NEW YORK – New York Mets president Sandy Alderson deplored Javier Báez’s statements and the thumbs-down signals some players made toward fans Sunday in the win over the Washington Nationals.
“These comments, and any deeds on your part or those of other players with a similar intent, are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Alderson said in a statement.
“It’s understandable that Mets fans are frustrated with the team’s recent performance. The players and the organization are equally frustrated, but fans at Citi Field have every right to express their own disappointment. a right for every fan “.
Boricua Báez, his compatriot the shortstop Francisco Lindor and other Mets players have been booed at home this season. Báez, Lindor and Kevin Enxampar were among the players who showed their thumbs down on Sunday.
Báez dispatched a home run on Sunday that traveled 440 feet in the 9-4 victory over the Nationals. After the game, the Puerto Rican infielder said the Mets players lowered their thumbs in response to fans screaming the team during an August for oblivion.
“When we go wrong, they yell at us,” Baez said. “So they’ll be screaming when we’re doing well.”
The boricua, who bats for 210 with 22 strikeouts in 62 innings after being acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs on July 30, argued that the booing does not affect him but discourages him.
“I love the fans a lot and I like to play for the fans,” Baez said. “But we can’t have the fans against it.”
Dominican driver Luis Rojas, who on Wednesday heard chants calling for his dismissal Wednesday during a loss to the San Francisco Giants, said he was not on target for the manager’s significance.
“I don’t think there was an intention to make up for it with the fans,” Rojas said. “We want to win for the team. We want to win for us, for our bosses, our owner, our fans. That has to be our focus.”
Rojas added that Báez’s reaction could be due to the process of adapting to the first exchange of his career. Lindor, who signed a 10-year extension before debuting with the Mets, and Enxampar are also completing their first campaigns in New York.