New on Sports Illustrated: Javier Báez and Other Mets Players Give Fans Thumbs Down in Response to Boos

-

Javier Báez said that he and other Mets players have been giving fans a thumbs down in response to repeated boos during home games.

View the
original article to see embedded media.

Javier Báez had some strong words for Mets fans after the team's 9–4 win over the Nationals. Báez homered in the bottom of the fourth inning and celebrated with a thumbs down after the 444-foot bomb. When he was asked about the celebration, he said it was directed at the fans for their booing when the team struggles. 

"We're not machines," Báez said. "We're going to struggle seven times out of 10. It just feels bad when...I strike out and get booed, you know, it doesn't really get to me but I want to let them [fans] know that when we're successful, we're going to do the same thing to let them know how it feels.

"If we win together then we 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 [boo] they're just putting more pressure on the team, and that's not what we want." 

Báez, shortstop Francisco Lindor and other Mets players have routinely been booed at home for the team's struggles this year. The Mets are currently 63–67 and are third in the NL East. Báez, Lindor and Kevin Pillar were among the players who gave the thumbs down.

"When we don't get success, we're going to get booed," Báez said. "So they [fans] are going to get booed when we get success." 

The players have been celebrating with the thumbs down for at least a week, according to Newsday's Tim Healey, and manager Luis Rojas said he had no idea the meaning behind the thumbs down celebration. 

"Javy [Báez] is probably learning from this experience because this is new for him," Rojas said.

More Baseball Coverage: 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New on Sports Illustrated: The Patriots’ Post-Brady Era Begins Now

-
Image
In Mac Jones, Bill Belichick drafted a Round 1 quarterback for the first time ever—and looks to usher in a return to dominance. Of course the first time Bill Belichick drafts a first-round quarterback, it’s one for whom he could get an unvarnished scouting report from good buddy Nick Saban —and without even having to do any draft-day maneuvering. Now, the post-Tom Brady era in New England really begins. The Patriots treated 2020 as something of a gap year, with a league-high eight opt-outs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a starting quarterback, Cam Newton, who didn't sign with the team until June. They were, for the first time in two decades, mediocre, but that 7–9 record bought them the ticket to a fresh start: the No. 15 pick, which they used Thursday night on Alabama QB Mac Jones. The oft-cited statistic that Belichick had never drafted a QB higher than pick No. 62—used on Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014—was inherently flawed, given that Belichick had Brady as a starter for 19 of
Read more

New on Sports Illustrated: NBA Draft Big Board 3.0: Top 80 Prospect Rankings

-
Image
Ranking the top 80 players in the 2021 NBA draft with the NCAA tournament in the rearview. View the original article to see embedded media. With three months until draft night and the NBA’s regular season winding down , the league at large has begun shifting full focus to the off-season. Players have until May 30 to declare as early entrants for the draft, after which point the predraft process will open up in full, leading up to the combine and lottery at the end of June . Our Big Board is long overdue for an update, and fully expanded out to 80 prospects as we all attempt to make sense of the big picture moving forward. As usual, the Big Board is primarily based on my personal evaluations from both live viewings and on film, in many cases dating back several years. The rankings also incorporate feedback and opinions I glean from NBA executives, scouts, and others around the industry. This is not a mock draft, and team fit is not considered, but it is also intended to be somewhat
Read more

New on Sports Illustrated: NCAA Board of Governors Unanimously Votes to Extend Mark Emmert’s Contract

-
Despite recent controversy, the NCAA Board of Governors voted unanimously to extend Mark Emmert's contract through 2025. The NCAA Board of Governors unanimously voted to extend president Mark Emmert's contract through Dec. 31, 2025. The news was announced Tuesday as a one-line news item buried within a larger update after the board's quarterly meeting. He's the fifth president in NCAA history and has been in the role since 2010. Emmert previously held high-ranking roles at Washington, LSU, Connecticut and Montana State. His base salary is reportedly $2.7 million.  Within the announcement, the Board reaffirmed its commitment to updating name, image and likeness rules. Dellenger: Inside the Hidden Industry of Name, Image and Likeness and the Changing World for College Athletes Emmert came under fire after disparities were shown between the men's and women's college basketball tournaments this year, specifically the weight room. Prior to the public backlash,
Read more