If Thursday night’s game was indeed Michael Conforto’s final home game in a Mets uniform, he went out on quite the high note.
Conforto, who will become a free agent at the end of the season, went 3-for-5 at the plate and made a great diving catch in the ninth inning of the Mets’ 12-3 win over the Miami Marlins.
Afterwards, Conforto did his best to try to put his emotions into words.
“There were a lot of emotions taking the field and in some of my preparation and throughout the game, but it all hit me kind towards the end of the game and making that play and hearing the reaction from the fans,” Conforto said. “Just a lot going on from when I’m standing out there, fans cheering my name and telling me don’t go and stuff like that. 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’ve got a crowd like that supporting you, it’s a good feeling, it’s a great feeling.
“I don’t know if I can point out an emotion, probably something I’ve never felt before. And then again with my teammates, I didn’t anticipate getting hugs from everybody. I didn’t anticipate Tony (Tarasco) holding my hands up, and then the reaction in the clubhouse. Those things are special to me. It was definitely something I’ll never forget.”
After the game ended, the team had more to say to Conforto in the clubhouse. While he didn’t get into specifics, Conforto said the talk in the locker room was “from the heart.”
“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,” he said. “We’re a very close group. We spend more time together than we do with our families. For them to react the way that they did was awesome, and again, something I won’t forget.”
“Conforto, he’s one of the best teammates I’ve had in my career,” Francisco Lindor said. “I’ve had a lot of good ones, but the things that he’s gone through this year, especially being a free agent and the way he has managed himself day in and day out, he’s a true professional. And to see him today get a couple knocks with two outs, it’s huge. Hopefully he can continue this for the next three games and he can rack up some good numbers and end on a positive note. We all want him back and we all want him to be the best he can be on a daily basis.”
Conforto’s 2021 season has been a disappointment, as he goes into the final series of the season against Atlanta slashing .228/.342/.376 with 13 homers and 53 RBI. But the 28-year-old is a homegrown Met through and through. Drafted by the club in the first round of the 2014 draft, Conforto made his major league debut in 2015 and helped the Mets reach the World Series that season.
And while he may not have never become the superstar some thought he would, he’s been a valuable piece of the team’s core for the last seven seasons -- and whatever happens, New York will always be a huge part of his life.
“I stayed in Manhattan for five years,” he explained. “I moved out to Long Island this year, and just learning more about the city and the surrounding area. I started dating my fiancée here, so there’s a whole lot that goes into it that you kind of look back on. And not to mention the hundreds of teammates, staff members, security personnel, stadium workers, people that I’ve made relationships with.
"We’ll see what happens in the future, but I definitely loved every second that I was blessed to play here in New York.”