Blame Carlos Beltran for this wasted 2006 NLCS newspaper cover

Just add it to the never-ending pile of stuff for Mets fans to be mad at Carlos Beltran for.

It's not often you get to see the inner-workings of journalism, but as games are occurring, writers and editors are working behind-the-scenes to prepare for every inevitability.* This is especially true on some of sports' grander stages, such as the 2006 National League Championship Series, in which the Cardinals and Mets went seven games to determine who would represent the Senior Circuit in the World Series.

*It's mostly jokes about dudes getting hit in the groin by baseballs, but don't tell anyone. Trade secret.

The Mets came oh-so-close to doing so, and ESPN New York's Adam Rubin has shown us just how close:

... I still have the Daily News proof of back page that never ran. (This is real.) pic.twitter.com/sADGZsRKaR
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) February 7, 2014

Let's set the scene, in case you didn't immediately recoil at the memories dredged up by this image: Endy Chavez made a spectacular, then-game-saving catch in the top of the sixth inning, when the score was still just 1-1. He turned a two-run homer into an inning-ending double play, which you can see below:

With no exaggeration, we can say that's one of the great postseason grabs. It ended up all for naught, though, as Mets' reliever Aaron Heilman allowed a two-run homer to Yadier Molina in the eighth inning, putting the Cardinals up for good.

Okay, so maybe it didn't end up completely for nothing on the Mets' side. The loss also led to the start of the #BlameBeltran hashtag thanks to Adam Wainwright's bender. It's some of the most ironic fun you can have on baseball Twitter! I know, I know, it's not a World Series, but come on, guys: Twitter irony.