How ‘Beat It' became Citi Field's answer to the Mets' losing season

When David Stearns was asked last week if he sees Kodai Senga remaining in a leverage relief role, the Mets' president of baseball operations said that while it's still to be determined, watching the converted right-handed starter throw gas in the ninth inning has been "fun." "It's been great to see," Stearns said. "He's had really great stuff at times coming out of the 'pen." His revamped entrance has undoubtedly contributed to the fun. The first time Senga took the mound to the song "Beat It," a Michael Jackson classic, Citi Field was electrified. The club's game presentation and content groups were already thinking of ways they could give his entrance even more juice. The millennials of the Mets instantly thought back to when they watched music videos on TV. "As an elder millennial — a proud elder millennial — who is very familiar with the old VH1 best music video countdown, I'm very familiar with the 'Beat It' video," Mets executive producer of game presentation Brendan McKeon told the Daily News. "So there's a motif there, right? There's new stuff you could play off of." For the kids out there reading this who are thinking they watch music videos on streaming services, it's not the same. It's not the same as rushing home from school to watch MTV's "Total Request Live" to see if Christina Aguilera beat out Britney Spears for the No. 1-voted video of the day, or watching VH1's "Top 20 Countdown" on the weekends to see which videos were the most popular over the last week. If you're of a certain age, certain music videos from the 1990s and the early aughts are burned into your brain. "Beat It" is one of them. The Mets created their own version of the music video, right down to the red leather jacket, one with a ghost fork logo on the back, to play on the scoreboard, accompanied by an on-field performance by Mr. Met and the Queens Crew. "The red jacket, the logo on the back of the jacket, the other character in the movie, and the dance move is iconic," McKeon said. "Then, it's just leveraging the assets that we have. Mr. Met is extremely talented and can dance, and we have a dance team that literally learned the dance to 'Beat It.'" This is how some of the Mets' most viral moments are created. McKeon's team watches to see how the crowd reacts, how social media reacts, and even how the players might react to create various in-game entertainment elements. Whether the team on the field is vying for the playoffs or just vying for relevance, the goal is still the same for the people behind the scenes at Citi Field: To create a memorable experience at the ballpark for everyone who comes through. That means being cognizant of first-timers who have never been to Citi Field, fans who never miss a game and casual fans in between. There has to be something for everyone, but it has to feel characteristic of the club's persona. "It's kind of finding these little windows of opportunity that, essentially, become like just ways that you can lean into the Mets brand," McKeon said. "Which is a family-friendly fan experience at the ballpark, and just a teeny bit of whimsy." When it comes to the Mets, things can get ridiculous. The people tasked with cultivating the ballpark environment don't shy away from it, especially since they know fans embrace the oddities that inevitably tend to come up every season. McKeon has worked for the Mets for 20 years, but his fandom goes back even further, so he knows leaning into it can work in the team's favor. A sense of whimsy is what led to Jose Iglesias performing his hit single "OMG" on the field two years ago. McKeon describes it as "recreating 'High School Musical'" in only about 36 hours. It's what led the team to invite Timmy Trumpet to play "Narcos" live as Edwin Diaz came out to the mound for a save in 2022. And it's why the Mets created their own version of the "Avengers" during the 2024 playoffs, with an ensemble team of fans that had viral moments in 2024, right down to Glizzy Iggy the greyhound, the late Seymour Weiner, Pete Alonso's playoff pumpkin, and, of course, Grimace. "Seasons like 2024 happen, and the metaphor I like to use is that a fire has been started, and then we're just there to fan the flames," McKeon said. "You can't predict a utility infielder becoming a Latin popstar or a former McDonald's mascot becoming a viral sensation and basically, like, an icon of the franchise." It's impossible to predict anything with the Mets, which is why the entertainment aspect of Citi Field is crucial to the club's success. Sports would be nothing without fans who invest time and money into following their favorite teams. But there is a risk in going so heavily into the entertainment aspect of games. Early in the season, fans complained about the light shows, the upbeat music and the between-innings events, saying it didn't fit during lengthy losing streaks. Senga was downright awful for much of the season, so creating a fancy new entrance for a pitcher with an ERA around 8.00 was a gamble. Would fans want this? As it turns out, they do. The new role has revitalized Senga. As he has embraced pitching later in games, fans have embraced his entrance. They're looking at him differently. Sunday at Citi Field, after he played catch with his translator, Hiro Fujiwara, Senga went into the stands to sign autographs for fans who might not have wanted his signature a few months ago. It's worth it to create something that could be popular, even if the player isn't, because ultimately, baseball is supposed to be fun. "Come to Citi Field and have a good time," McKeon said. "I can't predict the future. The front office can predict the future and what next year brings and who is in what role, or who is even on the team. So, why not have fun now?"