Hawk Tuah girl's Mets 'turnaround after 'vicious' MLB fans criticism

Haliey Welch, better known as the viral sensation Hawk Tuah Girl, has become a fervent supporter of the New York Mets. However, it wasn't long ago that she was considered public enemy number one in Queens .

In August, Welch, who gained notoriety on social media earlier this year with her risque bedroom advice , was invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch at Citi Field before a Mets game against the Oakland Athletics. Her appearance at the family-oriented stadium was met with immediate criticism, with commentators and critics alike condemning New York for hosting the 22-year-old.

Following the contentious pitch, Welch acknowledged that "the baseball community wasn't too happy to see" her but insisted that her attendance at the game was for a noble cause. "The main reason I went to the game was to spread awareness and donate to America's [VetDogs], which pairs dogs with war veterans for a forever home," she posted on Instagram.

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Hawk Tuah girl expressed a bold opinion on the impact of the New York Mets after comparisons to Grimace, reports the Mirror US . Reflecting on the incident, Welch admitted that if she had anticipated the strong reaction, she probably wouldn't have accepted the Mets' invitation.

"If we knew we were going to get that type of backlash, even though we did the charity shoot with Americas Vet Dogs that day at the stadium, I don't know if I would have put myself through that experience again," Welch exclusively told Mirror Sports U. S. over email. "Those people were vicious."

After a proper New York welcome, Welch gradually won over the Mets fans, and for one simple reason: the team started an unstoppable winning streak. Post her pitch at Citi Field, the Mets bagged 27 wins out of their last 43 in the regular season, which included a nine-game winning streak, ultimately securing a wild-card spot.

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The apologies didn't take long to roll in. On The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York, co-host Peter Rosenberg hit back at the media critics who had rushed to judgment about Welch.

"When will the yo-yos apologize? " Rosenberg queried. "The yo-yo sports talk jabronis. The ones who are like walking stereotypes of our business. What's the word? The gasbags." When will the gasbags come out and say sorry to Haliey Welch ... When will they give her her credit? Because guess what? This team's been rolling post-Hawk Tuah."

Welch, touched by Rosenberg's words, decided to give the Mets another shot despite the initial harsh reception from the fans. "Throwing out the first pitch was such a hoot that it made me root for them," she remarked.

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"Around a month or so later, I started seeing stories online by the NY media apologizing for being so harsh to me because the Mets were on a winning streak. It made the news everywhere, so I started keeping up with them."

Despite the initial hostility, Welch declared she bears no grudge against Mets fans, even saying she'll be rooting for them when New York takes on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS.

"I think all sports fans are nuts and superstitious," she remarked. "I get a lot of expletives thrown at me by the fans, but then some others come back and protect me. No matter what happens from here, I'm just happy they're winning."

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