Yankees’ Bleacher Creatures send a message to Mets’ Juan Soto

NEW YORK — Omri Tarlo is a 24-year-old Israeli American from Tenafly, New Jersey, who works in construction technology. He put in a full eight-hour shift Friday and claims he “didn’t do anything” on the job because he kept thinking about Friday night‘s Subway Series opener at Yankee Stadium.

“I couldn’t get my mind off how bad I want to (curse) Juan Soto, and how much I wanted the Yankees to win this game,” Tarlo said a half-hour before first pitch. “I’ve been absolutely juiced all day.”

A Yankees diehard, Tarlo is among the legions of fans who aren’t over Soto’s free-agent decision last December, when he moved from the Bronx to Queens with the richest contract in North American sports.

Tarlo is still angry — and he’s not alone — that Soto had the audacity to leave the Yankees after one great season and World Series run, turning down $760 million for 16 seasons for a Mets’ offer that was only slightly bigger at $765 million for 15 years, with a few perks tossed in.

There was no way Tarlo — who attends dozens of games each season — was going to miss Soto’s first game back in the Bronx. He bought a ticket for $155 to sit in his usual spot for the game, with the Bleacher Creatures in Section 203.

“It was the same price to sit up in the 400 level behind home plate,” he said. “It‘s a better view up there, but I wanted to be in the bleachers with my people. Frank Sinatra sings, ‘I want to be a part of it.’ Well, I want to be a part of it.

“I’m here to boo Juan Soto because this is a Yankees town. Nobody cares about the Mets.”

And, oh, how they booed — led by the Bleacher Creatures, the Yankee Stadium outfield mob that sets the tone and tempo for every game. Every time Soto set foot on the field during the Yankees’ 6-2 Subway Series victory over the Mets, he was verbally abused. He finished the game 0-for-2 with three walks, a run scored, an easy fly to center that ended the game — and an earful.

Fans chanted, “Overrated!”

They sing-songed, “You miss Judge” and “We don’t need you.” Somebody even invented a new “your mama” joke: “Hey, Soto,” he screamed, “your mother is a Yankees fan!” Everyone laughed, of course.

When Soto made a weak, three-hop throw to the plate on Anthony Volpe’s 243-foot, third-inning sacrifice fly, a new chant was born: “You got no arm, you got no arm!”

And that was the clean stuff.

The boos were so loud when Soto was batting in the first inning that two Yankees infielders never acknowledged the Bleacher Creatures’ Roll Call, which starts after the first pitch. The players probably never heard it. Fans chanted second baseman Jorbit Vivas’ name for about a minute before giving up. It happened again with third baseman Oswald Peraza.

An aborted roll call? That never happens — not in playoff games, not during World Series games. Just ask Marc Chalpin, who has been Bleacher Creatures’ leader since “Bald Vinny” Milano ended his long run after the 2011 season.

A commercial landlord with a law degree, Chalpin starts the Roll Call from his Section 203, Row 7 seat, and he’s almost always at home games when his softball team doesn’t have a game of its own. The Scarsdale, New York, native who lives in Manhattan made it to 76 games last season, counting playoffs.

Chalpin’s unofficial duties sometimes include policing his section. He’s anti-cussing and against that stupid wave cheer. On Friday, he didn’t bother asking fans to curb their language: There were too many F-bombs to stop.

Instead, Chalpin orchestrated a way to send a message to Soto when he jogged out to right field for the bottom of the first inning.

While non-regulars had their “F— Juan Soto!” chant going with raised middle fingers, most everyone in the bleachers turned their back on Soto and faced the scoreboard, many while booing at the top of their lungs.

“That was symbolic of the way Soto turned his back on us,” Chalpin said.

Soto looked back at fans sitting behind him and touched his heart. He received a heartfelt response — another chorus of “F— Juan Soto!”

Soto never looked back again after that, but he made an attempt at peace after he caught a fly to end the sixth inning and flipped the ball behind his back and into the stands. Within seconds, the ball was tossed back into the outfield grass.

Soto’s betrayal probably hit the Bleacher Creatures the hardest. After all, they were the closest to him physically during his season with the Yankees and that led to a daily give-and-take. Soto would acknowledge their cheers by waving and tapping his heart. He’d chat with them between innings and during pitching changes. They loved him the most, which means they suffered the deepest heartbreaks.

For one glorious season, Soto was half of one of the best slugging duos the Yankees have ever had. Aaron Judge hit .322 with 58 homers and won AL MVP, while Soto hit .288 with 41 homers and the Yankees played in their first World Series since 2009.

Yankees fans had watched Judge flirt with free agency but come back to them in the end — for less money. Soto, on the other hand, had sold them out for the difference of a few bucks.

“If Soto really loved us, he would have stayed,” Chalpin said. “He left for less than one percent difference. He gave up the opportunity to be in the same company with Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio to be in the same company with Mr. Met. Soto could have been a Yankees legend. He could have been in Monument Park.”

Hidden among the vengeful Yankees fans were a handful of Mets fans, including a couple from White Plains, New York, who were invited by their pinstriped-passionate friends. Craig Corry, dressed in a Mets’ Jacob deGrom T-shirt, didn’t know he would be sitting in the bleachers until arriving at the ballpark.

“I’m not scared,” said Craig, a 42-year-old beer salesman.

“I’m his wife and I’m scared,” said Victoria with a grin.

Two sections away, a father and son from Queens continued their annual tradition of attending a Subway Series game. Chris Medina, 35, is a New York police officer who roots for the Mets. His father, who works at JFK Airport, is a Yankees fan.

“I’m expecting abuse, but it‘s all in good fun,” Chris Medina said. “I’m not out here to start any trouble.”

Nearby in Section 205 was an Elizabeth, New Jersey, police officer proudly sporting a Soto Mets jersey and a Mets cap that he wore backward.

“I paid over $200 for my ticket and I came to get heckled,” said Devin, who wouldn’t give his last name. “I’m not here for Soto. I’m here for the Mets. I’m expecting everything. Hopefully, I can get home tonight. Let‘s see what happens.”

Devin likely left disappointed. According to a security guard, there were no fights, thanks to extra security stationed throughout the ballpark.

“The only arrest was for shoplifting in the Yankees store,” a security official told NJ Advance Media in the sixth inning. Obviously, the suspect wasn’t trying to steal a Soto Yankees jersey. Fans are giving those away.

Times have changed. In the 1990s and 2000s at the old Yankee Stadium, Mets fans occasionally would have had their hats ripped off their heads and set on fire, one Bleacher Creature recalled. The cheap seats could be ruthless for visitors.

“If this was 20 years ago, there would have batteries thrown at Soto,” said Milton Ousland, who is famous for his cowbell ringing. “It would have been really bad. If a Mets fan came in the bleachers and provoked us, it was going to be uncomfortable for them the whole game.

“You can’t come in here and say, ‘Yankees suck!’ and not get something back.”

Ousland — who has been a Bleacher Creature since 1984 — ended his six-week Yankee Stadium boycott for Soto. Ousland showed up on Opening Day without a ticket and couldn’t get in, so — a little peeved — he stopped coming for a while. His fellow Bleacher Creatures talked him into attending. They missed the cowbell.

“Tonight was intense, but it‘s not the Bronx Zoo anymore,” Ousland said. “This is a little more family atmosphere.”

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As the F-bombs landed, New York’s Division of Family Services might disagree. But not everyone was angry at Soto.

“I was mad the first day, but I fell in love with Plan B and I got over it pretty quick,” Ousland said. “I can’t hate the guy. He took the most money, but he was here only one year.

“It was like I had a girlfriend for a little while and she left. It was pretty easy to get over it when we got a more-balanced team … better defense with Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger, better pitching with Max Fried.

“The only way I’ll get upset again is if the Mets win the World Series with Soto. They haven’t won since 1986, but they’ve got 15 years to do it. If they beat us in the World Series, that would really piss me off!”

Joe Lopez, 67, is a Bronx native who used to sneak into the old Yankee Stadium with friends when he was a kid and run around the upper deck concourse. The retired conductor has been a Creature since 1987. He’s known as “MTA Joe.”

“I can’t rip Soto for going for the money,” he said. “That‘s America. You try to make as much as you can. I went on strike for more money. Look at the New Jersey Transit strike now. They’re doing what they have to do, just like Soto did last winter.”

Outside the ballpark, before the game, vendors were making a killing selling “F— Soto” T-shirts. They sold a few to Justin Merrifield and his buddies. Merrifield — a 23-year-old Cherry Hill, New Jersey, native who just finished college at Rutgers — drove from South Jersey to the Bronx with two friends who root for the Phillies.

“I’m here to boo Soto, and my friends came to see Judge,” Merrifield said.

All three were wearing the Soto T-shirt.

“Three for 40 bucks,” Merrifield said. “Couldn’t pass that up.”

By the late innings, many of the Mets fans in the bleachers headed for the exits and missed Soto’s ninth-inning flyout to end the game. They slipped out without a peep. After all, Yankees fans were focused on Soto until the very end.

“It‘s believing a stripper likes you when in reality she’s just looking for the next dollar,” Chalpin said. “Fans gave Soto so much love for a first-year player and he accepted it until it was time to make the very last dollar. Then he turned his back on us. If the Pirates had offered him one dollar more, he would be a Pirate.

“Soto’s attempt to say that the Mets gave him a better chance to win a World Series comes off as disingenuous. He should just say that he wanted the last dollar. At least he wouldn’t be lying.”

Chalpin looked around as the fans quietly filed out.

“This night went perfectly,” he said. “It is exactly what I wanted. The crowd was great. Most important, the Yankees showed up. And no hits for Soto!”

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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.

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