PORT ST. LUCIE – Pete Alonso wasn’t the only big voice in the Mets organization to deactivate its off-season social media accounts.
But the first baseman who went dark on Twitter and Instagram had nothing to do with the aftermath of a stock exchange saga, which was why owner Steve Cohen dropped Twitter, and everything to do with a new outlook on life gone of a screen.
“I think real life is just fantastic and for me I think life is a blessing, it’s something that a lot of people, sometimes including myself, take for granted,” Alonso said after a workout Friday. “And I want to spend every second with weeks in every day because every new day is a blessing, and I feel like, especially in the aftermath of what happened last year, there are a lot of things that I think are like be taken for granted.
“In 2019, when you see everyone wearing this mask, you scratch your head a bit and just say, ‘Whoa, what’s going on?’ But there are a lot of new social norms in place now that we’ve taken them for granted. I think for me, I just want to appreciate every day. I want to live in real life. ”
Alonso was one of the more active Mets to engage with fans through social media, especially during his 2019 Rookie of the Year season when he adopted ‘#LFGM’ as the team’s new rallying cry.
Although he’s out of touch with fans online, Alonso is very much looking forward to personally welcoming 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 part of Citi Field open to fans when the 2021 season kicks off.
“Playing on TV is absolutely fantastic, but when you are there in person where you swing a bat or dive or hit someone, you can make so many people smile, stand, clap, cheer, shout in person, even just by doing something,” said Alonso, smiling broadly. “When I once heard 40,000 people go nuts at Citi Field, it’s an adrenaline rush that I’m addicted to.
“I can’t wait for it to be so full again. When it’s 25 percent, 30 percent, I can’t wait to hear people cheer in person again. For me it is addictive and I love it. “