BY MIKE RIFKIN
For the last three days it’s been weird to be a Mets fan. For the last three days it feels there has been an uncivil discourse between fans and players alike, whether that’s through social media or through the traditional media. The last three days have been an eternity, and it has ended, but the feelings haven’t. Pete Alonso returned to Citi Field as a member of the Baltimore Orioles, and let’s say he got his revenge on the team that didn’t make him an offer last Winter. Alonso wound up hitting two homers in the series, including career number 300, and the fans gave him an ovation and he took what is known as a curtain call to acknowledge the fans.
Now, there’s a group of Met fans who are over the fact that Alonso left and there’s a group of Met fans (myself included) that are disappointed in the fact that Alonso is no longer a Met. Met players were also not too pleased with the fans’ reaction to Alonso’s 300th homer. Sean Manaea said “ I love him to death, but as the 2026 Mets I know we’ve definitely underperformed. The guys in here work their ass off every single day. To have that reaction to an opposing player is crazy to me.” I understand Manaea’s point, but he does make a point for the fans, this team HAS UNDERACHIEVED this season. If the Mets are in a playoff race, do they applaud? Yes, but not to that extent.
If there’s one thing teams should never do it’s question the loyalty of a fanbase. The Mets fans have suffered through a lot of dark times, and some of us, (myself included) have never seen the team win the World Series. It’s been 40 years since they last won, and the run they gave us in 2024 is something most of us will never forget, but the last two seasons have been unacceptable. Pete Alonso should have been the next David Wright in the sense of being a Met for life, and he’s not. The fact of the matter is I’m not sure if Alonso would change what the 2026 Mets are, but he’d bring stability to a position that has been awful for the Mets this season and the fans would be happier.
Fans have a right to be mad, the players have underachieved and the President of Baseball Ops has failed. Fans voiced their displeasure at what has one of the worst seasons in franchise history just based on the expectations, and they got to cheer for a guy who should still be on the team. This is New York, fans are going to let you know how they feel and whether it’s Manaea or someone else on the team who has a problem with what went down the last three days, well they can leave as well.
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