{"id":205557,"date":"2026-04-22T01:23:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T01:23:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/205557\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T01:23:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T01:23:45","slug":"instead-of-booing-fans-of-slumping-mets-mostly-stay-home-on-chilly-night-in-queens-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/205557\/","title":{"rendered":"Instead of booing, fans of slumping Mets mostly stay home on chilly night in Queens"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Patrick Heaney, the only person in section 524 at Citi Field shortly before the start of Tuesday night\u2019s game between the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins, grinned as he gazed at the sea of empty seats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t be here tonight if you weren\u2019t a Met fan,\u201d Heaney said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">The skidding Mets returned home Tuesday to a quieter reception than manager Carlos Mendoza and players anticipated with the club trying to snap an 11-game losing streak \u2014 the longest for the team since 2004.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">\u201cThey\u2019re not going to be happy, that\u2019s not a secret,\u201d Mendoza said. \u201cOur fan base, they\u2019re going to let you know when you\u2019re not playing well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">\u201cIt\u2019s not going to be good, which is justifiably so \u2014 we\u2019re not playing well whatsoever,\u201d pitcher Sean Manaea said. \u201cI just expect it to not be the friendliest of welcome back home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">Shortstop Francisco Lindor said following Sunday\u2019s 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs that he expected it to \u201cget very loud\u201d Tuesday night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">But the few thousand fans in attendance on a brisk evening in Queens \u2014 the temperature at first pitch was 46 degrees Fahrenheit (8 Celsius) \u2014 didn\u2019t get loud until the third inning, when Lindor hit a three-run homer to open the scoring and give the Mets their biggest lead since a 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on April 5.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">New York entered Tuesday hitting .200 during its skid while being outscored 62-19. The Mets didn&#8217;t have slugger Juan Soto for any of that stretch, but he is expected to come off the injured list Wednesday after missing the last 16 games with a strained left quad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">\u201cI think if they can get it going today, I think the fans will rally around them,\u201d said Josh Hudson, a Tennessee resident in town for business who was sitting in section 509 with a $15 ticket he bought on the secondary market.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">Heaney, a resident of Malverne on Long Island who wore a Mets hat and 2022 playoff sweatshirt, grinned as he recalled how he ended up buying a $12 ticket and heading to the game alone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">\u201cI couldn\u2019t get my wife to come,\u201d Heaney said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t get my kids to come. I couldn\u2019t get my friends to come. I bought one ticket, the cheapest one I could find, and I\u2019m going to see if I can help them turn it around.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">Mendoza, in his third season as manager after six seasons on the Yankees\u2019 coaching staff, said he wouldn\u2019t mind a frosty reception because he knows how fans will react if the team fares better.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">\u201cThey\u2019re also going to be right behind you when we flip it around,\u201d Mendoza said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen that before, too, so it\u2019s nothing new for us that have been here. We expect those guys to continue to support us, but we\u2019ve got to do better for them too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">\u201cIt\u2019s all part of it. It comes with the territory. Wouldn\u2019t want it any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">AP MLB: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/mlb<\/p>\n<p>      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1ce1a1a74a66a007854880a0c155f4ea_Twins_Mets_Baseball_14189.jpg.webp.webp\" class=\"image-lightbox\" data-fancybox=\"gallery-mainpost\" data-caption=\"New York Mets' Francisco Lindor celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Frank Franklin II)\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1ce1a1a74a66a007854880a0c155f4ea_Twins_Mets_Baseball_14189.jpg.webp.webp\" alt=\"New York Mets' Francisco Lindor celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Frank Franklin II)\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"14\">New York Mets&#8217; Francisco Lindor celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Frank Franklin II)<\/p>\n<p>      <\/a><\/p>\n<p>      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1ce1a1a74a66a007854880a0c155f4ea_Twins_Mets_Baseball_65349.jpg.webp.webp\" class=\"image-lightbox\" data-fancybox=\"gallery-mainpost\" data-caption=\"Minnesota Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson, right, reacts as New York Mets' Francisco Lindor runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Frank Franklin II)\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1ce1a1a74a66a007854880a0c155f4ea_Twins_Mets_Baseball_65349.jpg.webp.webp\" alt=\"Minnesota Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson, right, reacts as New York Mets' Francisco Lindor runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Frank Franklin II)\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"14\">Minnesota Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson, right, reacts as New York Mets&#8217; Francisco Lindor runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Frank Franklin II)<\/p>\n<p>      <\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">DALLAS (AP) \u2014 Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, a U.S. appeals court ruled Tuesday in a victory for conservatives who have long sought to incorporate more religion into schools.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">It sets up a potential clash at the U.S. Supreme Court over the issue in the future. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said in the decision that the law did not violate the First Amendment, which protects religious freedom and prevents the government from establishing a religion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, called the ruling \u201ca major victory for Texas and our moral values.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">\u201cThe Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it\u2019s important that students learn from them every single day,\u201d Paxton said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">Organizations representing the families who challenged the law, including the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that they were \u201cextremely disappointed\u201d by the decision.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">\u201cThe court\u2019s ruling goes against fundamental First Amendment principles and binding U.S. Supreme Court authority. The First Amendment safeguards the separation of church and state, and the freedom of families to choose how, when and if to provide their children with religious instruction. This decision tramples those rights,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">The law is among the pushes by Republicans, including President Donald Trump, to incorporate religion into public schools. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state while backers argue that the Ten Commandments are historical and part of the foundation of U.S. law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">The ruling, which reverses a district court&#8217;s judgment, comes after the full court heard arguments in January in the Texas case and a similar case in Louisiana. The appeals court in February cleared the way for Louisiana\u2019s law, requiring displays of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 12-6 to lift a block that a lower court first placed on the law in 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"16\">Texas law took effect on Sept. 1, marking the largest attempt in the nation to hang the Ten Commandments in public schools. About two dozen school districts had been barred from posting them after federal judges issued injunctions in two cases against the law but went up in many classrooms across the state as districts paid to have the posters printed themselves or accepted donations. <\/p>\n<p>      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/43e679cf473e6b98b091d575578824eb_Ten_Commandments_Schools_44_4.jpg.webp.webp\" class=\"image-lightbox\" data-fancybox=\"gallery-nextpost\" data-caption=\"FILE - A Ten Commandments poster and explanation of the state's new law are displayed in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay,File)\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/43e679cf473e6b98b091d575578824eb_Ten_Commandments_Schools_44_4.jpg.webp.webp\" alt=\"FILE - A Ten Commandments poster and explanation of the state's new law are displayed in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay,File)\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"14\">FILE &#8211; A Ten Commandments poster and explanation of the state&#8217;s new law are displayed in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay,File)<\/p>\n<p>      <\/a><\/p>\n<p>      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/43e679cf473e6b98b091d575578824eb_Ten_Commandments_Schools_99227.jpg.webp.webp\" class=\"image-lightbox\" data-fancybox=\"gallery-nextpost\" data-caption=\"FILE - Students work under Ten Commandments and Bill of Rights posters on display in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay,File)\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/43e679cf473e6b98b091d575578824eb_Ten_Commandments_Schools_99227.jpg.webp.webp\" alt=\"FILE - Students work under Ten Commandments and Bill of Rights posters on display in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay,File)\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"14\">FILE &#8211; Students work under Ten Commandments and Bill of Rights posters on display in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay,File)<\/p>\n<p>      <\/a><\/p>\n<p>      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/43e679cf473e6b98b091d575578824eb_Ten_Commandments_Schools_85848.jpg.webp.webp\" class=\"image-lightbox\" data-fancybox=\"gallery-nextpost\" data-caption=\"FILE - A copy of the Ten Commandments is posted along with other historical documents in a hallway of the Georgia Capitol, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo\/John Bazemore, File)\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/43e679cf473e6b98b091d575578824eb_Ten_Commandments_Schools_85848.jpg.webp.webp\" alt=\"FILE - A copy of the Ten Commandments is posted along with other historical documents in a hallway of the Georgia Capitol, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo\/John Bazemore, File)\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption font-size-scaler-control\" data-font=\"14\">FILE &#8211; A copy of the Ten Commandments is posted along with other historical documents in a hallway of the Georgia Capitol, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo\/John Bazemore, File)<\/p>\n<p>      <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Patrick Heaney, the only person in section 524 at Citi Field shortly before the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":205558,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[18721,40464,3450,2032,9,24,63,122,124,123,81507,4875],"class_list":["post-205557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-ap-news","tag-fans","tag-home","tag-mets","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news","tag-slump","tag-sport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205557\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}