In an attempt to squash a growing rift between Mets players and the team’s fans, the infielders Javier Baez and Francisco Lindor apologized Tuesday for their recent thumbs-down gestures, which caused outrage among fans and within the organization.
The gesture, Baez admitted Sunday, was directed at fans in retaliation for booing the team in recent weeks.
After Baez revealed the inside nature of the signal, which was usually made on the basepaths toward the team’s dugout after the player got a big hit, Sandy Alderson, the team president, condemned the players in a statement, calling it “totally unacceptable.