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Carlos Beltran leaves Yankees following death of unborn child

Mark Townsend
·Yahoo Sports Contributor
Carlos Beltran leaves Yankees following death of unborn child

Every now and then life slaps us in the face with a cold, hard dose of reality that puts its meaning back into perspective. It reminds us that our problems are usually minimal compared to those of others. That most of our bad days are actually good days in the grand scheme of things. And that as much as those we love frustrate us, yes, even the sports team we cheer for, it's not the end of our world.

Carlos Beltran and his wife, Jessica, didn't need that reminder. They had already experienced enough reality, pain and anguish, having lost two children before, both by miscarriage. Sadly, we learned on Wednesday they are going through that pain and anguish again, as Beltran announced that they had lost their unborn son.

Heartbreaking news.

When Beltran left the team on Tuesday, manager Joe Girardi kept the matter private, announcing only that Beltran was returning home to tend to a family matter. In wake of this news, the Yankees will give Beltran as much time as he needs to be with his wife and two daughters as they grieve.

On Wednesday, that meant moving forth without Beltran against the Tampa Bay Rays. Though they managed to win the game 3-2, it was clear afterward that the thoughts of his teammates were with him and his family throughout.

“He should take as much time as he needs,” said Jeter, who had spoken personally with Beltran. “I don't know how much time that's going to be, but he should. I can't imagine how he feels. Like I said, it puts things in perspective. We sit around here and we talk about guys struggling and people being frustrated and teams losing, but when something like that happens, you pretty much forget about the game.”

Sometimes getting back around the game and team on the field quickly, as Milwaukee's Jean Segura's did earlier this season after losing his nine-month-old, can prove theraputic for all. Should Beltran choose to return, it's obvious he'll have a group of men and an extended family waiting to support him and help him through the healing process. 

If not, that decision is to be respected as well. Family always comes before baseball, and right now, baseball's collective thoughts and condolences go out to the Beltrans.

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Mark Townsend

is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!