The Mets’ Wednesday giveaway at Citi Field got a last-minute makeover, and the replacement comes with a little extra flair.
Instead of the Freddy Peralta jersey that was originally on the schedule, the first 15,000 fans in attendance will get a Carson Benge/A.J. Ewing T-shirt. The design shows the two rookie outfielders pointing at each other in the familiar Spider-Man meme pose.
The switch makes sense on paper and in the moment. The club had announced the Peralta jersey giveaway earlier in the season, but that plan turned awkward after the right-hander was traded to Tampa Bay on Aug.
- The Mets quietly took the promotion off the calendar, then announced the new shirt on Monday.
That same night, Benge and Ewing gave fans another reason to like the choice. In the Mets’ 2-1 win over the Padres, the two combined to throw out three baserunners at home plate in the first two innings.
“Once we knew we needed a new giveaway for Aug. 19, our in-house creative team worked to develop something we felt would resonate with our fans,” said Mets vice president of ballpark experience James Benesh. “Given the excitement around Carson and A.J. and how quickly our fans have embraced them, they felt like a natural fit. Our team came up with a great concept, and we were able to move quickly to bring it to life and create something we think our fans will be excited to take home.”
For at least one Mets fan, the choice is easy.
“100%,” said Mets fan James Ladalia of Massapequa Park. “I mean, they’re the future of the team.
They’re blossoming superstars, in my opinion. Definitely Benge.
He’s amazing in rightfield. So I would definitely rather have a T-shirt with them than Freddy Peralta.”
The Peralta jerseys aren’t disappearing completely. A team spokesman told Newsday that the No. 51 jerseys were sent to the club’s academy in the Dominican Republic, where they’ll be handed out during clinics and other events.
Peralta, who is from the Dominican Republic, had already been honored by the Mets once this year with a bobblehead giveaway on July 25. Both promotional dates reflected how the team viewed him as an important piece of a contender.
Instead, his season has gone in a different direction. He finished 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts for the Mets and has struggled again since the trade, going 0-1 with a 7.53 ERA in three starts for the Rays.
The Mets have seen this kind of awkward promotional pivot before. In August 2013, they traded outfielder Marlon Byrd on the same day they were set to give away a T-shirt with his name on it.
That time, the Mets still handed out the Byrd “Let It Fly” shirt, along with other leftover giveaway items, and even added two tickets to a September game, according to ESPN.com.
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