Pete Alonso has etched his name atop the New York Mets‘ history books, and the player he just surpassed had a strong message for him.
Alonso blasted a two-run homer off Atlanta Braves starter Spencer Strider in the third inning of Tuesday’s game, the 253rd of his career. The shot put Alonso ahead of Darryl Strawberry for the most home runs in franchise history and earned him some big praise from the Strawman himself.
Darryl Strawberry Shares Heartfelt Message
Shortly after Alonso’s home run to set the franchise record, the Mets took to social media to share a message from Strawberry.
âHey Pete, Darryl Strawberry here. I just want to say congratulations on breaking the home run record,â the Mets legend said. âListen, you have worked hard, you have stood up in the pressure of in New York City and you have played well. It is well-deserved, you are a homegrown player.”
Strawberry ended with some warm words for the fellow Mets slugger.
âAnd, congratulations, continue to have great success. All the best, buddy,” he said.
As ESPN noted, Strawberry held the record for close to four decades before Alonso finally snatched it away.
“Strawberry broke the previous Mets record with his 155th home run on May 3, 1988, passing Dave Kingman,” the report noted. “The sweet-swinging outfielder hit 252 in 1,109 games for New York during his first eight major league seasons from 1983 to 1990. He later played for the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees, finishing his 17-year career with 335 homers.”
As Anthony DiComo of MLB.com noted, Alonso was able to surpass Strawberry in 141 fewer games and has hit at least 34 home runs in every season other than the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
“Itâs also a testament to Alonsoâs longevity with the team and his ability to stay healthy. He is the Metsâ all-time leader in consecutive games played and has appeared in more than 97 percent of their games since his 2019 debut. Alonso could have departed after last season, but he returned on a two-year, $54 million contract with an opt-out after 2025. That gave him a prime opportunity to break Strawberryâs record.”
Alonso is still chasing another accomplishment from Strawberry — his 1986 World Series ring. The Mets entered this season among the favorites to reach the World Series after some big-ticket additions including Juan Soto, but the team has hit a month-long slump and is now struggling to hold onto a wild-card spot in the National League.
Pete Alonso Already Padded His Lead
Alonso’s one-homer lead over Strawberry didn’t last very long. The first baseman added another home run in the seventh inning, the 254th of his career, to give the Mets an 11-5 lead.
The Mets went on to win 13-5, an important victory that snapped a seven-game losing streak during a stretch that saw the team lose grip in the NL East. The Mets had been swept in consecutive series by the Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers.
The team broke out of the slump in spectacular fashion. Aside from Alonso’s two home runs, the team hit four others and even led to some technical difficulties in the stadium. The scoreboard flashed a message that they were unable to shoot off any more post-home run fireworks as they had run out.
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