PORT ST. LUCIE – They reportedly were called “The Breakfast Club” workouts, Michael Jordan’s morning get-togethers when he and certain teammates would gather for a training session.
Here with the Mets, a similar thing may be about to get started, thanks to Carlos Beltran.
Beltran, the Mets’ new center fielder, revealed yesterday he does daily sessions with his personal trainer at a local Gold’s Gym after his day at Tradition Field is over.
But Beltran doesn’t want to train alone. That’s why he’s invited David Wright and plans to invite Jose Reyes to join him.
“I think it will help all of us,” Beltran said.
Beltran’s invitations constitute a symbolic gesture for several reasons. For one, it’s the first evidence so far that Beltran, a player described as quiet and introverted, may be ready to assume a leadership role.
For another, it’s a way for the Mets’ three-man core of young talent (Beltran is 27, Wright 22, Reyes 21) to begin to bond.
“I believe they’re going to be here for a long time and they’ve got potential to be better players,” Beltran said in explaining why he targeted Wright and Reyes. “I’m just happy to have young players on the team like them.”
Reyes said Beltran had not talked to him about the sessions yet, but the dynamic shortstop did say, “He said he wants to talk to me.”
As for Wright, the talented third baseman is fully on board with the extra program.
“I thought he was joking at first and he was going to have me show up at Gold’s and nobody was going to be there,” Wright said. “Little rookie prank: Come up there dressed in a suit and him not show. It’s very flattering for him to think as high of me to invite myself and Jose to go work out with him. It’s definitely something I’d like to take advantage of.”
As evidence of that, Beltran and Wright planned to conduct their first session last night. If it takes, feel free to call it The Dinner Club.
Beltran’s personal training mostly focuses on agility work, not heavy weightlifting or strength training. The work concentrates on baseball-related exercises that can help with reactions, speed and lasting health.
“Obviously you’re not going in there trying to work on your beach muscles,” Wright said. “You’re trying to stay on the field all year.”
Beltran’s program seems to be working. He’s had his trainer since last year but used him earlier than that. Over the past four years, Beltran never has had fewer than 521 at-bats and never played fewer than 141 games (both low figures coming in 2003).
“If they can come with me and train, it will help them to stay through the whole season healthy and to develop faster,” Beltran said.
Wright said, “I’m just going to try to go in there like the little brother, follow him along and do what he does. … If it works for him, hopefully it’ll work for me.”
Beltran raved about Reyes’ and Wright’s ability – “Those guys got so much talent” – and he plans to help them extract the most out of it.
“Being around Reyes and being around Wright and knowing what kind of talent they have, it will be good for them to let them know that for you to be successful, you need to work and you need to continue to work,” Beltran said. “And they’re hard workers. But for you to stay healthy during the whole season, you need to work more.”
