Should Fans Boo Their Own Players Or The Bobby Bonilla Paradox

Today’s topic is going to be interesting. For once, I’m not sure what my opinion on the subject is. I can see both sides of the argument, so I’m going to use this essay to formulate my conclusion. Ok, ok, it’s not a essay so much as a rant, but I can dream. By the end of today’s incoherent rambling, I want to answer the age old question: Is it ok to boo players on your own team? And by age old, I mean something that re-entered my consciousness over the past two weeks.

Naturally, everything sports related comes from the Mets. In the Mets’ history, booing talent is not just an option, it’s a tradition. Plenty of big name stars have heard boos rain from them as a result for their play. It’s not easy playing in New York. The media coverage borders on oppressive and the fans are vocal. New York fans have a reputation for being smart. I think that’s a bit much. They’re fickle and turn on players after two or three bad performances. It’s like when people speak loudly to sound smart – it’s a cover up.

The Mets fanbase has turned on all sorts of players. Some, such as infamous check casher Bobby Bonilla, failed to live up to expectations. Others, such as Mike Piazza, recorded elite numbers and still heard it from the crowd. We haven’t booed Santa, but had he struck out with runners in scoring position, Old Saint Nick would be. The only players potentially immune are Tom Server (R.I.P.) and Jacob deGrom. Everyone else is fair game, including a recent $341 million acquisition.

As of Monday Night, the Mets are, somehow, 17-13 despite failing to score runs. While the top half of the rotation and the bullpen have excelled, the Mets have fallen into their 2020 trap – faltering with runners in scoring position. Most of the roster excels at getting on base. But as soon as people reach second, the Mets forget that making contact is beneficial. It’s bizarre. Despite leading the NL East, the team has already fired multiple hitting coaches, and bizarrely made up a hitting guru, who’s apparently just Pete Alonso in sunglasses. No really.

Low key: I kind of love it. Say what you will, this team has personality.

The fans haven’t treated the Mets struggles to score runs well. The team has turned on previous fan favorites. In the opening weeks, Bloggin Hood darling Michael Conforto became public enemy #1. Going into the season, Conforto reportedly asked for a $200 million contract. Then, he made some vague, weird comments about the vaccine. Finally, and most damning for an athlete, he frigging sucked for the first 15 games. He also, maybe, sort of, cheated to win a game. Conforto struggled at the field and at the dish, and the fans let him know.

But don’t forget, New York fans are “smart.” After a fortnight of tweets and comments saying to bench and trade Conforto, things changed. I wonder if it had anything to do with him hitting a game winning homerun? Since then, Conforto’s play has picked up. While his power hasn’t come around, his at bats are better and his defense is on track. The homerun freed Conforto from the fan’s venom. Instead, Mets nation turned their sites on Francisco Lindor, the presumed face of Mets baseball for the next decade. Oh good.

Lindor’s first 20 games as a Met were notable, mostly for his anemic offensive output. At first, there were signs of life. Lindor hit liners, but right at defenders. He cranked a homer run 425+ feet, but it hooked foul. Despite a pitiful average, he drew walks, played good defense, and had a game winning hit versus Colorado. Everything seemed fine, until he began leaving runners on. Fans shifted their ire from Conforto to Lindor. He received loud, booming boos from a 20% capacity crowd. Plankton loved it

At his next press conference, Lindor said he had never been booed before. He promised to win the fans over and to win in New York. He smiled through everything he said, but you could tell it bugged him. The following few games, fortunately on the road, Lindor’s hitting mechanics went to shit. He looked completely lost hitting, and even his defense fell apart. Was this just a slump, or were the boos actually affecting him?

It took a heated debate over a rat or raccoon with the Squirrel to get Lindor going. After reaching a breaking point. Lindor hit a game tying homerun at Citi Field, and the crowd erupted. Boy are those New York fans smart* ¹. Since that homer, Lindor has had better at bats and looks to be close to returning to form.

So, does it make any sense to boo a player on your own team? Well, like everything, there’s a complicated answer to the question.

I’m no saint. I cannot write this article and pretend I haven’t booed Mets players in the past. Hell, my blog is filled with anti-Familia propaganda. While I’ll never trust him in the clutch, he’s been solid in 2021. Feel free to quote me here in September when he blows a key game.

I’ve been extremely against past acquisitions that flamed out quickly. The biggest, and arguably most painful example in recent memory was Jason Bay. The Mets needed a power hitting righty. Bay had come off a 30+ homer season in Boston, when 30 homers was impressive. He did lived up to half of the projection– Bay was certainly right handed. Bay barely hit and spent more time on the DL than the field. I voiced my displeasure of the player several times… Several times an hour.

Jay Bruce was a left handed clone on Bay. Acquired at the trade deadline, Bruce was notorious for struggling in the second half. Boy did he ever live up to that reputation. Bruce wasn’t a costly acquisition but he struggled mightily. In my ten career tweets, I believe five were anti Bruce.

Part of the issue is the Mets love acquiring aging stars and assuming they’re going to get their prime years. There are numerous examples, but some standouts include Roberto Alomar, Mo Vaughn, and of course Tom Glavine. Glavine doesn’t get nearly enough blame for completely blowing the last game of 2007 and costing the Mets a playoff spot. But hey, at least he went back to the Braves immediately afterwards, so that’s fine, right? Was he wearing a Braves uniform under his Mets one?

What were we talking about again?

Obviously, I’ve booed my share of Mets. I think it’s usually due to falling short of expectations. I believe, to an extent, this is fair. No one could have attended the last game of 2007 and appreciated the team’s effort. But there’s a time and place to boo. I think it’s more than “I’m a paying customer and can react accordingly.” You wouldn’t go to a restaurant and screaming at the staff if your soup was cold.

God I hope you wouldn’t do that. Please don’t do that.

Sometimes, I think people confuse bad performance with not giving a shit. That’s a big difference. When a player doesn’t run out a ground ball or pop fly, fans can (and I think should) boo. Players shouldn’t presume an out and should try until the play is blown dead. I don’t need stars going into full sprints and pulling hamstrings on a foul ball, but please, give some effort. If the athlete doesn’t care, fans will turn on them in an instant, unless they play like an All Star.

This was why Bobby Bonilla is so vilified by the Mets. Sure, the contract doesn’t help, but it goes beyond that. Bonilla didn’t produce as a Met and worse, seems like he didn’t care. He optimized the athlete who played to cash a check. In 1999, Bonilla played cards with Rickey Henderson in the clubhouse during a playoff game. According to Bonilla, it was to diffuse Henderson’s anger at being pulled from the game. Bonilla made $5.9 million for hitting .160 that year. That cunning New York fan base might have figured out something was amiss there.

So yeah, booing Bonilla? Not only was that fair, they should have added it as an every game segment. Think about it. There’s already a 7th inning stretch. What about the 5th inning Bonilla Boo?

To me, effort trumps performance. I understand booing a struggling player, but if the guy is trying and says the right things, booing a player on your team makes no sense. Do you think that’ll help him get out of his slump? These guys are human. If anything, it’s only going to make them fall deeper into their own head. By booing, fans create a self fulfilling prophesy. I mean, don’t we want players on our team to do better? Are Mets fans just giant masochists?

Don’t answer that.

To his credit, Lindor said the right things during his slump. He mentioned that he felt he was close but hated struggling for as long as he did. Lindor stated he was working on the same things he always did and promised he’d help the team win. He didn’t deflect anything, or blame outside sources. Instead, Lindor took ownership of his struggles and answered every question with a smile. It’s the exact opposite of Bonilla, which is nice.

Somehow, I feel like this backfired. Because Lindor smiles and jokes with the media, some people thought he didn’t take things seriously. I don’t know how many tweets I saw calling him a bust and wishing we never made the trade. I get it, twitter isn’t a hot spot of rational thoughts, but still. This is where I draw the line. At least point, it’s like we want to bring back the worst Mets of the past. Maybe we can sign Armando Benitez?

For whatever reason, I think there’s always hesitation with new players. Perhaps it’s because most of our trade and free agent acquisitions have flopped. Or, maybe it’s because we’ve never seen Lindor produce as a Met. Whatever it is, fans always seem ready to turn on newly acquired players if they don’t hit the ground running. As of last weekend, the crowd seems to be completely on Lindor’s side. All if took was for him to tie a game with a clutch hit, and the Mets to sweep a series against a bad team. If only everything was so easy.

Unlike other acquired, aging stars of the past, Lindor is in his prime and more importantly, I know he gives a shit. You can see him coach all of the players on defense and his genuine reactions. He checked his anger while struggling because he didn’t want it to rub off on the rest of the team. Hell, even his altercation with McNeil shows he cares AND both players contributed in big ways after. Maybe it’s the spark they needed.** ³ But no matter how beloved he becomes, the clock is always ticking. There’s no better example then who the Mets will face on Wednesday – Matt Harvey.

I’ve already written my definitive Harvey post here. If you’re not looking to read a second 3,500 word article, here’s a quick summary.

For a time, Harvey was the biggest star in New York. For a season, Harvey was arguably baseball’s best pitcher, until he had to get Tommy John. Then, in 2015, he headlined a group of young aces who were going to take baseball by storm. Harvey, deGrom and Noah Syndergaard were going to be this era’s version of Generation K. Instead they became… wait, did they just repeat Generation K again?

After 2015, Harvey needed a second surgery and lost his velocity and command. His growing ego no longer matched his ability. Harvey failed to show up for a game (that I attended!) got demoted to the bullpen and ultimately cut before he cashed in a huge contract. It was unfathomable. Harvey was once the Mets’ guy. He was going to be our generation’s Dwight Gooden. Instead, he had half the longevity of Doc, and Gooden’s prime was short.

Toward the tail end of Harvey’s Met’s career, the thunderous cheer were replaced with endless boos. People couldn’t stand the attitude, nor the pitching. Honestly, I think some of it came from the fans being let down. They were hurt. Not all the blame falls on Harvey; no pitcher could bounce back from the surgeries he had. But of course, his attitude was shitty. I completely understand why the fans booed at the time. But what should they do on Wednesday?

Bloggin Hood’s Ruling – Booing Your Own Players

When it comes to our own players, I believe Mets fans should only boo from lack of effort or a significantly bad performance. I don’t think booing a player every night helps things. Sure, you paid good money for that ticket, but you also want the team to win long term, right? So if Lindor goes 0-5 with 4 strikeouts, sure, the fans can let him have it. But if he lines outs twice? That’s a good sign. Maybe give him a pass?

I don’t really understand people who boo players because of their asking price or contracts. I mean, are Mets fans paying Lindor’s salary?**** ⁴ God I hope not as I can barely pay rent. I believe there’s jealousy in some of the boos. Fans believe if a player earns $30+ million a year, they should always come through.

Look, I get it, but there’s a reason players get paid absurd salaries – the fans. Sports are a multibillion dollar industry. People buy tickets to see stars. Players like deGrom and Lindor draw fans to the game. These players drive ticket sales, content clicks and move merchandise. Patrick Mazeika has two game winning RBIs in the past week. No respect to Mazeika, but people aren’t tuning it to watch a game winning fielder’s choice. Stars drive the sport.

Booing a player over his salary is stupid. If you could earn more money at your current position, wouldn’t you? Plus, you don’t have to answer to the media and hear a choir of boos when you screw up at your job. Unless you have to dig into your pocket and fork over the $341 million for Lindor, that’s irrelevant.

It’s the same thing with Conforto. Shouldn’t he try to earn as much money as possible? I do understand why fans let him have it at the start of the year. Your agent can’t demand $200 million while you hit .050 for two weeks. Trust me, I tried to find excuses for the struggles, and I had none. He looks back on track though, so there’s no point in booing anymore. I mean, this is a guy we want long term, right?

RIGHT?!

So if you’re booing is a result of significant bad performances or players actively dogging it on the field, I’m ok with it. But it can’t be an every night thing. Players go through slumps and have to figure it out. In Lindor’s case, he was still contributing, even if the at bats were tough to watch. Call me crazy, but usually we should root for our own players. What a concept. And if you’re going to boo, own it. Don’t turn around and act like you always supported the player. If Familia ends up being a key piece to win a title, I have to wear the L.

Which in theory becomes a W because the Mets would be doing well… Hmm. Did I create a rare win-win scenario for myself? Good for me.

Bloggin Hood’s Ruling – Booing Matt Harvey

The Harvey situation is much more difficult. Here’s a guy who was the face of the franchise for two seasons and then disappeared. He’s more or less faded out of any team content, though that’s more on his attitude than anything else. The end of Harvey’s Met career was ugly. The natural indication would be to boo right?

Well, I hope the Mets fans cheer. Sure, the ending was ugly, but when Harvey was at his best, it was an event. People were enthralled with him, and when healthy, he backed up his bravado. Some people would rather burn out than rust. If there’s a book of clichés, Harvey’s picture should be next to that one.

It’s time for a bad analogy. I feel like it’s been a while, so this is exciting.

Matt Harvey is like an ex girlfriend. At the beginning, things were magical. But then, as the relationship went on, Harvey’s many flaws were revealed. The relationship became toxic and it was best to go our separate ways. Now, in a much more stable relationship with Jacob deGrom, we can view Harvey in a different light. He should want him to do better. Plus, it doesn’t hurt than he’s currently with a much shittier partner (sorry Baltimore).

When Harvey takes the mound on Wednesday, I hope he gets a quick video tribute. I mean, he started an All Star game at Citi Field. He was a really big deal. The fans should give him a standing ovation. Let the fans know despite the rocky ending, we’re still rooting for him.

And then I hope the Mets tattoo every single pitch he throws. I hope Lindor goes deep off of him twice. I hope Conforto hits a ball back to Baltimore. Sentiment in nice, but Harvey’s redemption tour can start on Thursday. I know Mets fan will appreciate him giving up eight runs in a third of an inning. You want to guaranteed you get applause Matt? Groove some fastballs to your old ballclub and get our hitting on tract. I promise nobody from FLushing will boo that.

Remember, in sports, wins are all that matter. Let’s keep that in mind before we start booing our own guys.

1. I don’t think New York fans are dumb or anything like that. I just think they’re as intelligent as everyone else. Being more vocal doesn’t make you smarter than other fanbases it just makes you loud.
3. **The Mets likely dodged a bullet. Last night McNeil came up limping after a hit, but fortunately it’s only cramps. Please drink some water Jeff. [/efn_note}

   Still, I wouldn’t be surprise if the fans waiver this week or the short stop has an 0-4 day. I mean, look at Edwin Diaz. After a miserable 2019, Diaz has been an elite reliever. He’s throwing harder than at any point in his career, and outside of his bad outing at Philly, has been phenomenal. Yet all it took was that bad Philly outing for everyone to question if he could close. There’s no question he’ll be booed the next time he blows a save, despite every metric showing he’s elite. It’s a no win scenario.

   I expect Lindor to win over the fans in short order. He’s too talented, and honestly, too likable to join a list of players like Bay, Bonilla and Alomar*** ² ***And if the recent allegations against Alomar are true, screw that guy. If true, that guy should get booed when he goes to get his mail.

4. ****I guess technically one is, but you know what I mean.