New O’s 1B Pete Alonso joins FT

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Here we got Baltimore Orioles first baseman, Pete Alazzo, joining us right now on foul Territory. Pete, great to have you on. Congratulations on the deal. And how does the introduction sound to you? It's weird or is it feeling nice?

00:00:16
Speaker 2: Now?

00:00:17
Speaker 3: No, it's it's it's awesome.

00:00:19
Speaker 4: I mean, I'm just I'm just so happy, and I mean it's it's gonna be it's gonna be a great time in Birdland.

00:00:25
Speaker 3: So I'm stoked.

00:00:29
Speaker 5: Well, you got all the right words. You say it all. Now it's birdland. Look at you. You like you fit in like a short thumb.

00:00:35
Speaker 2: I love that.

00:00:40
Speaker 4: You want to talk about thumbs like you should show the camera. Come on, show the show the camera, show them.

00:00:49
Speaker 3: Don't start, I want to see.

00:00:51
Speaker 6: Is it so gross? Pete?

00:00:54
Speaker 2: You know my thumbs.

00:00:56
Speaker 5: You know about my thumbs. Don't start?

00:00:58
Speaker 2: All right?

00:00:59
Speaker 3: All right, all right, we can start now.

00:01:03
Speaker 6: Okay, let's go.

00:01:06
Speaker 2: All right, so let's start. Let's start here.

00:01:08
Speaker 1: I'll try and keep us on the rails at least for a few minutes of this conversation, please, I'll try.

00:01:14
Speaker 2: So.

00:01:15
Speaker 1: Uh, when was the first conversation with Baltimore for you? In terms of front office and everyone. I know you had some time at the winter meetings, but can you just take us through their recruiting process with you?

00:01:27
Speaker 4: Yeah, So, to be honest, it kind of started early. So it started right at the right at the GM meetings where Mike sat down with my agent Scott and and they pretty much were it's kind of like they just wanted to gauge interest. And for me, I'm like, they got a great talented young core and Camden's a very very gorgeous park. It's a great place to play. It's it's it's always for me, a very enjoyable place to hit. So I'm like, yeah, I mean, if they're interested, I'd love to hear what they had to say. But really, for me, the really the couple points that really drove home that stood out was it pretty much gave me a whole blueprint. Uh, Michael ISAs and then I'll be the manager, Like I just think for I just think for for me, my game and what I can bring to a team.

00:02:16
Speaker 3: I feel like this is the perfect fit.

00:02:19
Speaker 6: Did I mean, I mean, obviously Schwarber. Schwarber signs and it comes out that you know, Baltimore was in on Schwarber after he signed, Did you get phone calls? Then? Was the official offer? Because we always hear from free agents and well I love asking free agents this kind of stuff like oh, hey Gauge and some interests, Hey, how you doing, but they never want to actually give the offer once Schwarber signed. Did is that when you got the offer? Or was it out there before? And it was one of a hey first one takes it, first one gets.

00:02:51
Speaker 4: It, so for it was actually interesting, So they got an So they pretty mu much offered before before our meeting and just to just to like just an initial offer. I won't get into details, but they they were pretty serious right off the rip, and like before even meeting, they would wanted to show how serious we they were. They're like, hey, we're doing this because we're we're actual, like we really believe in you, and we're we want you to really just like hear us out. And then once like once it happened, I was like I was just blown away with with the plan and I mean with what they're trying to do, not just like like the renovations that they're doing in the spring training complex, but in the stadium, and but just from a just on a philosophical level that I just think that they're like, I really get their vision. I see it, and I'm just really I'm just stoked to be a part of it. I mean, I feel like it's a really exciting time, uh to be a part of this organization, and I'm I'm stoked.

00:04:01
Speaker 5: So I'm I'm texting my son right now because I forgot to tell him you were on the show, and I said, you got any questions for Pete? And he said, Blake and Bake and his boys at school. He said, do you think you made the decision too early and not wait for another offer from another team? I said, And then I told him get back to your studies. So we're good after that.

00:04:19
Speaker 4: No, it's for honestly, it just for me. Everything it just it just felt like it just felt like a glove. Everything was natural. Everything was to me. This is after everything. It's like, I have no regrets. Everything was just I think it played out perfectly. I feel like I'm in the perfect spot.

00:04:39
Speaker 6: That's awesome to hear. That's awesome because you got five years to do it. What was some of their pitch? What was some of the that you can tell us obviously, you can't tell us, Hey, they're going to go out and get this, but what was some of their pitch because we're never sitting in those in those meetings as a free agent.

00:04:56
Speaker 4: Well, to be honest, I just think, I mean, I don't want to get into the nitty gritty because that could be divulging a little too much, But to be honest, I think, uh, I just really like I just feel like everything is just aligned, like just from a connection standpoint, like how how we view the game and and just like the attention to detail in the group, the blueprint in the direction and the commitment from it, not just from the managerial coaching staff side that I'll be like pretty much laid right out. And then Mike, Mike was fantastic the whole way. And uh and all honestly too from the new ownership grew. I think it's everything. Everybody's on the same page, and it's just really it's and for for me, like they're like, hey, like we not just like your talent, your skill set, but what you bring on and off the field could be a tremendous help like not just the player and helping us win games. But like I learned the some incredible leadership skills from mister Fray helping out Phrasers helped me out. And I feel like for them, they're like, hey, like you've played in some pretty high intensity ball games, You've have playoff experience, and you know how to be a professional, and like, not only do we expect you to help like help win with your own contributions, but there are some guys in this team that could help use your guidance and we think culturally are a huge fit for us, and and and for me, it's like like how and again there's oops, sorry almost dropped you, but again, like it is like it just felt really I don't know, it's like for them to really be fully committed and see not just the not just the stuff production wise, but to see what and recognize what I do and how I can help a clubhouse out in that way too. I mean, I'm just really I'm very appreciative of that. And and I'm gonna I'm gonna give everything I got every day.

00:07:00
Speaker 5: I know you wrote a nice message to the fans. I know how articulate you are, and you're you're you got a smart you're very smart man, and it was very heartfelt. It was beautiful. Let me ask you this though, at the end of the day, forget about the fans talk about like I felt like the Mets really didn't get that much involved with you this offseason, like that that had the I mean home run king over there, you did your job and the Mets fans loved you. That had to hurt a little bit.

00:07:25
Speaker 4: No, I'm todd to be honest, buddy, Like, for me, it's just I I just it's it's okay because I know I gave everything I had every single day.

00:07:35
Speaker 3: I'm appreciative of it.

00:07:37
Speaker 4: But I mean, at the end of the day, it's it's for me, I'm just I'm just happy where this is where not just where I'm going to be playing, but where like for me as a for me like this is where my family's gonna be.

00:07:50
Speaker 3: And they welcomed us with open arms.

00:07:52
Speaker 4: And that's why for me, it's like I feel like I'm in the I feel like I'm in the right place, uh, And I feel like we as a family are in the right place. And the Orioles like they they have treat like they treated us excellent the whole way. And it's not that the Mets didn't I'm I'm I'm just very like blessed, and I feel like we're in the right again. We're in the right spot. And how could I be salty over that?

00:08:16
Speaker 6: When did you realize that you weren't going back to the Mets? Was it last off season? Was it this off season? Was it the end of the season.

00:08:26
Speaker 4: I mean it was like, I mean, it was pretty much when it's pretty much when like like when it came down to like the true negotiating point, and it's like, all right, they're just it's just it's just not going to happen. And and that for me, it's like and for me it's like I I gave everything I have and and I always do, you know, and and it's I just don't take it personal because at the end of the day, it's it's there, it's their philosophy, it's their business decision, and and uh, I'm in a place that where they they see me in their future and in their presence. So I'm I'm stoked to be there and I can't wait to win ball games for the Baltimore Oils.

00:09:09
Speaker 6: Can you compare your twenty four and twenty five season in the sense of, like how you felt because some people say, you look at the numbers, well, you know, it's a free agent year. Some things got You always are out there playing. You're always the guy who, just like you said, you're always giving everything you have. So that's never that's never in question. Can you talk about how you felt in those two years going through you know, I'm a free agent in twenty four. I've done this before in twenty five, and then you go out and essentially have a career year besides your rookie year like you did in twenty five.

00:09:43
Speaker 4: Yeah, a lot of it didn't really have anything to do with that. A lot of it had to do with really deep diving into kind of like my process because for me, like I did a I totally spearheaded, like the like the biomechanical side of hitting and understanding more of how my body worked, and I pretty much shifted my entire program and basically it helped me understand and know how to twist the dials day to day, not just like swing feels, body feels, but also like from a scouting perspective too. So for me, I think that was the adjustment. And the exciting thing is is that twenty five was the first year and me on my kind of like new program, and for me, I'm just really excited to keep forging down that path. And it's not like things weren't wrong in twenty four. I mean, things were okay, But once I got to the playoffs in twenty four, I was like, man, I want to feel like this every day. How can I replicate it? How can I replicate not just this feeling, but how can I replicate the mechanics and get consistent in those and not deviate. There's got to be some sort of like workouts, activations, treatment for me to feel that way. And I kind of found a process and the off season going into twenty five and pretty much stuck to it the whole year.

00:11:12
Speaker 3: And I feel like I have a.

00:11:15
Speaker 4: Great not just awareness but direction of how to attack each day.

00:11:20
Speaker 3: Dude, that's that's salad.

00:11:22
Speaker 5: And I think year in and year out, you know when I tell you how smart you are, that grew and grew as you saw more pitching, as you got developed, and you understand everything else. You have a new baby boy, man, congratulations first and foremost. I think that's the way with everything in perspective, talk about being you know, father now to a young boy, and you know you got at least five years in Baltimore to raise him up and show him the ropes over there.

00:11:47
Speaker 4: Yeah, I honestly, I'm I mean, he's three months and it's really it's really a treat. But man, I can't wait till he starts walking, running around, and especially when he gets old enough to start swinging the bat around.

00:12:01
Speaker 3: Uh.

00:12:02
Speaker 4: I mean I always watched you Todd, like with in a bunch of other guys, like bring their kids in, like get to hip balls off the tee after the game and just kind of do all that fun stuff while you're still in your uniform. I'm visualizing that and seeing it, like I don't know, like it's gonna be really special to have those moments when he gets older and even now, like it's just it's it's really such a treat.

00:12:28
Speaker 5: Good.

00:12:28
Speaker 6: I love to hear the end part of that there, because don't ever wish it forward. If you ever seen the movie Click where he just clicks it all forward, don't do like he's going to be at the field, he's going to be pooping his pants at the park. Like it'll be great, Like you'll have those times right now. Enjoy the fact that that little nugget doesn't move anywhere. That's my only parent parental advice.

00:12:52
Speaker 4: Yeah, because when they start getting up and moving around, that's when you got to play zone defense.

00:12:57
Speaker 3: I'm sure of it.

00:12:58
Speaker 6: Yes, what if some of your goals you're a guy that has an opportunity to hit five hundred home runs and I know you're going to say the team, Oh, the team, we want to win the World Series. I get that. Or you wouldn't be really in this if it wasn't for the team stuff. Your personal goals. You're going to spend five years in Baltimore. What kind of personal goals are their numbers? Are there things besides like games play that you like, are really zoned in and locked in on the knowing the fact that you're going to be there for five years.

00:13:29
Speaker 4: I mean it's a there's a comfort in that. But despite and this is the thing, like every year, regardless of contracts, like situation like sucking sucks, and you want to play the best of your ability every year, whether it's free agent or you're going in ARB or you're trying to hold on and hold on and stay in the big leagues. It doesn't matter. You still want to play your best every year. That's just the competitive nature of it. And like personally, yeah, like I think for me, like it's I know, them a long ways away from like those like big numbers, but cratsy to be honest, like my my goals to play one sixty two every year, uh and be and or get close to it, or be as healthy as I can so to give myself an opportunity to to chase those I mean to chase those like things later on in the career. It's like right now, I'd like to think I'm in the kind of like the kind of the the center, the middle or the meat of my career, and I want to be able to like just out outlast and endure and and really just see how long I can play. And it's not just like it's not just from a year to year thing, but it's also like how long age wise, Like I'd love to be. I'd love to be like yeah, like forty and going into and going into my last big league season. You know, like that'd be great, but you got to you gotta earn it, not just not just perform, but you have to stay healthy.

00:15:00
Speaker 5: Yeah. My my question you next is, I know you have all these maybe designs and stuff going on with this new team. You have any new cleat or shoe or anything coming up. I feel like it's time to get things going here with you. Man with the Polar Bear.

00:15:13
Speaker 4: No, I I actually I actually started this regardless. I wanted to have cleats that were Northern Light themed because in the North Polars Polar Bears, and I wanted to I wanted to keep it on on theme and on brand.

00:15:28
Speaker 3: Thank you, Todd.

00:15:30
Speaker 4: Yeah, so we're doing we're doing Northern Light. Yeah, we're doing Northern Light team cleats this year.

00:15:36
Speaker 5: Beautiful, beautiful. I'll tell I'll tell Blake He'll be waiting for a pair for the season to come up this year and we'll be we'll be even.

00:15:42
Speaker 2: How about that?

00:15:44
Speaker 3: Even Stevens.

00:15:46
Speaker 6: Pete, you don't know him, You don't know him anything, don't don't don't let us weird like.

00:15:51
Speaker 4: No, it's not for him, it's it's for it's for Blakester. So anything for Blakester.

00:15:55
Speaker 6: Okay, Okay, that's fair, that's fair. Who are you looking forward to getting into camp seeing? Is there one guy on the Orioles that you're like, Man, I've kind of watched this guy for a little while. I kind of want to see what what he's like day in and day out.

00:16:10
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean obviously, I mean obviously there's some great young talent, I mean Gunner Gunner Rakes. But what I'm really interested is I want to see Tyler O'Neill's workout, workout regime. Okay, I mean that's that's behind the scenes, that's behind the scenes, no one sees it.

00:16:29
Speaker 3: But I just want to.

00:16:30
Speaker 4: I just want to watch that guy work out, just just one time, just see what he does.

00:16:34
Speaker 6: Are you gonna are you gonna keep up with them? Like? Are you because I heard he's a one twenty five dumbbell press guy, Like are you that?

00:16:42
Speaker 3: I want to see it?

00:16:43
Speaker 6: Are you there? Though? But are you going to be able to lift with him? Because my strongest mammals on earth?

00:16:50
Speaker 4: That's fine, But I just want to I mean again, I just want to be a spectator.

00:16:55
Speaker 6: First shirt on or shirt off? What's you're like?

00:17:02
Speaker 3: So the list?

00:17:03
Speaker 4: The list, it will be So I I sole I stole some swag from Harrison Vader. So it's cut sleeves and then cropped like the old like the old football to a day, the to a day under that go under the pets.

00:17:20
Speaker 6: Okay, okay, that's bad from me, Pete before you want to go Scotty. You got a baseball one mind?

00:17:29
Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, Well this is celebration wise, so I mean, you've probably seen what the Orioles do and I don't know if they'll run it back again, but you know they're they're all drinking from the funnel stuff like that. So it's kind of a two part question like have you seen what they do? And will you bring someone that you know brings something to the table there.

00:17:47
Speaker 2: But also it felt like two years ago the.

00:17:51
Speaker 1: Mets had as Krafts calls them, tons of gimmicks, but it kind of worked like you guys, you guys had magic, and then last year guys didn't have it. So did you learn anything from the experience of gimmicks where it's like we have Mandy on the show all the time, so he's like, oh that was too, Like that was fine for that one time, and it's so many so I'm like, all right, so maybe there's a space between like eight gimmicks and zero gimmicks that actually works and it's a winning formula.

00:18:18
Speaker 4: You just got to find something that works it's like all right, I it's like, Okay, this pair of batting gloves I wined out, so it's the batting glove's fault that the defender was there. So I'm just going to get another color pair and it'll work that time. It's like you just don't know what's going to work until until it happens. Or it's like, oh, I tied my right shoe today, that's why, that's why I swung at three balls in the dirt, or it's like.

00:18:39
Speaker 3: Oh, you know what I had.

00:18:40
Speaker 6: I don't know.

00:18:41
Speaker 4: I had eggs today and I had three hits. It's the eggs that did it, you know. It's it's honestly, there's it doesn't matter whatever method of the madness.

00:18:50
Speaker 3: It's like you just gotta.

00:18:51
Speaker 4: Find what works, whether it's whether it's a lot or a little, and it's it's case dependent.

00:18:57
Speaker 6: Yeah, there's no such thing as a bad gimmick. If you're getting knocks and you're getting w's.

00:19:01
Speaker 4: Right one like again, like it's a I mean, it's it's only cool.

00:19:07
Speaker 3: It's only cool if it works.

00:19:09
Speaker 6: That's fair, that's fair, and no such thing as a bad hit. I like that, all right, I got one hard hitting Mets question, and I got one fun what they end for you. But you've seen the fact that they haven't brought that they traded Anmo, they didn't bring Diaz Edwin back. You're not back. Did you foresee that coming last year? How the season ended, or is it something that you've been surprised about.

00:19:34
Speaker 4: I mean, that's just that's it's kind of like a philosophical thing where it's like, hey, that's just what they wanted to do. But if you think on it, like twenty twenty five, it just it just.

00:19:44
Speaker 3: Came down a one game.

00:19:46
Speaker 4: You know, it came down to one game, and there was a ton of guys hurt where I feel like if they weren't that would have put us in a better situation. And you can't control injuries, like we had a ton of arms that that weren't necessarily healthy, and it's just you know what that that plagued us.

00:20:04
Speaker 3: And and again is like, uh is a one is a one is a one game? No?

00:20:11
Speaker 4: Not in the playoff situation, where I feel like maybe if it was like I don't know, but again, I don't want to go down that rabbit hole because it's again that's I it's not my choice, not my decision.

00:20:24
Speaker 1: Yep, Hey, you might have a decision for the World Baseball Classic. I haven't heard about you yet. I know you played on the twenty three team. I remember Mookie Betts was telling us how you had the best one liners, like you were the funniest guy on the team, and there were a lot of funny guys. So in addition to what you can bring on the field and USA trying to get a title back and all those pitchers joining, do you have any news, had there been any conversations. A lot of the other spots are filling up, but first base is looking a little bit open.

00:20:51
Speaker 4: I mean I haven't really, I really haven't had any cover. I mean it was really brief with d Ro, like is during the year last year. Because yeah, I mean, I'd love to do it. I mean it's I mean, it's a it's a sick tournament. It's a great event. I think it's phenomenal for the sport. But yeah, they haven't I mean that I haven't heard anything, but again, love to do it. So yeah, Doro, if you want to give me a call, it's fine, that'd be great.

00:21:19
Speaker 2: Wow, first base wide open. D Ro call him.

00:21:22
Speaker 6: I'm surprised you have your Did you change your number? Because I know somebody changed their number last offseason, but maybe they don't have your new number.

00:21:30
Speaker 3: That's what it is that you know. That's probably right, Kratsy, it's probably right.

00:21:35
Speaker 1: If they watch this, I promise you that, so you might get a phone call. But Krat's fenished strong for.

00:21:40
Speaker 6: Us, all right, a strong one. But you went to Florida Orange, went to the Mets Orange. How on earth can you play Let's see, you're gonna be thirty five? How can you play the last seventeen years in orange? Some people go never, they never play an orange and they look terrible and orange? How can you play in orange for seventeen straight years?

00:22:06
Speaker 5: You know what?

00:22:07
Speaker 4: The baseball gods they had, Like, that's just the way that the stars of a line, you know, I mean the baseball gods.

00:22:13
Speaker 3: That's just my journey and path.

00:22:16
Speaker 4: Like, all right, you're gonna wear orange for a really long time and that's fine, and that's okay.

00:22:23
Speaker 6: Love it.

00:22:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, Hey, it's great. It's easy.

00:22:26
Speaker 1: You can just stick to one color for everything that you have around life. You know, maybe if you've got the man cave that you're decorating. We know what color is going to be. The color scheme. It makes life really easy on that front.

00:22:38
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I mean orange. It's it's a fun color. And yeah, I mean it's just it just happens to be a part of my uniform.

00:22:48
Speaker 6: Yeah. Hey, one last thing, let's give four thumbs up for the Orioles, all of us, all four of us at one time.

00:22:57
Speaker 3: It.

00:22:59
Speaker 1: Come on, this is how you're to home run kids without actually holding the bat. Come on, Todd, home run without the bat. I'm gotta have one of those. Come on, show us your superpower. Pete said, he's only coming on if you show him a thumb on the way out.

00:23:16
Speaker 5: Number one.

00:23:18
Speaker 2: We're number one. Oh wow wow. Okay, we'll save it for the.

00:23:24
Speaker 5: Wait to wait to wait till I see you again.

00:23:26
Speaker 2: Cratzy.

00:23:28
Speaker 3: I love, I love. It's good heat. It's such good heat. I love it. Pete.

00:23:34
Speaker 2: Awesome to have you on here. Thank you for joining us.

00:23:36
Speaker 1: We'll try and get Todd to give you a thumbs up for the next conversation. Have a great holiday and we'll talk to you.

00:23:41
Speaker 2: We'll see you in spring.

00:23:43
Speaker 4: Yes, yes, yes, Happy holidays, guys, Happy New Year's and we'll see it camp.

00:23:48
Speaker 1: Thank you sounds good that I appreciate you.