PORT ST. LUCIE – Pete Alonso was not the only big voice for the Mets organization to turn off his social media accounts during the offseason.
But the first base on Twitter and Instagram had nothing to do with the aftermath of a stock market saga, which was why owner Steve Cohen left Twitter, and it all had to do with a new vision of life off a screen.
“I think real life is absolutely fantastic and, for me, I think life is a blessing, it’s something I feel like a lot of people, sometimes including me, of course,” Alonso said Friday after a workout. . “And I want to spend every second soaking every day because every new day is a blessing, and I feel like especially as a result of what happened last year, there are many things that I think were taken for granted.
“In 2019, if you see everyone wearing this mask, scratch your head and say,‘ What’s going on? But there are many new social norms in place now that we take for granted. I think for me I just want to be thankful every day. I want to live in real life. “
Alonso had been one of the most active Mets interacting with fans via social media, especially during his 2019 Rookie of the Year season, when he adopted “#LFGM” as the team’s new cry.
Although he will no longer be in contact with fans online, Alonso is eager to welcome them back to Citi Field this season. After playing in an empty stadium in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Mets are expected to have at least a portion of Citi Field open to fans when the 2021 season begins.
“Playing on TV is absolutely fantastic, but being there in person where you take a bat shot or play diving or get someone’s attention, it can make a lot of people in person smile, show up, clap, cheer , scream even just doing something, ”Alonso said, with a big smirk. “Once I heard 40,000 people at Citi Field who were absolutely baffled, it’s an adrenaline rush I’m addicted to.
“I can’t wait for it to be repackaged like this. If it’s 25%, 30%, I can’t wait to hear people cheer again personally. It’s addictive for me and I love it. “