Mets fans show love, appreciation to Pete Alonso in Citi Field return
A young fan holds a sign in reference to Pete Alonso of the Baltimore Orioles, right, before a game against the Mets at Citi Field on Monday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
They didn’t throw out their Pete Alonso jerseys when he left for Baltimore. They didn’t forget that home run in Milwaukee. And when he stepped foot on the Citi Field grass Monday evening, you knew for certain: No matter the uniform, this fanbase’s heart still beats for its prodigal son, and likely it always will.
“I was holding out hope, holding out hope, and when it was over…I had to retire my Alonso jersey,” said Andrew Velez, 40, of Brooklyn, who watched Alonso back in his Cyclones days. “I was so sad. I have a little closet that I put everything that belongs to former players. I couldn’t believe it. I thought he’d be the one I’d wear forever."
But...
“I pulled out my Alonso jersey today.”
The scene at Citi Field bordered on the surreal for Alonso’s return. In the stands, his old No. 20 significantly outnumbered the Lindors and the Sotos. “Pete Al-on-so” chants started during batting practice and continued throughout — a full-bodied embrace that refused to end, drowning out the PA system when it read out the lineups. They paused during the tribute video — a two-minute love letter that Alonso at first avoided looking at before relenting. When the camera panned back to him, his eyes watered and he ducked his head so his face was obscured by the bill of his cap, and broke into a sprint.
The Pete Alonso tribute video pic.twitter.com/b0eqDrGaGN
— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) September 14, 2026
When he came up to bat in the first, the chants resumed, and the stadium played his old walk-up music — “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos, Alonso tipped his cap and the crowd groaned when he flied out to right. A new chant took its place: “Fire Stearns,” referring, of course, to David Stearns’ decision to reportedly not seriously pursue Alonso in free agency.
They groaned again in his second at-bat, when he sent a ball soaring deep to left, but foul — a ball that would have been his 300th homer — and booed when he was walked. The Mets were behind by one at the time.
“I was heartbroken,” said Allison O’Brien, 30, of Valley Stream. “I stopped coming to a few games in the beginning of the season, but we’re here for him tonight.”
When Alonso signed with the Orioles for five years, $155 million, “my heart dropped to my stomach,” said Stephen Carter, 44, of Brooklyn.
“I was born in ’82…but I’d heard so much about Darryl Strawberry, him becoming a home run king and him leaving,” Carter said. “I never thought I’d have to experience that myself. I can’t wait to see his number in the rafters because he deserves it. He was that guy who was consistent, who played every day — 162 games is hard, especially when you’re not in the steroid era and you’re not using stuff to keep you up to speed…We’re always going to root for him.”
LauraJean Russo, 64, of Levittown, did note that Alonso had a chance to stay — back when then-general manager Billy Eppler offered him a seven-year, $158 million extension in 2023, “and then he got [angry] that they didn’t offer it to him a second time…
“There’s no allegiance to teams anymore,” she added. “You go where the money is…I wasn’t sorry to see him go.”
Her friend, Chris Sarni, 60, of Hicksville, vehemently disagreed.
“He was thinking he was here for life,” Sarni said. “It’s ridiculous that they just cut him [off from the franchise]…I want to see him hit a home run just to stick it to them.”
Sarni and his group of three others, including wife, Lisa, bought tickets to this game at the outset of the season. “He was homegrown,” said Lisa, 57. “He was supposed to be it…I love Pete and I hope he does well.”
For so many, it was personal. Velez still has photos with Alonso from his minor league days and “I still get goose bumps” when he thinks about the home run against the Brewers that sent the Mets to the NLDS in 2024.
“I love him — we all did,” he said. “We all had such a personal experience with him. It always felt like he wanted to be here…We wanted him and he wanted us and that’s a big thing for players and fans because sometimes, we feel like everything is about the money, everything is all politics.”
While underlining the fact that he loved his new home and hoped to retire an Oriole, Alonso, who has been magnanimous but reserved when it comes to discussing his old team, allowed himself a shred of nostalgia.
“There are so many good memories here,” he said before the game. “I’m just appreciative. I feel very lucky.”
And when it comes to the fans, "I take it as they appreciated what I brought to the field," Alonso said. "I take pride in giving everything I have every single night. I take it as they're just showing their appreciation for all the effort, the years of effort and performance and I appreciate them."
On Monday, they showed that appreciation again, and again, and again.
“Listen, did I want [Edwin] Diaz back? Of course. But I did not want to lose” Alonso, Carter said. “With him and [Juan] Soto in this lineup? With [Francisco] Lindor? The possibilities were endless. But we don’t control that."
So, he donned his Alonso jersey and made the trek to Citi.
“We’ve got to say thank you," he said. "He gave us hope.”
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
