Here's something:
Alex Rodriguez, Mets legend. Wait, what?
Alas, context is needed.
A-Rod was seen at Fanatics Fest on Friday wearing an '80s-era Keith Hernandez Mets jersey. Not only that, but he told Hernandez, who was there signing autographs, that he watched nearly every Mets game during the first baseman's time with the team. Rodriguez even went through the Mets' typical lineup from that famed era, which culminated in the 1986 World Series championship.
Rodriguez asked for a bat and then went through Hernandez's usual routine in the box. This included not only the flapless batting helmet and no-batting-gloves approach Hernandez used, but also his tendency to call timeout to let planes pass overhead or to wipe sweat from his brow on a hot day. Rodriguez even nailed Hernandez's stance.
Hernandez occasionally chimed in with brief remarks of approval during A-Rod's demonstration before concluding, "Well done, Alex."
Of course, Rodriguez never wore a Mets jersey for real. But they certainly wanted him to. The Mets were among the teams that went hard after Rodriguez during his free agency ahead of the 2001 season. Ultimately, he signed a 10-year, $252 million deal with the Rangers. But he claimed in a 2023 interview that he would've taken far less money to play in Queens, a scenario that reportedly just didn't work out because of other demands associated with the idea.
Famously, Rodriguez eventually did end up in New York -- playing for the Yankees for parts of 12 seasons.
Friday's Fanatics Fest appearance just gave Mets fans one more chance to lament what might've been.