NEW YORK (WCBS 880) -- New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader has elicited a lot of cheers from fans this week: First, on Monday, he hit a two-run double to left field in the eighth inning to help the Mets beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3; then, on Wednesday, he hit his first home run as a Mets player (the Mets beat the Pirates 9-1).
But many fans -- and dare we say, Yankees fans -- sang the Bronxville-born player's praises, after he was spotted on Monday with a white Star of David on his belt. Bader, 29, has said he identifies as Jewish: his dad is Jewish and his mom is Catholic, of Sicilian background. Both his parents hail from Bensonhurst.
Bader -- who has played with the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and the Yankees -- had been chosen to play for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic last year before he was sidelined with an injury. In January he agreed to a one-year $10.5 million with the Mets.
Some non-Mets fans took to X to express their support -- albeit grudgingly -- of the Mets player.
"As a @Yankees fan, we are raised to hate everything about the @Mets … but man Harrison Bader just undid all that for me!" wrote Michael Sachs, an X user in Vancouver, Canada.
Dov Lipman, a Washington, D.C.-born former member of Israeli's Knesset, wrote, "Thank you Harrison! And, I guess I have no choice…Let’s go Mets!
Bader previously wore a "Bring Them Home" dog tag during spring training in Florida (video above).