Alonso, who won the Home Run Derby in 2021 and 2019, returns for the 2022 edition in Los Angeles on Monday.
But Alonso has made the derby his own in a way few stars ever have, in a way few stars ever have been willing to do, year after year. Some worry about their swings, their health, their energy for the second half. Some do it once for the experience, then decide not to try it again next time.
Those are nearly unfathomable notions for Alonso, whose biggest concern as of a week ago would be whether he would still be able to participate if he were not named an all-star despite having driven in more runs than any Mets player ever has by this time of year. This is his event. This is his thing, and everyone in baseball knows it.“People are just born to do certain things, and he’s born for that,” Soto said. “He is a guy who loves it and has a lot of power.
“I just love coming to the yard. I really take pride in what I do. This is my craft. This is my job. And as much as I take myself seriously, I love having fun along the way,” Alonso said in a recent interview. “Your time is limited. I want to enjoy every single day I have here.” Persistent enthusiasm often meets skepticism in major league clubhouses. The game is too hard, too often, for anyone to enjoy every second. The schedule is too punishing, too often, for anyone in his right mind to be grateful every day.
“That is him. He is a gem. He is completely transparent,” said former New York Mets bench coach Dave Jauss, now an adviser for the Washington Nationals. “He loves his teammates. He loves the game. He’s great for our industry.”
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