I especially liked "...now that many of his lackeys are having amazing memory surges, either from medication or dream sequences or advice from counsel in the Ukraine caper."
i think george missed his calling.
or maybe trump inspired him, but this blog has unleashed/freed him, i reckon.
Alan Rubin link
Jimmy Breslin and his wife Ronnie Eldridge were customers in my appliance store located at the corner of Broadway and 98th Street on Manhattan's Upper West Side. I never got to talk much with Jimmy, but I enjoyed many conversations with Ronnie over the years. She knew that I enjoyed politics and was active in the neighborhood, so she often stopped by for a brief update of what was happening.
The Daily Beast reported that Donald Trump called Eldridge a name when she opposed one of his projects. She shared the story on Facebook, writing, "You have to know how crazy things are when I'm so proud of the nasty things someone said about me. I feel I'm bragging and apologize but I just can't help it."
The story had said, "Trump built Trump Place after battling New York City lawmakers in the 1980s and 1990s—he called one fierce opponent of the project, councilwoman Ronnie Eldridge, 'second-rate in just about every way,' and 'a woman that doesn't have a great grasp of finance or anything else.' When he went through bankruptcy in the 1990s, Trump sold the buildings to Chinese investors, who later sold their stake to the Carlyle Group and Extell Properties."
The "Donald" seems to have trouble with powerful political women.
Alan, that is the general impression of the Breslin/Eldridge entry
He did have a kind side, cheering up a colleague who had a health issue.
As for Trump, I think his trouble goes beyond ";powerful ;political women."
I think it extends to pretty much the entire gender.
Doesn't like 'em, generally,
With Dalai Lama, 1979
​Loyal Reader
Hansen Alexander
has filed an interview with, of all people, me.
It's on his blog. (Just past photo of rat!) My thanks for his interest. GV
​notesfromnewratcity.wordpress.com/blog/
MODERN LOVE:
David Vecsey's sweet tale of distant love before the Web, now NYT Podcast, narrated by Griffin Dunne. Please see:
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/fashion/before-the-web-hearts-grew-silent.html?referer=
Anjali Photos
Christine Lavin
Jamaica High
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Eight World Cups
Book Appearances 2014
Books by George Vecsey
Stan Musial: An American Life
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