Wallace Matthews seems to be in a particularly good mood lately, as he's gone from viciously anti-Met to in his latest column praising not only Carlos Delgado the ballplayer, but Carlos Delgado the man, in Newsday…

He has had much to teach his teammates about the art of observing
opposing pitchers and about tracking tendencies, strengths and
weaknesses, which he does religiously during games in a black notebook.

And he has much to teach the rest of us about how to maintain
one's individuality in a world that seeks to discourage and intimidate
those who dissent.

In an era of rampant look-at-me-ism, you can't help but admire
that rare celebrity who balances the courage of his convictions with
the dignity to keep them to himself.

How rare is it to find a ballplayer who has toiled in the relative
obscurity Delgado has, while putting up his kind of numbers, without
squawking or turning himself into some kind of public martyr?

Delgado doesn't hit anyone over the head with his political
beliefs, nor has he resorted to any “I told you so's” now that much of
the country has come around to his point of view. He never engaged in
the public self-pity so many others have when nearing the end of a
career minus that elusive championship ring.

Whether or not you agree with Delgado's political leanings, you have to respect his conviction. I think its also very obvious to everyone in New York now how much Delgado's veteran presence has meant to this team, and you can see how much his teammates enjoy having him around.

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