Dee Gordon Thanks Mets For Being 'First Class' Through Fernandez Tribute
Last night was the first night that the Miami Marlins took to the field since losing one of the biggest and brightest personalities and players on their team -- and in all of baseball for that matter -- in 24-year-old Jose Fernandez.
And it was obvious from the second that the Marlins emerged from their dugout for a riveting and sobering pregame ceremony honoring Fernandez, with all of them donning No. 16 Fernandez jerseys, that this night wouldn't be about baseball at all.
This night was destined to be about beginning the healing process and coming together to honor a fallen friend and colleague for everyone.
That included the Mets, who as you well know are in the middle of an intense Wild Card race where every game matters. That is, every game except this one.
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The Mets, as you would expect, put their humanity first and their postseason ambitions second and the compassion they put forth didn't go unnoticed in the slightest.
Dee Gordon, who set the tone for an emotional night with a towering home run in the game's first at bat, followed by a lap around the bases that ended with him crying into his teammates' arms, acknowledged the Mets' respect for the Marlins on what was an unfathomably difficult night for the team.
"First of all, I wanna say, 'thank you,' to the Mets. They were first class for coming in and showing their gratitude to us and being there for us in a time of need," Gordon said after the game.
As SNY's Mets play-by-play man Gary Cohen said, "I don't care who you are, who you root for or how badly you want the Mets to be in the postseason, that was phenomenal,"
It was even phenomenal for the Mets' starting pitcher that night, Bartolo Colon, who took the loss and allowed seven runs in 2⅓ innings.
"I feel like it was great for them that they were able to win," Colon said through an interpreter. "You know what, though? I would have really enjoyed it if it was (Jose) who got the win over me."
First class all the way.
Bryan Altman is, for some reason, an unabashed fan of the Rangers, Jets and Mets. If he absolutely had to pick a basketball team it would be the Knicks, but he'd gladly trade them for a championship for any of his other three teams.
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