Javier Báez Gives Thumbs-Down To Mets Fans; Sandy Alderson Issues Statement
As if the Mets needed anymore distractions.
Following their series win over the Nationals, a rare positive performance from the Mets was ultimately overshadowed due to a new controversy.
And that's because Javier Báez, Francisco Lindor and Kevin Pillar were seen throwing up the thumbs-down sign during the Mets' 9-4 victory on Sunday, which Báez was asked about after the game.
“It’s just the boos that we get,” said Báez, who has slashed a disappointing .210/.258/.452 in 17 games since the Mets acquired him from the Cubs before the trade deadline. “We’re not machines. We’re going to struggle. We’re going to struggle seven times out of 10."
“It just feels bad. When I strike out and I get booed, it doesn’t really get to me, but I want to let them know that when we (have) success, we’re going to do the same thing, to let them know how it feels. Because if we win together, we’ve got to lose together. The fans are a really big part of it. In my case, they’ve got to be better. I play for the fans, I love the fans, but if they’re gonna do that, they’re just putting more pressure on the team and that’s not what we want.”
When this gesture was brought to the attention of manager Luis Rojas, he said he was unaware of the true meaning behind the players doing the thumbs-down.
“They’ve been doing all sorts of salutes from the dugout onto the bases, so I didn’t know there was any intention of giving anything back to the fans,” Rojas said. “Our job is to be prepared to come out and play and give the very best version of baseball that the fanbase needs.
“We want to win for the organization, we want to win for ourselves, we want to win for the front office, our owner, and we want to win for the fanbase. That’s where our focus should be. Javy is probably learning from this experience because this is new for him; that’s where he’s coming from with this. This is something that maybe other players go through when they come and play here. It’s something, knowing Javy, he’s a really good player, a really good kid. It’s something that will be part of his learning experience here.”
To make matters worse, Mets team president Sandy Alderson issued a statement on Sunday evening, calling the player's response to the booing fans "totally unacceptable."
"Mets fans are understandably frustrated over the team’s recent performance," Alderson said. "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. I will be meeting with our players and staff to convey this message directly."
While it is clear that the Mets' braintrust is not pleased with yesterday's comments from Báez, team owner Steve Cohen weighed in himself and appeared to be a bit more merciful of the situation.
“These are young guys and sometimes we forget they are on a public stage and can make mistakes,” Cohen told Joel Sherman of The New York Post. “They hit the third rail, though, by messing with fans. And it is unacceptable. Hopefully, this is a teaching moment and they will learn from this.”
Ironically, Cohen is hosting a charity event for the Mets foundation on Monday night and Lindor and Báez are expected to be in attendance. And as Cohen told Sherman, Sunday's affairs should come up in conversation tonight.
On July 28, the Mets were 54-46 and four games up in the NL East. Since then, they have taken a nose dive to go 9-21 and fall 7.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves in their division.
With 32 games left in the regular season, the Mets are 63-67 and their playoff hopes are pretty much all but dead due to an abysmal 30 game stretch.
The fans aren't happy, and the players are tired of the booing. But unless this Mets team goes on a miraculous run over the next 4.5 weeks, the boos will likely continue to rain down on them.
