BY GEORGE DICKIE
In the category of people who project absolute joy in what
they do, we present for your consideration Pete Alonso, man
of many projectiles.
Watching the New York Mets first baseman compete at last
year's Home Run Derby, which he won for the second-straight
time, it was hard to think of anyone in recent memory who
has as much fun as the burly slugger.
Indeed, in slamming meatball after meatball from then-
Mets bench coach Dave Jauss deep into the stands at Denver's
Coors Field, the 27-year-old Floridian dubbed "the Polar
Bear" danced, bobbed his head and hammed it up to the
crowd as he launched 74 dingers, the longest a 514-foot moon
rocket. This is a man who doesn't hit cheap homers.
In the end after he'd out-homered the Orioles' Trey
Mancini, Alonso held the 2021 Home Run Derby trophy
aloft with abject pride. He believes he's the best power hitter
in the game, and after this performance it was hard to argue
with him.
It was hard to argue even before that. He won Rookie of
the Year honors in 2019 (the
same year he won his first Home
Run Derby) by hitting a rookie
record 53 homers, then followed
that up with 16 in the pandemic-
shorted 2020 season and another
37 in 2021.
He's a lock to be at Dodger
Stadium to compete in the 2022
Home Run Derby, which takes
place Monday, July 18, and airs
on ESPN and ESPN2.
Alonso goes for hat trick
in Home Run Derby
• FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 18 - 24, 2022 •
Derek Jeter is featured
in "The Captain,"
premiering Monday on
ESPN and ESPN+.
YOUR WEEKLY GUIDE TO TV ENTERTAINMENT
