Beltré is notable for his longevity and his fielding ability as well as his power hitting. Beltré's signature home run swing included a drop to one knee when connecting with a breaking ball, particularly notable during Game 5 of the 2011 World Series in an at bat against Cardinals ace pitcher Chris Carpenter. Beltré's defensive style was somewhat unorthodox. Rangers manager Ron Washington remarked that Beltré fielded ground balls incorrectly by stopping before catching the ball and relying very little on the positioning of his feet in throwing the ball to first base. Beltré explained that his arm was so strong that early in his career he was making many throwing errors; by planting his feet, he was able to improve his accuracy despite his lack of proper foot positioning. Another major league manager, Joe Maddon, compared the unique style of Beltré's defensive play to Ozzie Smith’s "flair at shortstop," Stan Musial’s "coiled batting stance" and the way Steve Carlton wrapped his left wrist before releasing a slider. Commented Maddon further on Beltré's defense, "There’s a lot of guys that did things unique to them that weren’t out of the Spalding Guide. They did things you wouldn’t teach, and if somebody else tried to do it, they would not be very good.” Commented Rangers bench coach Steve Buechele, "He's not your most conventional third baseman, he does things his own way and has developed his own style over his career but there's something to be said for his hand-eye coordination and his hands. It's remarkable what he does. ... He's a super smart player, knows where to position himself." Beltré is known for the sense of playfulness and joy that he exhibited on the field. He had a routine with Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus on pop flies where both men put their arms up to catch the ball. During a game against the Red Sox on June 26, 2016, Sandy León hit a foul ball which landed in the first row in the stands, just out of Beltré's reach. However, instead of returning immediately to the infield, he reached very close to the ball in a motion, pretending as if he were going to take it away from the fan who caught León's foul ball. Beltré is also known for his dislike of anyone touching the top of his head. Before the game where he recorded his 3,000th hit, he