Name it and claim it: The secret of the Mets’ success?
Granted, with a record of 51-47, “success” may be overstating it a bit, but the story‘s interesting all the same:
NEW YORK — As Mike Piazza stood by his locker Thursday, discussing the state of his career — “I look at it and surrender to it. It is what it is,” he said — a book titled, “Your Best Life Now,” courtesy of Carlos Beltran, rested in the adjacent locker, awaiting his eyes.
The book had been recommended to Beltran by his pastor in Puerto Rico. He bought one, and he and his wife, Jessica, began reading it together.
“It’s a good book. It’s about life and how to walk straight,” Beltran said. “I wanted to share it with all my teammates.”
So he bought books for everyone.
“Not just for Mike,” Beltran said.
In case you’re not a teammate of Carlos Beltran’s, Your Best Life Now is a bestselling book by “Houston megachurch pastor and inspirational TV host” Joel Osteen, in the words of Amazon’s review. I had heard that Beltran was a believer, but frankly I’m disturbed that an ultra-wealthy major-league ballplayer is sharing the prosperity Gospel with fellow millionaires. If you’re not entirely familiar with what Osteen, et al, teach, Ken Silva has a good backgrounder.
Let’s go, Mets — to the real Gospel, that is.