Single Mets fan throws out wild pitch with dating plan that goes viral

Seventy texts in 20 minutes. A jilted baseball fan put it all on the line with a bold sign after the end of a five-year relationship — and it paid off.

Baseball has seen marriage proposals constantly but one heartbroken New York Mets fan has wasted little time taking his dating game to Citi Field.

On the same day as his break up with his girlfriend of five years, Matt Russo did what maybe any newly single man should do: He went to the Mets home opener and wrote his phone number on a sign.

“I’m single as of today! Ask me for my #. I dare you,” he wrote above his digits.

“This is a joke between my friends, but it’s blowing up,” Russo told the New York Post.

Russo’s inside joke with mates became a viral hit when he ran into former ESPN sports business guru Darren Rovell, who has more than two million Twitter followers.

“Darren Rovell saw my sign, thought it was cool and asked if it was cool to post it. And now we’re talking. My intention was to watch the Mets game but apparently that’s not going to happen today.”

Broke up with his girlfriend today. Hell of an ad. pic.twitter.com/ZjgIemgLwc

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) 4 April 2019

Instead, the bartender and owner of Modern Event Staffing is fielding a flurry of text messages and calls from as far away as California, Arizona and Tennessee.

“Within the first 20 minutes, I got about 70 texts. I am getting calls from guys giving me support, saying to do me and have fun. I got a couple of calls from people trashing my ex, and said, ‘I would rather you not do that.’ I still respect her. And we have respect for each other. I still appreciate her as a person.”

Russo said he and his ex, whom he declines to name, dated for five years. But they simply grew into different people and decided to split.

He has received some attractive offers from women and wouldn’t mind if his ploy ended in a first date.

After posting the sign with his phone number at Mets game saying he’s single, Matt has gotten calls from Alabama & Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/ZRbbR6qctc

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) 4 April 2019

“I’m looking for a good girl. My ex was a very good girl. And of course I like a sense of humour,” said Russo, who ironically isn’t on any social media platforms.

But Russo might simply be using the girls to get to the real object of his affection: Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom.

“Jacob deGrom is my favourite Met. Between him and David Wright, if I could receive a phone call or a text from either of them, that would be awesome,” he said.

Originally published as Single Mets fan throws out wild pitch with dating plan that goes viral