Faithful readers know that, against all common sense, I am a Mets fan. I know the highs and lows—mostly lows—of following this team, and I accept my long-suffering lot. I expect no sympathy.
This season, though, showed a great deal of promise. Despite an almost farcical string of injuries to key players, and despite the fact that almost none of the key position players were performing at anything even close to their lifetime averages, the Mets spent over three months of the season in first place in their division. One could hope that their injured players would return and their underachieving players would heat up—a regression to the mean seeming reasonable if not likely.
Alas, things have not worked out that way. August has been the cruelest month, seeing the team plummet from four games in front to seven games behind in the standings. Some of this can be chalked up to unfortunate timing: The Mets hit a collective slump just as they began a 13-game stretch against the Dodgers and Giants, the two best teams in baseball, and this corresponded to an amazing hot streak from Atlanta, which saw them surge into the division lead. Post-season dreams are all but dashed at this point.
I’m a Mets fan. I’m used to it. But now let’s talk about Javy Baez.
Baez is a power-hitting shortstop/second baseman. Up until about a month ago, he played for the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are going nowhere this season, so they engaged in that time-honored baseball tradition, trading away veteran players with expiring contracts, in order to stock up on young prospects. Kris Bryant went to the Giants. Anthony Russo went to the Yankees. Baez went to the Mets. And promptly got hurt and missed several games. Way to fit in with your new teammates, Javy!
The injury is not his fault, of course, and he’s played reasonably well for the Mets when he’s been on the field. And, indeed, despite their fall in the standings, the Mets haven’t really played terribly over the last month: Most of their losses have been close. Indeed, that’s probably the most frustrating aspect of this whole thing to fans. I can accept getting clobbered 10-1. But when you’re repeatedly losing 2-0, 3-2. 1-0–this just gets maddening, especially when it seems like every time the Mets get a runner to second base, the next three batters strike out. Booing will ensue.
Today, the Mets got healthy against a pathetic Washington team. They won 9-4, not least due to Javy Baez, who crushed one of those home runs where the ball might still be traveling around the earth if it hadn’t crashed into the seats. The fans, understandably, enjoyed this. Baez’s reaction?
That’s right. He’s giving a thumbs down.
When asked about this gesture, he explained that it was a reaction to the fans—who were cheering—for not being more supportive during the team’s free fall.
Now, remember: The Mets have dropped 11 games in the standings, not least because their main players haven’t performed anywhere close to their normal levels. This, by the way, includes Baez’s good friend Francisco Lindor, who has had a dreadful, injury-plagued first season with the Mets—who signed him to a $340 million contract before the season began!
Now, paying athletes huge sums of money doesn’t guarantee that they will perform well. But it damn well guarantees the fan base the right to boo—loudly and lustily—when you underperform.
Javy, let me explain something to you: New York is the best place to be a professional athlete when you win. And even if you don’t win, if you hustle and play your heart out, the fans will love you. If, however, you don’t give it your all, or come across as an entitled little whiner, you will find the city a very inhospitable place. Since you’re a free agent after this season, though, I suspect you will not have to worry about this much longer.
