Friday night will be remembered for long by the New York Mets, not just for the 2-6 loss against the Yankees but for something else as well. With their superstar, Juan Soto, making an entry into the Bronx for the first time ever since he signed with the Mets, he didn’t receive the warm reception that he anticipated. Instead, he was met with resounding boos from the fans all over the stadium. Relating to the incident, a former Mets star recalled how he had been in a similar situation as well many years back.
“It’s hard to block out the boos. It’s hard to block out all that,” Carlos Beltran said, empathizing about Soto being booed by the fans, mainly for leaving the Yankees. Beltran remembered how on July 28, 2005, he was also booed by the Astros fans because he signed with the Mets as a free agent, leaving the Houston Astros.
Beltran stated that no one wants to face the wrath of the fans. “But this was expected. This is a guy that last year did an incredible job for the Yankees. He was an asset for the organization. As a free agent, he signed with the Mets. I feel he was even expecting it himself.”
Well, Beltran has got a point, though.
It is true that Juan Soto did wonders for the Yankees. In his only season with the Yankees, Soto managed to reach the 2024 World Series and also finished third in the AL MVP ranks. And that’s probably why the Yankees still couldn’t forget the betrayal after Soto signed with the Mets for a massive fifteen-year, $765 million contract, despite the Yankees offering a $760 million contract.
But despite the booing, Juan Soto handled the situation calmly and tipped his cap in front of the fans. Responding to such a stance, Beltran said, “That was great. It is part of baseball and you’ve got to deal with it.” “He had good at-bats. That can be hard if you let it bother you,” Beltran further said, hoping that Soto remains calm and maintains a positive attitude, rather than getting frustrated by the booing fans. However, he believed that nothing was personal and that the fans’ somewhat hostile expressions were a normal part of the game, even though they were still well-behaved.
A similar fate befell Carlos Beltran, who spent less than a year with the Astros before coming under heavy fire from the fans. He was always hopeful, though, because he thought that a player’s performance shouldn’t be impacted by background noise.
Recalling the 2005 Incident by the Mets Executive Amid Juan Soto’s Booing
Long back in 2004, Carlos Beltran used to be one of the most decorated players in the Houston Astros’ lineup. Right after he was signed by the Astros from Kansas City, he managed to post 23 home runs and score 53 runs in the middle of the season, which eventually led the Astros to the playoffs. Everything was going on perfectly, as he was one of those players who homered in five consecutive games during the playoffs.
However, the happy times didn’t last long, as he left the Astros for the New York Mets, who offered him a seven-year, $119 million contract. Turning down one of the biggest contracts the Astros offered ($105 million) just before the deadline turned him into a traitor in Astros fans’ eyes. But that’s not the end of his woes.
Upon his return to Houston at Minute Maid Park, he was welcomed with a chorus of boos and he expected that as well. He didn’t get the rough treatment, though, because going into the game, his batting average of .293 didn’t seem bad at all. While we cannot judge whether he made a good decision or not, Beltran’s performance took a hit as he had minor success with the Mets after missing out on two seasons battling with injuries.
The post Juan Soto Finds Sympathy From Mets Exec Over Shared Experience Amid Hostile Subway Series: “It’s Hard to Block” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
