The professional athlete I have admired most during my stretch as a sports fan here in New York came back to town Tuesday night for the first time since he was cast aside by Met owner Fred Wilpon.

Jose Reyes wore the Met uniform for nine seasons.  He was plucked from the Dominican Republic as a sixteen-year-old and spent the next dozen years in the organization.  Reyes loved it here.  He basically grew up here.  He wore a smile to the ballpark and never got into trouble.  Reyes flashed eye-popping speed running the bases and was an electric defensive player.  He was largely responsible for building the team’s Hispanic fan base which made for a much more enriching experience in the stands on most nights.  He also taught us English speakers a bit of Spanish during nightly lessons broadcast on the video board in center field.

Unfortunately, the expiration of a below-market long-term deal Reyes signed before becoming arbitration eligible coincided with Wilpon’s darkest hour.  Reyes most certainly would have stayed had it not been for Wilpon’s entanglement in the Madoff mess.  After becoming the first Met to ever win a batting title last season, Reyes signed a six-year, $106 million deal with Miami.  He never received an offer or match attempt from the Mets.

I circled this date on the Met schedule long ago because I wanted to welcome Jose back.  I arrived when the gates opened and got as close to the Marlins dugout as is allowed to watch him take BP.  A group of about 50 Met fans gathered down the third base line and serenaded Reyes with “Jo-se, Jo-se, Jo-se-Jo-se, Jo-se…Jo-se….”  Other fans heckled Reyes and lobbed insults at the kids embracing the return of the best shortstop in franchise history.

It was a windy, chilly night.  The crowd was really small considering the significant buildup in advance of the Reyes return.

The announced attendance number was 20192 but that figure is what the Mets say is the number of “tickets sold.”  There couldn’t have been more than 15-thousand people on hand.  The seats behind home plate were occupied by just a scattered few bodies.  Empties outnumbered fulls in those seats by a 20 to 1 ratio.

Most newspaper accounts of the game indicated Reyes was heavily booed when he led off the game.  The Post’s Kevin Kernan wrote that the ratio of boos to cheers was 95 to 5.  That’s nonsense.

I’d put the ratio at 60-40 in favor of Reyes.  Whatever it was, I don’t get why any Met fan would be anything but openly thankful for the half career we got from Jose before he was pushed out by an owner forced to cut payroll.

Yeah, Reyes missed portions of the last three seasons with bad hammies.  And yeah, the way he backed into the batting title on the final afternoon of the 2011 season was disappointing.  But Reyes was a great Met and I’ll forever remember him fondly.

The Marlins are probably gonna be a good fit for Jose.  The team is loaded with colorful characters.  None more so than new manager Ozzie Guillen.  Now two weeks removed from the Fidel Castro remarks, Ozzie must find a way to put a clamp on his non-baseball on-the-record commentary.  He’ll win games with that team for sure.  But his mouth gets him in trouble when he explores other subjects with those gathered around him.

A sixty-second video tribute to Reyes came just before first pitch.  Johan Santana struck out 11 in just six and two-thirds.  His fastball topped out at 89.  I can’t explain why Johan was so effective last night.  His velocity was nothing special.  He dotted the corners and had some movement but didn’t appear to have dominant stuff.

Josh Johnson had 9 K’s for the Fish.  Former Met Dave Kingman was at the game.

This was my first look at the structural modifications made in the outfield to reduce dimensions at Citi Field.  Most hideous is the new party deck in left field in front of what was once called the Great Wall of Flushing.  A shoddy-looking platform and wall is now erected on what used to be the LF warning track.  Fans occupy the narrow strip but it looks awful.  It’s just thrown up there.  I would have stuck with the original pitcher-friendly dimensions and built the team around young arms and defense.  Instead, the Mets caved to the concerns of David Wright who may not even stick around long enough to gain a full season of benefit from the easier-to-reach fences.

When I reached the box office before the game, I asked for the cheapest ticket available.  I was handed a “promenade level” seat for $15.  I ended up watching the first half of the game in the right field overhang.  I’ve found that ushers don’t interfere with efforts to sit there regardless of one’s seat assignment.

With a stiff wind in my face, I looked for a warmer part of the park after five innings.  I ended up in a Caesars Box down the first base line.  Accessing this area requires a ticket proving you belong but I found a locked door propped open slightly and was good to go.

Before the game, I had a single patty Shake Shack burger ($6.50) and a Czechvar ($8.50) in the center field food court.  As far as ballpark food goes, the Shake Shack burger is as good a value as you can get if you find yourself forced to eat at the game.  Everything about it is done with flair.  The bun is toasted.  The patty is substantial and flavorful.  The special sauce is unique.  It’s served wrapped in paper in a small box with half the sandwich sticking out.  I usually try to save all my shekels for cold brew but it’s hard to pass on food at Citi given the solid number of options.

One notable change in 2012:  Beer sellers are handing you the sixteen-ounce can without pouring it into a cup.  Domestics are $8.  I much prefer handling the can vs. a cup and so I view this as a positive development.