Mets have embraced a season of mascots, songs and a pumpkin

Mets fans don’t need to be reminded of the strange chapters to this story - the mascots, the song, the pumpkin, the eyeblack.

They have, at one point or another, all acted as talismans for an improbable season that was still alive Wednesday as the Mets defeated Phillies, 4-1 to punch their ticket to the NLCS - the first time they’ve clinched at home since Citi Field opened.

The players know there’s a certain silliness to it, and if you’re on social media long enough, you’ll see some of the angrier members of the Phillies fandom painting this franchise as unserious. Who’s Grimace to Bryce Harper? What’s “OMG” to the sounds of Nick Castellanos getting booed by his own fans before his game-winning hit in Game 2?

But there’s no self-consciousness there, at least as far as Pete Alonso is concerned.

The little quirks are part of the story, and, as it turns out, the strange chapters were crafting an unorthodox love letter to fans, to the sport, and to the other guys in the clubhouse. The Flushing faithful, meanwhile, have loudly bought in, sending their love right back in a way that the players have consistently said is palpable. They show it in ways that weren’t around in 1986 - elaborate TikToks, memeable gifs - and in ways that certainly were: packing out Citi Field these last few weeks with the unrivaled joy of people who expected very little and got very, very much.

"For everybody, the reason why we have all this stuff - whether it be Grimace, the pumpkin, [it's] not just us in the clubhouse, the fans have embraced it," Alonso said. “There’s no shortage of guys who, yeah, work hard, play hard, stay focused. But, also what's the point if you're not having fun?..That's a part of the culture here. We're not afraid to embrace the fun part of the game. It's not just business. The game is a lot more than just trying to win or lose."

It’s not often you hear a lot about fun in the playoffs. It’s less often that you hear a player in a contract year - one represented by superagent Scott Boras, no less - say that baseball isn’t all business. But it’s an ethos reflected by guys like Jose Iglesias, who could be distracted by being a being a Latin pop star, but instead has hustled out infield hit after infield hit - including the two-out, two-RBI hit that sparked a Game 1 Wild Card rally that has so far been typical of the Mets’ unpredictable brand of baseball.

“He was out of baseball” for a year, Mendoza said of Iglesias, who didn’t make the Opening Day roster after 11 seasons as a journeyman. “It was a different way for him to put everything in perspective…Every day at the big league level is a special day. Every time you get an opportunity to put on a big league uniform is a privilege. He's brought that to the table here, like don't take anything for granted.”

That goes down the line for the team. Mark Vientos was stuck in Triple-A at the beginning of the season. Luis Severino and Sean Manaea were reclamation projects. Mendoza himself spent years in player development and as a bench coach before finally landing the managerial spot he’s always wanted. Even Alonso noted that this was the furthest he’s ever gotten in the playoffs.

“This is the most fun I’ve ever had in my life,” Alonso said (he used the word “fun” 13 times in a 14-minute news conference).

Does any of this stuff actually help them play better?

"When you have that connection between the guys in the clubhouse and people watching, it's electric," he said. "The vibes have been incredible, not just internally but externally at the games...It's phenomenal to play for, and we need to have that energy up."

Mendoza, too, was asked about all the quirky subplots. And though he took on the air of the adult in the room - “we’ve got to keep the main thing the main thing,” he said - he, too, said it was fun to be a part of.

It was also different, even as a guy who went to the playoffs five times when he was Yankees bench coach from 2018 to 2023. He appeared to stop himself from choking up when asked about how it felt to do this as a manager.

“It’s a privilege that I get an opportunity to manage a team in a playoff game and manage the New York Mets, manage the quality people we have in here,” he said. “I'm going to go back to what I was saying about Iglesias. It's a privilege that you get to put on a big-league uniform, as a manager in my case, and no better way to do it than for the New York Mets.”

He’s also taken by the whimsical love affair he’s witnessed, especially since the Mets returned from their long sojourn to play their first home playoff game Tuesday.

“When you watch this building the way it was, not only last night, but for the past month or so, it comes from their heart, you know?” Mendoza said. “It feels like it's a family, not only inside the building but outside.”

It’s the strangest kind of family. It has a Grimace, a sunglasses-wearing dog, an elderly war veteran, a guy who dresses in green fur, a…

You know what? Never mind. Let Mendoza summarize it.

“We’ve got," he said, "a lot going on."

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.