Photo: Corey Sipkin/AP/Shutterstock
The New York Mets have come up with one of the most unique — and controversial — celebrations in baseball.
Mets players have recently been seen flashing thumbs-down signs toward fans at Citi Field after scoring home runs or big hits. The reason, newly acquired Mets player Javier Báez explained, is to return the courtesy after fans booed the team when they were struggling.
“When we don’t get success, we’re going to get booed,” 28-year-old Báez told reporters this week, according to the Associated Press. “So they’re going to get booed when we have success.”
The Mets were expected to do much better this year aftera new billionaire ownertook over the team and the acquisition of shortstop Francisco Lindor. However, the team is currently third in the NL East with a 63-67 record, and are likely to miss the post-season.
The thumbs-down gesture is a way for players to remind fans to be more supportive when they’re losing, Báez said.
Corey Sipkin/AP/Shutterstock
The athlete continued, “Because if we win together, then we’ve got to lose together and the fans are a really big part of it. In my case, they got to be better. I play for the fans and I love the fans, but if they’re going to do that, they’re just putting more pressure on the team and that’s not what we want.”
Unsurprisingly, the celebration has not been popular with Mets executives.
“Mets fans are understandably frustrated over the team’s recent performance,” President Sandy Aldersonsaidof the gesture in a statement. “The players and the organization are equally frustrated, but fans at Citi Field have every right to express their own disappointment. Booing is every fan’s right.”
“The Mets will not tolerate any player gesture that is unprofessional in its meaning or is directed in a negative way toward our fans,” Alderson added. “I will be meeting with our players and staff to convey this message directly.”
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Owner Steve Cohen, who bought the team in late 2020, echoed those sentiments in an interview with theNew York Post, saying the team went too far with the new celebration.
source: people.com
