While New York Mets fans in the US were cheering as Harrison Bader batted in the winning run in the team’s win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night, many Jewish viewers tuned in to the game were applauding something else entirely.
They were going gaga over Bader’s belt, which had a white Magen David painted on it. Bader, whose father is Jewish, had been picked to play for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic last year before he was sidelined with an injury.
“Harrison Bader clears the bases with a game winning double for Mets tonight ... but that isn’t the story ... look closely at his belt,” wrote Nachi Gordon, head of the organization Meaningful Minute on X/Twitter on Monday night.
Another X user, Michael Sachs, posted, “As a Yankees fan, we are raised to hate everything about the Mets… but man Harrison Bader just undid all that for me! #amyisraelchai.”
Photos of the Mets centerfielder’s belt even caught the attention of former Knesset member Dov Lipman who tweeted out a thank you Bader, adding “and I guess I have no choice… Let’s go Mets!”
Gordon also shared a video recorded during spring training that showed Bader wearing a “Bring them home” dog tag in support of the Gaza hostages.