Pete Alonso, in the vernacular of the 1950s, is a “square.” He’s Dobie Gillis, and Hoss Cartright rolled into one. But he’s also the glue holding the Mets clubhouse together…
Pete Alonso is a dorky fun-loving kid having the time of his life as the first baseman for the New York Mets. When no one else believed in the Mets, Pete Alonso believed in spades. But first, Pete Alonso believed in himself. And that’s made all the difference.
From the moment Alonso won the Home Run Derby in Cleveland, he brought with him an aura that permeates the Mets clubhouse even today. His teammates noticed something different in the way he carried himself and how the media gravitated toward him. It was swagger, but it was a nerdy swagger. The kind you can’t help but fall in love with.
As more balls sailed into the night and the home run total increased, Pete Alonso’s ego did not (increase). He’s still the jocular jock.
The only difference as he continues to shatter Met’s team records is that his team has risen to within two games of the second Wild Card spot in the National League. This, from a team that was ten games below .500 as late as July 26.
If Pete Alonso carried an infectious disease, he wouldn’t be any more dangerous than he is now. He leads the major league in home runs as a rookie with 47, and he isn’t finished yet.
Oh, there are veterans on the team like Todd Frazier, Michael Conforto, and Robinson Cano making contributions as well. But it is Alonso who “stirs” the proverbial Reggie Jackson drink for the Mets.
Pete Alonso Is So Square…
Pete Alonso is so square that he admits to being superstitious. After growing the faint touch of a mustache, he struck out twice and reached on a throwing error before deciding to make a switch at Citi Field in the game yesterday against the D’Backs. Bewitched, Alonso shaved it off in the middle of the game.
It didn’t seem to matter much though, as Alonso struck out for the third time in the sixth and grounded out in the eighth. Still, Pete Alonso was all smiles after the game as his teammates picked him up with an explosive six home run barrage that buried the Diamondbacks by a score of 10-1.
The Mets, much like the 1986 team, have a cast of characters to complement Alonso. There’s Brandon Nimmo, who set the major league record yesterday for rounding the bases after hitting a home run at sixteen seconds.
There’s Jeff McNeil, who had to make a public overture to his wife for her agreement to adopt a dog. Nerdy Jeff continues to spray hits all over the ballpark.
And then, there’s quirky Noah Syndergaard, who in his way continues to be an infectious brat by insisting he pitches better (he actually does) when Tomas Nido instead of Wilson Ramos is his catcher. This is the same Noah who whined when Brodie Van Wagenen booked the team to a Fan Day in Syracuse the day before the season opener.
Ironically, this was the same Noah who led his team around the Syracuse University football dome waving their team flag and having a good time.
Learning On The Job
But, it’s Pete Alonso’s team. He’s not only the self-appointed team cheerleader and media rep, but he’s also the guy who takes it on the field with him as well. Still, a learner fielding his position, Alonso has pulled a few mistakes at first base. But you’ll never see the same mistake twice.
Even stripped down, Pete Alonso is the same person you see every day. Fittingly, his trademark signature of ripping off the shirt of the player responsible for a Mets walk-off win got turned around on him one night (video).
Nerdy, goofy, a home run and run-producing terror, Pete Alonso is the square who ties the knot binding the Mets team together as they close in on a berth in the playoffs…
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
