Picture courtesy of Tim Ryder/MMO
During his and Jacob deGrom‘s sit down with SNY’s Gary Cohen from Mets Fan Fest at Citi Field in Flushing, New York Mets All-Star and Rookie of the Year first baseman Pete Alonso called Mets fans “the best fans in baseball”. On Saturday, the Mets reciprocated that love tenfold.
Judging by the beaming smiles from Mets fans old and young around the stadium, this organization really hit the mark with their inaugural celebration of this loyal fan base. The sheer joy of fans interacting with their heroes at such an intimate level was truly a sight to behold.
The looks of awe in kids’ faces as they strolled out of autographs sessions with various Mets stars brought a smile to mine. The smiling grandparents — original Mets fans, no doubt — decked out from head to toe in Mets gear watching their loved ones catch the same fever they did so many years ago almost induced a tear.
Daniel Zamora, Luis Guillorme, and Mets’ prospect Andres Gimenez playing foosball, Jenga, and Pop-A-Shot, respectively, with a handful of young Mets fans secured those kids’ fandoms for life and provided thrills to last nearly as long. I watched Brandon Nimmo stop, talk, and take photos with fans for a solid 20 minutes before politely excusing himself. And, of course, there were puppies.
J.D. Davis caused quite the hubbub when he appeared in the Delta Club. Half the room stopped what they were doing and jumped into a single-file line quicker than they did when the principal asked them to do so in third grade. And the unified sighs of dejection from the dozens of fans still in line, once he moved on to another area of the festivities, was just as noticeable.
All of it, from start to finish, was incredibly special and greatly needed for a long-tortured, but infamously dedicated fan base. After the mercurial nature of this past offseason, the Mets and their fans need all the good times they can get and most’s needs were fulfilled on Saturday.
Kids, parents, young adults, adult adults — everyone was having the time of their lives. Hopefully, there’s more magic to come this season.
