(SP) – New York Mets mascot Mr. Met is in trouble after making an obscene gesture to a fan on Wednesday night and is now blaming his behavior on a brain injury.
“It is true Mr. Met gave the middle finger to a fan,” said team president Saul Katz. “Or whatever is the middle finger equivalent for a being with only four fingers. And while we apologize, we would like it to be known that Mr. Met has had serious head injuries and he battles with the effects of them every day.”
The team pointed to the prominent stitches all over the mascot’s large head as evidence of the procedures he has had on his brain.
“I don’t know for sure if I have CTE or something like that,” said the mascot. “But I’ve seen signs of it. I have dramatic mood swings. I’m really happy when we hit a home run or win a game. And then I get all upset if we lose or there’s a bad call or something. I don’t always feel normal. That doesn’t excuse what I did, but I hope it gives some context.”
Mr. Met said his head was filled with a rubber ball and tightly wound string at a very young age, and then covered with horsehide and crudely stitched together with bright red string.
“It hurts a lot,” he said. “It hurts just to look in the mirror. And, most of all, it hurts inside. I’m a loser. I’m a Met.”
