Pete Alonso Has Mets Fans Down Bad

Key Points:

• The Mets were eliminated from the playoffs on Monday, and Pete Alonso's return to Queens as an Oriole sparked mixed reactions from Mets fans, who gave him multiple standing ovations partly out of frustration with the team's failure despite a $340 million payroll.
• Alonso hit a ninth-inning home run off Mets closer Kodai Senga, prompting a rare road curtain call and chants of "Fire Stearns," targeting Mets head of baseball operations David Stearns for the team's poor performance and questionable roster decisions.
• Stearns, criticized for failing to adequately replace Alonso at first base and for the team's early-season collapse, is seen by some fans as the scapegoat, though the decision not to re-sign Alonso likely came from higher management.
• Current Mets players expressed disappointment with fans' enthusiastic support for Alonso, emphasizing the team's hard work and the fact that Alonso is no longer part of the Mets roster.
• Alonso's home run and the fans' reaction underscored lingering tensions surrounding the Mets' struggles and the departure of a popular former player.