It was Wednesday night, and the Cleveland Guardians’ “Big Rig” was all set to make history. The aim was to break Cleveland’s 44-year no-hitter drought since Len Barker’s perfect 1981 game, and as Gavin Williams took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Mets, Juan Soto broke through with a solo home run. The Guardians pitcher may have been removed from the game after pitching 8⅔ innings and throwing 126 pitches, but as he walked off, Metsies at Citi Field stood up from the stands and gave him a standing ovation.
Yes, it’s true. The 26-year-old phenom became a threat to the Mets’ lineup until Juan Soto broke the no-hit bid. Against the Mets, he used his treasured high-90s fastball and a sharp curveball to keep the Mets hitless through eight innings.
He surrendered the hit but still stayed to issue a walk and collect another out before being pulled at 8 2/3 innings. That time, a wave of applause rose from Citi Field. Some would see it as remarkable sportsmanship. But for WFAN’s Evan Roberts, the Mets fanbase was “losers” to do so.
Credits: MLB.com
During Thursday’s episode of Evan & Tiki, Roberts didn’t hold back from expressing his frustration.
Tiki Barber argued that it was perfectly acceptable for Mets fans to recognize and applaud Williams’ outstanding performance, Roberts to label those fans as he did. “This is nothing personal to Gavin Williams or anybody else. But if you’re in that building and you’re a Met fan, you’re appreciating his greatness?! Since when do we do that?! Since when do we say, “Oh, you know, that Derek Jeter! He kicked the Mets’ ass! Let’s give him a standing ovation!’ What kind of losers are we that we’re cheering the opponent?!”
At the game, Roberts was right there, sitting in section 122 at field level, last row. “It’s my go-to when I don’t have my tickets.” He described his experience and shared that as he was seated at the last, he could see people rising as Williams walked off the game. He then turned to his wife to complain about the people, and guess what? She was cheering too.
“Of course, because she appreciates it,” said Barber, taking her side. To which Roberts added, “You can appreciate it without cheering an opponent in your building!” And, well, the Mets eventually lost 4-1 to the Guardians.
As a Mets fan, it triggered Roberts mainly because the Mets had lost 8 out of their last 9 games. And the gesture of Mets fans didn’t sit well with him, either. But wait — the aftermath of the Guardians-Mets game has more to it!
Juan Soto was targeted after the Mets-Guardians game.
Juan Soto broke the no-hitter bid in the ninth inning, but what triggered the analysts and fans more than that was his gestures after the hit. In the aftermath of Wednesday’s game, WFAB’s Boomer Esiason questioned Soto’s attitude.
Esiason said that when Soto hit the ball, he might have been thrown out at first base if it didn’t go out of the building because he was loping out of the box.
Esiason criticized Soto for smiling afterwards. “He’s got a nice smile on his face, you know, like he’s laughing. I’m sick of it.” He then named two of the Mets ‘ all-time legends—Gary Carter and Ray Knight, who wouldn’t have done it. According to him, the Mets roster right now is overpaid and underwhelming. He believes there is no such player who deserves Soto’s salary.
Esiason added that any highly paid player, be it Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge, has to lead the team, and that’s what Soto should do. Well, Esiason appeared frustrated throughout. Further, he emphasized that players like Soto need to set an example. He called out for his massive $765 million contract and said, “I’m not following that guy.”
Considering Soto’s contract, the expectations have always been relentless towards him. In the recent span of time, Soto has been criticized a lot. Even Michael Kay called him out for not attending the All-Star game last month. What do you think?
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