Michael Conforto had five at-bats Thursday night, each one getting closer to the possibility of it being his last as a Met at Citi Field. He had two RBI singles and a double, hearing cheers after each one, but had kept his emotions in check despite battling them all night.
Then Joe Panik hit a sinking line drive to right field in the ninth inning of a blowout. Conforto came charging in, reached down to make a shoestring catch and tumbled forward.
And the crowd of 24,312 rose to its feet in appreciation — first with more cheers, then a sustained ovation as the reality of the situation set in. On the verge of tears, Conforto waved to the crowd, tipped his cap, then tapped his heart.
“Maybe I was supposed to have my moment,” Conforto said later after the Mets’ 12-3 win over the Marlins.
The franchise’s 2014 first-round pick, who quickly joined the Mets a year later for their run to the World Series, now faces an uncertain future in Flushing as an impending free agent. Even after a three-hit night Thursday, he was batting only .228 with a .718 OPS in a disappointing season for both him and the Mets. It’s possible he could take the qualifying offer, assuming the Mets offer him one, though that decision won’t come until after the World Series.
But on Thursday, Conforto spent the night soaking in the scene, which became even more surreal after his highlight-reel catch in the ninth inning.
“It all hit me towards the end of the game,” Conforto said. “Making that play and hearing the reaction from the fans, just a lot going on from when I’m standing out there, fans cheering my name and telling me, ‘Don’t go.’ It really was a special night for me. It’s tough to put into words. But the emotions were definitely there. I tried to fight it as best I could. But when you got a crowd like that supporting you, it’s a great feeling.”
After finishing off the win, Conforto got a line of hugs from his teammates and coaches before he got to the dugout. Then the celebration carried over into the clubhouse, when James McCann “said some nice things,” Conforto said, and more hugs were shared.
“The reaction in the clubhouse,” said Conforto, pausing to fight back tears, “those things are special to me. It was definitely something I’ll never forget. “My message to them was it’s been a tough year. It’s been a grind for all of us. But to have the guys in there like I do made it a whole lot easier.”
Conforto wasn’t the only one emotional.
“Michael deserves that kind of treatment,” manager Luis Rojas said. “He’s a special person; he’s a special player. He’s a guy that bleeds blue and orange.”
“We all want him back, and we all want him to be the best he can be,” said Francisco Lindor, who crushed a grand slam to break the game open in the eighth.
The Mets (76-83) closed out their home schedule with a record of 47-34 and will finish the season on the road with three games in Atlanta this weekend.
Whether they will be the final games of Conforto’s Mets career, it is hardly the ending to the season that the 28-year-old had hoped for. He and the Mets had high expectations coming into the year, only to fall short with a second-half collapse, making Thursday’s game mostly meaningless.
But at least for a passionate fan base, there was one more chance to salute Conforto before he heads into unknown territory.
“Maybe it’s just love. And it’s mutual,” Conforto said of the fan reaction. “I’ve loved every second of being out there on the field. … All I can say is thank you to the people who were there tonight, the people who have supported me the whole time I’ve been here. I’m just thankful.”