Pete Alonso came to New York to stir up trouble

Whether he meant to or not, Pete Alonso stirred up a storm in New York. It's as simple as that.

On Monday, Alonso got the crowd at Citi Field on its feet. He also—once again, despite himself—prompted fans to call for David Stearns's head.

If Alonso had returned—wearing an Orioles uniform—in April or May, the fans' reaction would have been different. But in September?

The Mets are out of the playoff race largely because David Stearns saw fit to replace Pete Alonso with… Jorge Polanco. #DisasterAwaiting

The fans have endured a season of misery, and they know that Pete Alonso didn't want to leave. That's why he was warmly applauded by his (former) fans.

And this was true even though his (300th) home run helped the Orioles beat the Mets, who had a chance to win last night.

Alonso, once again against his will, stole the show yesterday. He was cheered as if he were still with the team. Fans continued to call for David Stearns's head.

And Alonso delighted the Mets fans who caught the ball from his home run. He looked as if he'd never left the Big Apple.

But inevitably, some of his former teammates didn't like the fact that fans were cheering more for an opponent than for a player from the local team.

And that led to statements in the media. Alonso (through no fault of his own) stirred up trouble in the Mets' locker room.

Francisco Lindor said he would have preferred to see the fans cheer for Jonah Tong rather than a member of another team.

Sean Manaea, for his part, says it's crazy to see the crowd cheer for an opposing player instead of the guys on our own team.

The guys are criticizing the fans who've shown up all year to support a miserable team (despite the insane payroll) because Pete is still loved.

That team continues to be ridiculous and poorly managed. Don't wonder why the playoffs remain an impossible dream right now…

Created by humans, assisted by AI.