If you watch the New York Mets, you’ve probably seen a sign in their locker room that says “Oh My God” and you may not know why.
First and foremost: The Mets are a team with a unique sense of humor, whimsy, and joy. Nowhere is this more evident than when they use a banner that says “OMG” as part of the celebration. But what does it all mean and where does it come from?
The story is twisty, silly, surprising, and makes every sense of the word for a team like the Mets.
Veteran player Jose Iglesias is the reason
Gregory Fisher-USA Today Sports
Walk with us and let us take you back to New York earlier this season. It was May 31 and the Mets were 24-33 (.438) and at a very low point in the organization’s MLB season. It seemed like a rebuilding year.
Iglesias, a 34-year-old outfielder who signed a minor league contract with the Mets, was called up to the majors and made his debut with the team. Although it didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, it marked a turning point for the franchise.
They started winning and heading from spring into summer, the feelings were looking up for the team. Iglesias was playing well but as it turned out, he was also working behind the scenes in his side career as a musician.
“OMG” debuted at Citi Field
(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Now it was June 28th and the Mets were suddenly one of the best teams in baseball.
Iglesias, who was still playing well, was also close to releasing a song under his moniker Candelita. As it turns out, Iglesias is also in the spotlight as a music star because of course the Mets had a minor league team and he’s also a Latin pop star.
Jose Iglesias: Mets teammates joined the player to perform “OMG” at Citi Field after another win
The player performed his latest single “OMG” at Citi Field as all his teammates joined him in this amazing moment. It was a sight to behold.
The Mets are 49-33 (.588) since that stunning performance in June.
Meanwhile, the song received over 4 million views on YouTube and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Digital Song Sales charts.
Iglesias also performed the song at MLB All-Star Weekend during the Home Run Derby in Texas.
So what’s the deal with the label?
(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
The “OMG” tag was created by an artist named Jerome McRoy, who works under the name Jaymaccustoms.
It was based on a jersey that Alex Cohen, wife of Mets owner Steve Cohen, posted on her Instagram. McRoy gave the signal to Alex, who passed it on to someone who could put it in the locker room.
The Mets use it to celebrate in the dugout when they hit a home run. The celebration is often led by Mets outfielder Luis Severino, who has become one of the most reliable arms in New York’s rotation.
Iglesias plays great baseball as well and is currently enjoying a 20 game winning streak at the time of publishing this post. He’s planning to release a remix soon, possibly featuring music icon Bad Bunny.
