Like it or not, right or wrong, Carlos Delgado’s decision to not come out for a curtain call is going to be news. We’ll hear about when Beltran reluctantly took one, at the urging of Julio Franco, because he too had received the Shea Boo Treatment.

For those who neither saw the game, watched the highlights, or read any of the blogs and/or mainstream media accounts of this afternoon, Carlos Delgado had two solo home runs, which turns even the most jaded boo birds into cheering, screaming fans. Add on that it was against long time enemies the Braves, and Delgado received something thats rare lately, a curtain call. A call he did not accept. He was smiling, laughing, celebrating with teammates. But he did not accept it.

Now Ron and Gary mentioned it on air. Ron, that as a player you should always take the curtain call, for the fans. Gary, how its understandable to not, after all, Shea Nation has been booing Delgado at every chance and turn as of late, large portions of last season, pregame, and quite possible on the street. Delgado is one of those guys who is effected more than others by that sort of treatment. Booing prolongs his slumps more than it motivates him to do better. Of course, there’s also the lesser known fact, Delgado doesn’t take curtain calls. Not now, or back when he was what we signed up for, a slugging first basemen. According to the AP , he’s done it only twice. Both times, where much more momentous then two solo shots.

Whether or not this is true (resident Hot Foot Obscure Statistician Sidd Finch is on assignment), can we truly blame Delgado for not taking it? Can we as fans continue to abuse a player on our own team, a player we know it gets to, and then turn around and demand he love us? As I’ve said before, you shouldn’t boo one of your own. Delgado has been booed almost nonstop for quite some time now, and while one well played game can often erase the doubts and hate of the fans, at least temporarily, one round of applause and cheers cannot undue the extra stress and burden the fans have put on Delgado. He had every right to stay put. As fans we cannot expect our team to provide their unconditional support of us, if we continue to boo them at every misstep. I’m not asking you to cheer Delgado’s pop outs, but merely to support him in both the good times and bad. Until then, don’t act surprised when he doesn’t want to embrace you back.