New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso has maintained a visible presence on social media with baseball on an indefinite hiatus.
In addition to talking with Alex Rodriguez about his long-term plans and connecting with a Mets fan who's battling cancer, Alonso is now starting the nonprofit "Homers for Heroes" with his fiancee, Haley Walsh.
"A hero could be anybody that goes above and beyond their job title or above and beyond their call of duty," Alonso told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
He added: "It could be a teacher, could be a coach, a firefighter, first responder. It could be a veteran. It could be a librarian, someone who wants the best for people and is extremely selfless. It could be someone who is a conservationist and sacrifices so much talent and effort for a cause. We want to bring those people to light and help out the best way we can."
Alonso said partners such as Citi and Nike have pledged money for every home run or every team win in an eventual 2020 season, which the slugger is confident will still happen.
He previously shared his support for first responders in late March.
A special message from @Pete_Alonso20. pic.twitter.com/PNMRJRpoJg
— MLB (@MLB) March 25, 2020
The 2019 National League Rookie of the Year has embraced the pressures of New York City during his brief time as a major leaguer, and he said he understood fairly early how wide his influence could reach.
"I don't think there was one a-ha moment," Alonso said. "It was kind of progressive throughout the season. People responded, specifically Mets fans, responded positively to me. They've treated me so well. And I feel like it's not just Mets fans who have responded well but other people, whether baseball fans or not.
"It's really cool to hear the good, positive feedback, the response, the interactions. Understanding that, I just want to do the best I can with my platform. I want to use it for good."
