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Mets players vs the fans: Team president slams players' action as ‘unacceptable’

The Mets players were all over the Internet after they flashed the thumbs down gesture duringtheir recent matches

It’s Mets vs the fans after star players from the team like Javier Baez, Francisco Lindor, and Kevin Pillar have been flashing a thumbs down gesture to the fans with an intention to tell them that when they get booed after losing a match, now the fans will get booed if they win the matches.

The move, however, was not appreciated by Mets President Sandy Alderson as he released an official statement via the team’s blog stating that the thumbs-down gesture displayed during Sunday’s 9-4 win over the Nationals was “totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.” Social media users too got involved in the situation after Alderson’s statement made its way to the Internet. According to the New York Post, the Mets are 8-19 in August, a stretch in which they have fallen from first in the NL East to trailing the Braves by 7 ½ games.
 
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Why Mets players are flashing the thumbs-down gesture?

Shedding light on flashing thumbs down to fans, Javier Baez said, as published by the New York Post, “[It’s] to let [fans] know when we don’t have success we are going to get booed, so they are going to get booed when we have success. He added, “We are not machines, we are going to struggle.” He further stated, “We are going to struggle seven times out of 10. It just feels bad. When I strike out, I get booed, it really doesn’t get to me, but I want to let [the fans] know that when we have success we are going to do the same thing to let them know how it feels, because if we win together then we are going to lose together and the fans are really a big part of it.”

The Mets player was all over the Internet after he flashed a thumbs-down gesture at his recent match. Baez received a lot of flak including the boos, following his return from the injured list. When asked if was the force behind the thumbs-down signal, he asserted, “It was my opinion-that is how I feel. I love the fans and I like playing for the fans, but we can’t have our fans against us.”

How did Mets President react to the controversy?

Mets president Sandy Alderson was not willing to bow down to the situation as he made it very clear that the gesture was “totally unacceptable”.  In the statement posted on the team’s official blog, the President defended the fans and added that the move will not be tolerated. He further stated that fans were “understandably frustrated over the team’s recent performance.” The blog further said, “The players and the organization are equally frustrated, but fans at Citi Field have every right to express their own disappointment. Booing is every fan’s right.”

“The Mets will not tolerate any player gesture that is unprofessional in its meaning or is directed in a negative way toward our fans. I will be meeting with our players and staff to convey this message directly,” added Alderson. He concluded, “Mets fans are loyal, passionate, knowledgeable and more than willing to express themselves. We love them for every one of these qualities.”
 
‘Thumbs down to Alderson’, says Twitter

Social media users did not hesitate at all to speak on the boiling matter. One user stated, “So if the fans can express themselves why can’t the players? Lmfao wtf is this.” Another shared, “Players also have their own right to express themselves.” Whereas, one user tweeted, “Players deserve to have a right to express themselves as well. Real fans can be frustrated but to boo or yell at players that play for your team shows that they aren’t real fans.”
 
One user added, “No more thumbs down is trash, they should take it a step further and not sign another autograph for any “fan”. Meanwhile, one noted, “Sometimes I think pro athletes forget that fans are the most crucial thing to their profession/career. I don't want to be that guy who says, no fans = no sport, but I will be that guy. It's simple, don't bite the hand that feeds. Yes, I'm sub-tweeting numerous Mets players.” Another slammed the President saying, “Thumbs down to Alderson - he just created a frenzy tomorrow - what a dope.” The next one concluded, “It is genuinely outrageously funny that the mets were thumbs downing the fans since at least august 6th but have been so bad that no one noticed. this really is peak mets.”