Written by Seth Berkman at New York Times
On Sept. 28, 2011, the final game of the regular season, Jose Reyes led off the bottom of the first for the Mets by bunting toward the left side of the infield and sprinting safely to first base for his 181st hit of the year. Just as quickly, Reyes exited the game to protect his first, and only, batting title.
It was hardly the most courageous way to beat out every other batter in the National League, and it left many baseball people unsure of what to make of it.
On Tuesday, Reyes was back at Citi Field as a Met for the first time since that day, hitting leadoff and playing third base, not far from where the last ball he hit as a Met stopped on the infield grass. After serving a 51-game suspension in connection with a domestic abuse case, Reyes was manning a position he had never played before in the major leagues and looking to provide a jolt for a club that had just won five straight games and maybe did not need one.
Reyes’s second act with the Mets began much like the first one ended, with an air of uncertainty on how it should be assessed.
For one night, with his old uniform number back, thanks to Travis d’Arnaud, who graciously switched from No. 7 to No. 18, Reyes was cheered heartily by fans, many of whom stood and recited the popular “Jo-se, Jo-se” chant. Reyes, however, had a quiet night. He led off by striking out on three pitches and went 0 for 4. He seemed overanxious, leaving his feet a few times while swinging and did not hit a ball out of the infield. He did not field a ball on defense.
Giancarlo Stanton had more success, blasting two home runs and driving in all five Miami Marlins runs, sending the Mets to a 5-2 loss that Steven Matz began with six shutout innings.
Poignantly, Reyes’s spot on the Mets’ 40-man roster was made possible by the decision to put David Wright, Reyes’s longtime Mets teammate and the player he is replacing at third base, on the 60-day disabled list.
Aside from a solid glove, the Mets hope Reyes has not slowed much at age 33, giving them at least an occasional threat at the top of the order, something they have lacked since his departure.
“I try to stay away from expectations, because all they can do is break your heart,” Manager Terry Collins said when asked about Reyes, who was released by the Colorado Rockies after his suspension ended and then signed by the Mets on June 25.
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