Mets fans are upset over the team’s decision to have Haley Welch (aka “Hawk Tua” Girl) throw the first pitch before Thursday’s heartbreaking 7-6 loss to the Athletics.
Welch made headlines earlier this year when the 22-year-old from Tennessee depicted some fairly explicit sexual acts.
“The Yankees have record-breakers Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou, Gehrig. The Mets have Grimms and now Hawk Tua. Please, I can’t take it anymore, I can’t take it anymore,” fumed WFAN’s Sal Licata, a known Mets fan, on his show with Brandon Tierney on Thursday. “It’s ridiculous. I don’t know why fans are so upset and angry about it. It’s embarrassing.”
“Is it the biggest thing in the world? No, sure. Does it mean anything on the field? No, but that’s the thing. As if the on-field things weren’t enough, they come up with some ridiculous gimmick that makes them laugh. It’s a joke. Hawk Tua.”
The Mets made headlines, for good reason, earlier this year when they used Ronald McDonald’s big purple friend, Grimace, to throw the ceremonial first pitch before games.
But this original suggestion has resonated with some people ever since Welch became famous for her not-so-wholesome response to the question, “What behavior always turns men on in bed?”
“You’ve got to say ‘Hawk Tua’ to him and spit on him, you know?,” she said in the interview. It has been viewed 6.8 million times. As of Friday morning.
Welch later revealed that she had quit her job.Go on a trip” He took advantage of his status as an online celebrity and took to the mound at Citi Field during the trip to throw the ceremonial first pitch to a friend.
Several X-users criticized the Mets for promoting Welch to a pre-game game on a weekday afternoon in the summer when more kids than usual might be in attendance.
“This is the man who was chosen to throw the first pitch on a day when the stadium was full of kids from summer camp?!” Tweeted by user @DTM_Woodworks“This is disgusting behavior and it needs to be addressed and someone needs to be fired. I will not support this type of activity from a sports team.”
Another comment: “I always find these things funny but for her to come when thousands of camp kids are in this stadium for a summer afternoon game… not great… 🤦 Someone didn’t plan that well… 🤷♀️.”
Others focused on the potential awkwardness of having to explain to their children who Welch is and why she’s famous.
“Mets fans, try explaining to your kids who this girl is! Sorry. Wow! ‘Mom/Dad, who is this girl? What is she doing?’ — Whoever made the decision to let her throw the first pitch should be fired. That’s terrible.” Written by X user.
Unlike Grimas’ first pitch, which propelled the Mets back into playoff contention, the “Hawk Tua” era began with the Mets blowing a 5-0 lead to one of the worst teams in baseball.
