"I am sorry your heroes have zero class"- Ex-MLB star Jeff Frye takes a dig at Mets' Jesse Winker’s walk-off celebration, calls it a 'clown show'
New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker's walk-off home run celebration against the Baltimore Orioles drew criticism from former MLB infielder Jeff Frye. According to Winker, the celebration was over the top while trodding the bases following a hit.
Francisco Lindor and Mark Viento had two solo home runs while J.D. Martinez drove in a run for the Mets at Citi Field on Wednesday. This was canceled out by Austin Slater's two-run home run and Adley Rutschmann's sacrifice fly as the game remained tied at 3-3 heading into the ninth.
The Mets then handed O's closer Sernathony Dominguez his second loss in three games after they prevailed in the final innings. Jesse Winker came in to pinch-hit for Harrison Bader to lead off the ninth. On a full count, he struck a 98 mph fastball to center field for a walk-off home run to win the game.
Before he completed rounding the bases, Winker had an ecstatic celebration. In between home plate and first base, the recently acquired OF from the Washington Nationals punched his fists in front of the dugout and threw his helmet onto the pitch in jubilation.
This drew the ire of ex-Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox second baseman, Jeff Frye who took to social media to respond to the celebration.
"Kids this is not how you act when you hit a walk off HR. This is a [clown emoji] show that unfortunately MLB players who should know better seem to be doing on a regular basis. 'I'm sorry your heroes have zero class," Frye wrote in a tweet on X/Twitter.
Jesse Winker's handy contributions to Mets' depth
The Mets' strategy during the MLB trade deadline was to rebuild the roster's depth as they found themselves back in contention for a playoff spot. Winker's trade thus has been of immense value. He has 15 hits in 52 at-bats batting at .288 earning five RBIs so far. His walk-off blast against the O's was his first home run for the Mets and his 11th overall for the season.
The Mets (66-61) will need to continue the momentum after their series victory against Baltimore. They are currently 1.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves (67-59) in the NL East standings, who also hold the third spot in the NL Wild Card race.