Francisco Lindor and Javier Báez apologized to New York Mets fans on Tuesday, saying they were wrong to make gestures with their thumbs down after being shouted at in recent games.
“It doesn’t look good on our part,” Lindor said.
The affair reached a boiling point within the organization when Báez made a thumbs-down gesture to the crowd after receiving a hit during Sunday’s 9-4 victory at Citi Field.
“#Fans We just need to be together! We want to win too!” post Báez on Twitter Tuesday. “The Wizard was The Wizard! #LGM”
#Fans We just have to be together! We want to win too! The Wizard will be The Wizard! #LGM
– Javier Báez (@ javy23baez) August 31, 2021
Báez is beating 210/258/452 with three homers — five driven in 17 games since he was acquired by the Chicago Cubs on the change deadline. Since then, the Mets have dropped from first place to third in the Eastern National League.
Lindor is hitting 224 with 11 homers, 38 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in his first season with the Mets since signing a 10-year, $ 341 million contract with the team last low season.
“Sometimes I’ve stinked and haven’t done my part when it comes to the offensive band,” Lindor told reporters on Tuesday. “But I don’t think we have a lot of guys complaining all the time to the media, the fans, the city, no, no, no.
“We’re playing, we’re trying to win. We’re trying to do whatever it takes to win and represent the organization the right way.”
Kevin Enxampar also showed the thumbs down gesture, though he said after Sunday’s game that they don’t “look too much at it” and that “we’re having fun”.
Mets president Sandy Alderson said Sunday that the gestures “are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated” and that “boos are a right of all fans.”
On Tuesday, Mets owner Steve Cohen said on social media that he was happy for the players to apologize.
“I’m glad to hear our players apologize to the fans,” post on Twitter. “We support our players today and we go out and win 2 today.”
The Mets had been completing a delayed game against the Miami Marlins since April 11 before the regularly scheduled game on Tuesday.