There are only two ways to feel about Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. You either love him or you hate him. If you’re a Mets fan, chances are you love him for all the homers he hits, along with the things he says and does when not in the batter’s box.
But if you’re a fan of an opposing team, chances are you hate him. So, when the Mets hit the road, Alonso is bound to hear his fair share of hecklers depending on where New York is playing. That’s part of the gig, and it most likely doesn’t bother him. We can only imagine the kinds of insults that get hurled his way as a visiting player.
If I had to venture a guess, the one below from a Cubs fan on Thursday night didn’t register on Alonso’s radar.
“Alonso! Alonso! I don’t like you!” – Cubs Fans
by u/RedCheese1 in NewYorkMets
Yea, that’s just a hunch, though. This sounds like something straight from the days when Hunter Pence used to get heckled. I can see the thought process of trying to do something simple, but this is just lame. Do you really think that’s going to bother Pete? Come on, man.
After Jeff McNeil singled in the fifth inning, Alonso shook off that terrifying insult and got hit by a pitch. Then, he and McNeil pulled off a double steal before the Mets tacked on their fifth run of the evening.
Alonso eventually got his revenge a couple of innings later by hitting his MLB-leading 19th home run of the year:
#19 of the season from Pete Alonso goes the other way! ? pic.twitter.com/9uuLXLvjMs
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 26, 2023
Sticks and stones, man. Sticks and stones.
The Mets will conclude their road trip this weekend with a three-game set in Denver against the Colorado Rockies. You’d have to imagine the thin air at Coors Field will lead to another Alonso homer or two, but we’ll see.
We’ll also see if Rockies fans can heckle Alonso in any kind of meaningful manner. But after what we heard at Wrigley Field, the bar is set pretty low.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.