May 26, 2014
Ike Davis tosses his bat and glove after he's walked in the first inning Monday.Photo: Paul J. Bereswill
Absence can make the heart grow fonder, or in the case of Ike Davis and Mets fans, forgetful.
Davis, the former Mets first baseman traded to the Pirates on April 18 for minor league pitcher Zack Thornton and a player to be named, was greeted with cheers Monday in his return trip to Citi Field as if he were a conquering hero, not a massive disappointment.
“I didn’t get booed as much as I thought [I would],” he said after going 0-for-2 with a walk in the Pirates’ 5-3 win over the Mets. “There was a lot of cheering. So it was really nice of [the fans].”
A former Mets first-round pick, Davis had a solid rookie season and swatted 32 homers in 2012, but he badly slumped the last two seasons and spent nearly a month in the minors last year.
Davis had nothing but positive things to say about the Mets before his return, but he said he’s happy to have moved on to Pittsburgh, where he has been playing every day, hitting .303 since the trade, and has less on his mind.
The biggest change? Fans aren’t on his case as much.
“Going to get coffee and I don’t get hitting tips,” Davis joked when asked the best thing about playing in Pittsburgh. “I don’t have to think about my stance at nine in the morning.”
“I actually had some good times here. I actually played well, except I just couldn’t find my swing early in the seasons.”
When reminded the Mets chose to go with Lucas Duda over him, Davis smiled. He doesn’t feel like he has anything to prove.
“That’s life,” Davis said. “But the Pirates like me.”
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