Carlos Beltran only played for the Yankees for two and a half seasons, but he created a new tradition for Yankees legends: he came up with the idea for the blue blazers for Yankees greats honored with enshrinement in Monument Park.
You may have noticed Derek Jeter and all the other assembled Yankees greats wearing the blazers during last night’s Jeter-Palooza. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com writes about how that all came to be:One day last season, Beltran was sitting in clubhouse manager Rob Cucuzza’s office when he threw out an idea he had during one of the many Monument Park ceremonies he watched during his first two years in pinstripes.
“I told Cucuzza, ‘What about a navy blazer with a patch for Monument Park?’” Beltran said. “You put that jacket on and it shows you’re in a special place. And when you take a picture of all those guys together, they’re going to look great. Cucuzza said, ‘That’s not a bad idea,’ so he presented it to management.”
And they liked the idea. Beltran, now with the Astros, was asked to present Jeter with his blazer as a thank you for the inspiration.
Pretty sweet.