Saturday’s matchup between the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs featured a strange moment where a Mets fan threw a home run ball hit by a Mets player back onto the field. And this didn’t sit too well with Mets broadcasters Steve Gelbs and Ron Darling on the SNY broadcast of the game.
Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez took Cubs starter Jameson Taillon deep in the top of the fifth inning for a solo home run that would be the lone run of the game for New York.
The ball was caught by a fan in a black Mets hat. So one would assume that any Mets fan would love to hold onto a home run ball hit by one of the team’s up-and-coming players like Francisco Alvarez.
Instead, it seems like many of the Cubs fans sitting around the fan convinced the fan that it would be a better idea to throw the ball back onto the field, which he proceeded to do.
Gelbs and Darling immediately ripped the fan upon throwing the ball back on the SNY broadcast.
“Wow, they made him… That is too much peer pressure. Grow a spine, man,” said Steve Gelbs.
“Obviously not a leader,” said Darling.
Steve Gelbs and Ron Darling giving this Mets fan the business for throwing back a home run hit by a…Mets player?
"Grow a spine, man."
"Obviously not a leader."pic.twitter.com/SKKdHkB0LC
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 22, 2024
Typically, fans throwing a ball back onto the field only happens when it is hit by the opposing team. So it’s pretty understandable to hear why Gelbs and Darling were so animated over this incident.
This home run from Alvarez, which was somewhat overshadowed by this seemingly fair-weather Mets fan, was largely the only highlight coming from the Mets on Saturday afternoon. They would go on to lose the game 8-1.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.