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The great American philosopher – and Hall of Fame hitter – Reginald Martinez Jackson once envisioned the path from controversy to baseball’s redemption and said, “If you’ve got a bat in your hands, you can change history.” .
And while what Javier Baez and Francisco Lindor encountered in recent days was the size of an inch compared to the outrage and skyscraper-level uproar that enveloped Reggie in his heyday in New York City, these players and the Mets certainly needed a rewrite.
Baez and Lindor apologized ahead of the first of two games on Tuesday against the Marlins. But in baseball, atonement won’t come in words, tweets, or thumbs pointing one way or the other. It will only come with skill and victory – the longest lasting sports deodorant.
Baez’s skills, in particular, were demonstrated in the ninth round. And the Mets won.
“In short,” said Michael Conforto after a five-run rally in the ninth inning for a 6-5 triumph, “I think winning heals everything.”
The victory came in the middle of a day that, even for the Mets, was bizarre, especially since it was the resumption of a game that had started 142 days earlier before being suspended.
About an hour before the first pitch, Baez and Lindor stood outside the canoe at Citi Field’s home and expressed regret for the juvenile thumbs-down gestures, which Baez revealed on Sunday were meant as boos. symbolic against the local supporters who hooted the players.
Minutes after the game, Mets team president Sandy Alderson was part of a search team looking for a diamond earring that had come loose when Baez plunged his head in the first with the winning race.
Between the two, the Mets mostly played a game worthy of a boo. The Marlins ran over Dom Smith’s arm to score two first points. They went 4-for-4 in the stolen base tries – one of which came when Patrick Mazeika stepped for a pitchout and an unconscious Heath Hembree threw towards the plate. The Mets have gone without a hitting in seven batting appearances with runners in scoring in eight innings. They were trailing 5-1. Even Luis Rojas would later admit how apathetic the club were.
But Brandon Nimmo hit a two-run homer to cut the deficit in half before Lindor flew away. Two down. Smith, however, had a single on the left and Pete Alonso doubled up. Tie points were in a scoring position for Baez, who was booed at plate when he pinched Jeff McNeil in the eighth. And booed a little more even after getting hit by a pitch.
Baez, however, had a bat in his hand. He was fortunate enough to change the reaction – and the story. He crashed into the shortstop hole and easily beat him. Smith scored. Alonso went to the third. Baez was first with the winning run.
After Baez was hit in the eighth, Conforto fouled with two men. In the canoe, he slammed his bat and his helmet. But an inning late, he also had a bat in hand. A chance for a rewrite. He slipped a left single that delivered Alonso for the tie. Perhaps no major leaguer has better instincts for base racing than Baez – which contributes to his nickname “El Mago”; because there is magic in his game.
The game was ahead of Baez as he moved from first to third and saw converted wide receiver Jorge Alfaro kick the ball to the left. Third base substitute coach Tony Tarrasco was pointing towards third, but Baez never broke his stride, rounding home. Conforto attributed Baez with an “incredible awareness”.
Baez dove safely as the ball raced through wide receiver Alex Jackson. The Mets piled up outside the dugout. Lindor and Baez held a long victorious embrace. The crowd that had booed Baez shortly before and mocked with thumbs-down signals were now clapping with thumbs up. This is what they want. Baez, Lindor and the rest of the Mets should understand by now. Booing is about caring so much, investing so much in the team (and not just financially). They want to applaud. They need a reason.
So that’s how you stop the boos. This is the best excuse. You get a bat in your hand. You use your legs like a basic running genius. You win.
You change history.
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