Available now: Signed photos of Wilmer Flores crying in Mets dugout
Listen up, Mets fans. Your opportunity to own an important piece of team history has arrived.
According to Steiner Sports, which owns and operates a sports memorabilia website, Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores has signed copies of photos that show him crying in the Mets dugout during their July 29 game against San Diego, and those photo are now available for purchase.
It appears they’re going fast too. In fact, the 8 X 10 photo, which the website guarantees was authenticated by MLB, was temporarily out of stock on Wednesday afternoon but is available again.
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The 8 X 10 photo is selling for $69.99 without the frame and $139.99 with. The site is also offering a 16 X 20 photo signed by Flores for $89.99 and $214.99 with the frame.
This 8×10 photo has been personally hand-signed by Mets’ star Wilmer Flores. With a script that could not be duplicated in Hollywood, New York Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores turned an emotional moment in the field into an unforgettable one in the batter’s box with a walk-off home run in the summer on July 31, 2015.
The scenes that played out that emotional week at Citi Field will go down in Mets lore forever. Flores, who’s been with the Mets since signing as a 16-year-old in 2007, was understandably upset when word of a looming trade to the Milwaukee Brewers trickled down to field. Of course, as we know now, that trade was never completed.
Despite Flores’ knowledge of the possibility, he was never removed from the game either, famously playing through his emotions. Just seeing what Flores was going through allowed Mets fans to connect with him for the first time during his tenure. On that night, his popularity with Mets fans soared despite years of never being truly sold on his development and never being willing to accept him as their shortstop.
The story then took a Hollywood turn, with Flores delivering a walk-off home run against the Washington Nationals just two days after he was supposed to be traded. That home run prompted a weekend sweep and the Mets continued right on rolling, moving past Washington in the standings the following week.
Now, weeks later, Flores and the Mets are still living happily ever after, leading the NL East by 4 1/2 games Should the Mets take it home and play deep into October, the roller coaster ride of emotions connected to Wilmer Flores will be looked to as a turning point.
Right or wrong, that’s how it will be viewed, and right or wrong, people will be cashing in on that moment.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
