New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso spoke with former New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez via Instagram live on Sunday.
The coronavirus pandemic has people around the world staying inside, practicing both social distancing and social isolation in order to halt the spread of this harmful disease. Having said that, it’s a really tough time to conduct interviews with celebrities and athletes, regardless of who’s involved.
But on Sunday night, Alex Rodriguez decided to go with a more modern-day approach. The former New York Yankee ultimately hopped on Instagram live, where he took part in a conversation with star New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.
Within the discussion, the 2019 National League Rookie of the Year expressed his excitement to even be a part of the league in the first place.
“I feel like a little kid at heart and I’m just living my fantasy.”
@Pete_Alonso20 joined @AROD last night to share stories about his love for the game. pic.twitter.com/eEL2bPom8r
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 30, 2020
“I just think of myself as Pete Alonso, I don’t think of myself as anything more,” he said when asked about his massive desire to give back to the community. “I think of myself as just a kid, I know I’m 25 years old, but I feel like a little kid at heart and I’m living my fantasy, I’m living my childhood dream. All I’ve ever wanted to do is play professional baseball and I’ve been given that opportunity. I’ve worked for that and the game has given me so much and I just want to give back.”
There were a number of times last year when the “Polar Bear” truly made significant off-field contributions. This included his work to honor the victims and first responders of the 9/11 attacks.
Last season, Alonso organized and paid for all his teammates to wear custom 9/11 cleats for their Sept. 11 matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He then donated his game-worn cleats to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan.
Along with the Rookie of the Year Award, Alonso earned first-team All-MLB honors, a spot on the NL All-Star team, and also won the 2019 Home Run Derby. It was a magical year, and only the beginning of what should be a magical career.
