Recently, fans and people around baseball have been directing criticism towards Mets closer Jenrry Mejia, who has made a name for himself by not only leading the National League in saves since the All-Star Break, but by celebrating each successful save with a unique and explosive celebration.
The #MejiaStomp has become popular among Mets fans, as well as players and fans around the league. While some people admire the energy Mejia brings in the late innings, others tend to look down on it.
Adam Rubin of ESPN New York asked Terry Collins after Friday’s game whether he thinks Mejia’s actions were over the top.
“You’ve got to have some emotion in the game. We see it everywhere. I see other teams doing it.” He continued, saying, “I want these guys to have some fun. But, gosh, it’s a big win for us against a first-place team and there’s no reason not to be excited.”
However on the very next day, Collins did a complete 180:
“Certainly our job here is not to embarrass anybody. They get emotional, they get excited and they become reactionary. He was a little over the top last night. He’s going to tone it down.”
Phil Mushnick of the New York Post goes one step further.
“Terry Collins is trying to convince Jenrry Mejia that his exaggerated, self-absorbed, attention-starved, post-save fool-dancing — even after nearly blowing a save — is unprofessional. Let me give it a shot: Jenrry, you look like a fool.”
Players show energy all the time in sports, most of them by utilizing some combination of flexing and yelling. Mejia takes it a bit further, bending his knees after the final out of the game and then performing a ‘back-breaking’ maneuver of sorts in full view of his opponent’s final victim of the game.
On Friday night, Mejia took it one step further when the Mets took one game from the Nationals at home, something that has been a rarity this year and since Citi Field’s inception.
Before Mejia performed his Mortal Kombat-like finishing move, he feigned casting a fishing rod in the direction of Ian Desmond, the victim of Mejia’s game-ending strikeout. After ‘reeling him in’, he finished off his celebration in customary fashion.
I personally love the celebration and the emotion and fire it brings to the moment for the players and the fans. Sure, the Mets aren’t really in contention and it could have been seen as Mejia showing up the first-place Nationals. However, rivalries are supposed to be prevalent.
The Nationals have had the Mets’ number in recent years, and the Mets players shouldn’t be happy about it. So when the Mets win a game at home against the first place team, they should be emotional about it.
Mejia seems to be the only player on the roster who shows any fire at all (besides Harvey). I want to see that. I understand the point that it may or may not place other Mets players in jeopardy of retaliation. I suppose that is a fair point. But that type of culture has been decreasing exponentially in baseball.
I love Mejia’s fire on the mound. If I had to guess, this would be a non-issue if Mejia simply screamed out loud or into his glove after the game rather than performing his routine. However, I am never more excited (at least this year) then when Mejia is in to close a game. I am ready for his celebration every time and although I know what to expect, I still get anxious and tense before the show.
