It’s amazing how dramatically things can change in a short amount of time. Earlier this week, New York Mets infielder Wilmer Flores was crying on the field after learning he had been traded. But due to a failed Carlos Gomez physical, the trade did not go through. Two days later, Flores is no longer trade bait. He is a hero.
Wilmer Flores went from crying on the field to being a superhero for the Mets
Today redemption is spelled W-I-L(mer).
The path to redemption started early during New York’s game against the Washington Nationals. Flores made a spectacular diving catch in the first inning.
Give credit to Mets fans here: they realized the difficult experience Flores went through the other night and awarded him with a standing ovation. New York manager Terry Collins made sure to give the fans their due.
"What they did for Wilmer Flores you will not find that in many places. That's why they are great fans here." - TC on the fans.
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 1, 2015 But Flores was only getting started. In the fourth inning, the 23-year-old hit a single to drive in Juan Uribe and give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
The Nationals went on to tie things up in the top of the eighth and the game went into extra innings. And then in the bottom of the twelfth, as destiny would have it, this happened:
That’s right, a walkoff home run by the guy who wasn’t even supposed to be on the team anymore. You can’t write it any better than that.
Wilmer Flores isn’t the hero the Mets deserved on Friday night, but he’s the one they needed all along.
