The New York Mets had quite a week, as they celebrated their 3-1 win over the ‘baseball evil empire,’ aka the Los Angeles Dodgers, on Sunday night. Usually, the Dodgers are the favorites of the league, but in this game, the Mets were special. And, for the Mets fans, there was more to celebrate apart from the win. Bang in the middle of the game, their star shortstop, Francisco Lindor, delivered a heart-melting, made-for-TV moment.

Mic’d up for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, Lindor was chatting with the broadcast crew when his wife, Katia Reguero, chimed in right from the stands. She had her baby in her arms. Lindor was all smiles as he said, “Hi.” And Katia playfully asked, “What’s harder? Turning a double play or 4 a.m. diaper changes?” It was a tender moment, and it went viral. But it didn’t sit well with everyone.

Baseball traditionalists sounded off for this moment. Chad Moriyama, a sports writer, didn’t hold back, saying, “I’m so glad ESPN is losing MLB coverage.”

MLB opted out of their $550 million per season deal with ESPN earlier this season, citing the lack of meaningful coverage outside of live games. ESPN, on the split, said they wanted to slash the rights fee, given that platforms like Apple and Roku pay less for their streaming deals. For MLB, the demand was “unacceptable,” and they decided to part ways.

Surely, playful moments like the one Francisco Lindor and his wife were involved in had nothing to do with that decision. But Lindor’s adorable family moment is now smack in the middle of a larger debate. For some, it’s a humanizing glimpse into the life of a megastar, while for the others, it’s just a gimmick, with ESPN simply favoring something that doesn’t belong in the game.

For now, majority of fans are showing plenty of heat to ESPN!

Francisco Lindor’s mic’d-up moment ignites fan fury

Francisco Lindor might’ve been glowing with his signature smile as he chatted with his wife mid-game, but fans were less than thrilled. One X user didn’t hold back, calling the moment painful to watch. “They are awful, one full half inning talking about Lindor changing diapers while the announcers ignore the game. Pathetic!” the fan wrote.

Well, sure, it is sweet that Lindor and Katia recently welcomed their third child, baby Koa, to their family, joining their daughters Kalina and Amapola. But off the field, they get enough limelight. So, fans don’t get why, during the live nationally televised game, the family dynamics stand in the light.

Now it’s crucial to note that mic’d-up players sometimes give golden moments. One user pointed out how much they love it. Think of Freddie Freeman in an in-game banter or Alec Bohm mic’d moment during spring training time.

But this moment involving Lindor went on for nearly a full half inning while the broadcasters barely called the action. Even fans who support these personal moments felt it was a little too stretched out.

Another MLB fan took a dig at ESPN itself, accusing it of watering down the game for viewers who are not even baseball fans. “Every ESPN broadcast is trying hard to appeal to a casual or someone who hates the sport. It’s a terrible product and even Manfred sees through it,” the comment read.

Now, there are several new eyes on the sport, with Netflix releasing several documentaries. Maybe the user pointed to them. Some even speculate that the network is trying to get into the good graces of MLB in case a renegotiation opens. But well, the ship seems to have sailed.

The MLB commissioner Rob Manfred had mentioned ‘minimal coverage’ beyond live games as a reason for their split with ESPN. But it seems like the latter might have misinterpreted what they meant here!

One viewer didn’t just complain for the moment but he “peaced” out entirely. And honestly, this is such a wake-up call for MLB. With the NBA and NFL garnering more followers and competition, MLB is already vying for more viewer attention. They cannot afford to lose fans to other sports. A moment meant to humanize the game might just send the people channel surfing.

“That half inning was why MLB is bailing on them in a nutshell,” wrote another fan. Ouch! But hey, it might echo what Commissioner Rob Manfred was probably thinking. MLB opted out of the deal early, and it’s no coincidence. NBCUniversal has reportedly been in talks to grab those rights. They apparently cited in their offer letter a streaming package that could appeal more to the modern baseball fans.

Right now, ESPN is already on its way out—and this definitely is not the way to go out. Don’t you think?