It’s truly the end of an era. I, for one, wasn’t even 17 years old yet when Jose Reyes made his Mets’ debut in 2003. It’s hard to imagine a world without he and David Wright on the field, but in a lengthy post to Twitter and Instagram, the most dynamic Mets’ player in history called it quits after sitting out the 2019 season.
Here’s a look:
Reyes had the rare ability of commanding everyone’s attention every time he was up. You knew that if he hit the ball down the line or up the gap, there was only one thought on his mind…triple. He amassed 113 of his 131 triples as a Met, and his smile was always on his face. Those triples weren’t his only impressive stat.
In his career, Reyes batted .283 with 517 stolen bases, 387 doubles, 1,180 runs scored and 2,138 hits. He wasn’t a flawless player, but, as Gary Cohen said on Wednesday night, he was probably a top 10 player in Mets’ history.
Here’s a statement from ownership:
“José Reyes was without a doubt one of the most exciting players to ever wear a Mets uniform,” said Mets COO Jeff Wilpon on behalf of ownership. “There wasn’t a better sight for our fans than José pulling into third with a stand up triple. He came to us as a teenager and on the day of his retirement, we’re certain Mets fans along with his entire Mets family wish him nothing but the best.”
