Sentence:  The two top talents of the time , Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays , have hit the ball harder and more successfully so far this early season than at any period in careers which , to <WSD>be</WSD> frank about it , never have quite reached expectations . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)