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New York Mets baseball player’s Hebrew tattoo is turning heads

VaselineOctober 14, 2024

0 2 minutes read

New York Mets baseball player’s Hebrew tattoo is turning heads

As the New York Mets continue their improbable playoff run, third baseman Mark Vientos has become a key character in what fans hope will be an ongoing Cinderella story.

The Mets, who entered the postseason as the National League’s No. 6 seed, defeated the No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers two games to one in the Wild Card round. They are currently tied at one game apiece with their division rival Philadelphia Phillies, the No. 2 seed, in the best-of-five National League Division Series.

On May 30, the Mets were 23-33 and in fourth place in the NL East. As of May 31, the Mets were one of the best teams in baseball, finishing with 89 wins. Vientos, the 24-year-old third baseman who joined the team at the end of April and is playing his first full season in the big league, played a key role in that turnaround.

On September 6, Vientos punctuated his season with a pair of two-run home runs, the second of which was a walk-off in extra innings, giving the Mets their eighth straight victory.

Then flags were raised for Jewish fans.

Vientos’ teammates took off his jersey in the heat of their celebration, revealing a Hebrew tattoo on Vientos’ chest. Vientos, who is not Jewish, has the word “הפלפמ” with the numbers “4:6” written on his chest.

Winning pitcher, veteran Shlomo Lipetz shut out the Italians after overcoming early inning problems (credit: ISRAEL ASSOCIATION OF BASEBALL/ COURTESY)

The word, as many observers have noted, is gibberish and appears to be a misspelling of Philippians, the New Testament book, which is transcribed differently in Hebrew. Philippians 4:6 begins, “Do not be anxious about anything,” and Vientos quoted the verse on Twitter in 2017. (The Mets did not respond to a JTA inquiry.)

Vientos, who made his debut in 2022, hit a respectable .266 with 27 home runs and 71 RBIs in the regular season. And as the Mets’ playoff march unfolds, fans could very well come face to face with the game’s error once again, as Vientos has continued his star turn in October: He collected three hits, two runs and two RBIs in the Wild Card series, and through the first two games of the NLDS, Vientos already has five hits, two home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored.

Although Vientos’ tattoo appears to be a red herring, this NLDS has provided plenty of fodder for Jewish fans. Vientos’ teammate, midfielder Harrison Bader, is Jewish and has his own sartorial style, a Star of David he wears on his belt this season. On the other hand, the Phillies have Jewish catcher Garrett Stubbs. (Jewish reliever Max Lazar did not make the NLDS roster.)

Both teams also have prominent Jews off the field. The Mets are owned by billionaire Steve Cohen and led by David Stearns, the team’s president of baseball operations. And Team Israel alum Sam Fuld, an eight-year MLB veteran, is the general manager of the Phillies.

VaselineOctober 14, 2024

0 2 minutes read

Then flags were raised for Jewish fans.

Vaseline

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