Let me start by getting something out of the way.
I love Pete Alonso.
Loved him as a Met. Loved the home runs. Loved the Polar Bear persona. Loved what he represented to a fan base that watched him grow from a rookie smashing 53 homers into the franchise’s all-time home run king.
I also believe the Mets made a huge mistake letting him walk.
But Pete Alonso plays for the Baltimore Orioles now.
That makes him an opp.
Sorry. Those are the rules.
Alonso returned to Citi Field this week for the first time as an opposing player and, understandably, Mets fans showed him love. He deserved that. This is a guy who spent seven seasons in Queens, hit 264 home runs as a Met and broke Darryl Strawberry’s longstanding franchise record.
Give him the tribute video. Give him the standing ovation before his first at-bat. Chant his name. Let him know New York hasn’t forgotten what he did here.
I’m with all of that.
But Tuesday night was different.
With the Mets leading Baltimore 3-2 in the ninth inning, Alonso stepped in against Kodai Senga and launched a game-tying solo home run into the left-center-field seats.
Career home run No. 300.
At Citi Field.
Against the Mets.
And Mets fans went crazy.
Not just polite applause acknowledging a milestone. They gave this man a standing ovation and eventually coaxed him out of the Orioles dugout for a curtain call.
A curtain call!
For the guy who had just tied the game against your team in the ninth inning.
Nah.
I can’t do that.
I completely understand what Mets fans were saying. A lot of that cheering wasn’t simply for Pete. It was a message to David Stearns and, to some extent, Steve Cohen. Fans are still angry that Alonso isn’t wearing blue and orange, particularly after watching him continue to produce in Baltimore while the Mets’ 2026 season collapsed.
“Fire Stearns” chants could be heard at Citi Field during Alonso’s return.
Message received.
But there’s got to be another way to send it.
Because once the game starts, that’s the other team.
Alonso isn’t standing at first base wearing METS across his chest anymore. He’s wearing Baltimore across it, and that 300th home run didn’t happen during Old-Timers’ Day or some ceremonial exhibition.
It tied the baseball game.
The Orioles eventually won 7-5 in 11 innings, with Coby Mayo’s three-run inside-the-park homer providing the difference.
So essentially, Mets fans celebrated the opposing player who erased their ninth-inning lead and helped set the stage for another Mets loss.
That’s weird.
And apparently I’m not the only one who thought so.
Mets pitcher Sean Manaea was asked about the reaction afterward and acknowledged everything Alonso meant to the organization while also pointing out the obvious.
“Pete’s not here,” Manaea said. “He’s just not here.”
Exactly.
There’s a difference between respecting a former player and actively rooting for him against your own team.
I will always have love for Pete Alonso. He gave Mets fans some incredible moments. He became the franchise’s all-time home run leader. He embraced New York, played hard and clearly still has a genuine connection with the people who watched him for seven seasons.
And No. 300 is a hell of an accomplishment.
Alonso became only the third player in AL/NL history to hit more than 300 home runs through his first eight Major League seasons, trailing only Ralph Kiner and Albert Pujols. That’s elite company.
I’m happy for him.
I just wasn’t cheering.
If Pete hit No. 300 in Baltimore, Toronto, Tampa, Boston or damn near anywhere else, salute. Stand up. Tip the cap. Polar Bear forever.
But he hit it against us.
There’s a line.
Even the Mets’ all-time home run leader doesn’t get a pass when he’s standing in the opposite dugout.
You can love Pete Alonso and still want him to go 0-for-4 when he plays the Mets. Both things can be true.
That’s not hate.
That’s baseball.