Mets’ owner Steve Cohen: Player ‘hit the third rail’ with thumbs-down at fans, ‘it is unacceptable’

By now, the baseball world saw the latest controversy surrounding the New York Mets. Fans have been booing players for quite some time now, especially as of late since they are 8-19 in the month of August.

Players, understandably, are frustrated by everything related to the 2021 season: their own performance, and the way fans have been reacting to it. However, some of the team’s stars such as Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez made thumbs down gestures that were, as they revealed after the game, directed to fans.

Basically, Baez said that since fans booed them when they weren’t producing, they were going to “boo” (using the thumbs down sign) the fans when they produced.

Mets’ owner Steve Cohen went to Twitter last night, after the incident took place, to weigh in on the subject. He playfully wrote: “I miss the days when the biggest controversy was the black jerseys.”

The Mets’ owner hopes the players can ‘learn from this’

He did talk about the issue with Joel Sherman of the New York Post. “These are young guys and sometimes we forget they are on a public stage and can make mistakes,” Cohen told The Post by phone. “They hit the third rail, though, by messing with fans. And it is unacceptable. Hopefully, this is a teaching moment and they will learn from this.”

Mets’ president Sandy Alderson also issued a statement after the whole controversy took place on Sunday, condemning the players’ decision to ‘criticize’ fans.

“The Mets will not tolerate any player gesture that is unprofessional in its meaning or is directed in a negative way toward our fans,” Alderson said. “I will be meeting with our players and staff to convey this message directly.”

The Mets held the first place in the NL East for months, but since Jacob deGrom and Lindor hit the injured list in July, they have been playing poorly. They are now third in the division.