"They say timing is everything, right? Whether you're buying a house, playing the stock market, looking for the right partner or acquiring a free agent at the deadline, you hear it all the time. Without the right timing, you've got no chance.

Go back seven years. At the end of June, the Houston Astros were an organization desperately trying to get to their first World Series. But their veteran-filled team was missing something. "Craig Biggio was playing center field for us," recalled Phillies right-hander Roy Oswalt, the ace of that Astros team. "Obviously, Craig was a great player, but not really a true center fielder at that point in his career."

Oswalt remembers thinking when the Astros obtained Carlos Beltran from the Kansas City Royals in a three-team trade involving the Oakland Athletics, "He might win us five games just with his defense. At that time, he was as good a center fielder as there was in the game."

What Oswalt could not have realized, however, was just how impeccable the Astros' timing would turn out to be. Forget even that Beltran hit 23 home runs in 90 games and helped the Astros advance into the postseason as National League wild-card winners. What will forever be remembered about Beltran's brief time in Houston was the way he got locked-in during the postseason. Over a 12-game span in October, Beltran went 20 for 46 with eight home runs and 14 RBI. He stole six bases in six attempts, got on base an incredible 30 times and scored 21 runs. He was also as good as advertised in center.

"He pretty much carried us," said Oswalt with a smirk. "And it was fun to watch.""