Embattled shortstop Jose Reyes signed with the Mets and played a pair of games as a Cyclone — at third base — as he works his way back to the majors, but don’t expect the Reyes from 2006. There won’t be 60 stolen bases and a league-leading amount of triples. Just ask Reyes.
“Let’s not get too crazy,” Reyes said on Sunday. “That happened a long time ago. I’m 33 now.”
Reyes can bring some speed to a slow Mets team. Reyes’ pal, the out-for-the-season David Wright whom he will replace, has only played 37 games this season and leads the Mets with three stolen bases. Reyes can bring a spark to a team which has recently made the last place Braves look like the 1995 World Series champs.
Of course, the elephant in the room regarding the reunion is the domestic violence charge that made this possible. Reyes was arrested in Hawaii last October for assaulting his wife. Although charges were dropped, Major League Baseball suspended him for 52 games under its new domestic violence policy. The Rockies released him last week and once he cleared waivers, the Mets snatched him up — and only have to pay him the Major League’s minimum salary of just over $500,000.
The Brooklyn crowd that showed up on Sunday and Monday could serve as a barometer for when Reyes gets back to Citi Field, and its reaction was mostly positive. The Cyclones sold 2,500 tickets in just a few hours after announcing Reyes would play at MCU Park and the fans cheered for him whenever his name was announced. Not that his good reputation gives him a pass for what happened in Hawaii, but fans weren’t put in a spot of rooting for a career criminal which made it easier to cheer him on.
“I was a little bit nervous there,” Reyes said. “A little emotional. I didn’t know what to expect, but it seemed like the people still love me. I know some people out there, a lot of people, are going to be hard on me and I respect that. I understand I put myself in that situation.”
Cyclones skipper Tom Gamboa was happy to have Reyes around.
“It was great for the players,” Gamboa said. “I’m glad he’s here for a couple of days. He’s got such a great personality. He’s not standoffish at all, which is great because it allows the young players to approach him and pick his brain.”
Former Mets All-Star and current Cyclone coach Edgardo Alfonzo has been helping Reyes out a lot.
“There’s enough pressure on Jose coming back to New York,” Gamboa said. “We’ve all stayed away from putting any undue pressure on him, and strictly Fonzie’s been the one working with him. Fonzie’s been hitting him his ground balls, throwing to his BP group. Fonzie’s going to go with him tomorrow to Double-A, so Fonzie’s going to leave us for a couple of days.”
It won’t be an easy climb back up to the big-leagues for Reyes. He went hitless in five at-bats with a walk in his two games in Brooklyn. He also dropped a pop-up while battling the wind which led to a two-base error.
“I should catch that one,” Reyes said. “But it’s tough here with the wind, real tough, but it’s no excuse. I have to catch that one. I’m not allowed to drop any lazy fly ball.”
