Pete Alonso, Luis Rojas surprise lifelong Mets fan following cancer diagnosis
New York Mets All-Star Pete Alonso and manager Luis Rojas gave everyone a reason to smile Wednesday after sending a heartfelt message to one of the team’s biggest fans.
It all started with a tweet from an 18-year-old girl named Ally. Her 82-year-old grandmother, Kathleen, was recently diagnosed with cancer and she was hoping the Mets might be able to lift the spirits of who she described as a lifelong fan.
Please retweet & tag @Mets , it would mean the world to my Gammy💙🧡 pic.twitter.com/p1x3MaWV4L
— ally (@allyhenglein) March 17, 2020
The Mets got the message, and boy did they come through.
Pete Alonso, Luis Rojas surprise lifelong fan
One day after the original tweet, the Mets released a video of the National League Rookie of the Year surprising Kathleen with an encouraging video message.
A short time later, the phone rang. On the other end was Rojas, the Mets’ new manager.
A heartfelt surprise for a very special fan. 🧡💙@Pete_Alonso20 and Luis Rojas gave a call to @allyhenglein’s grandmother, Kathleen, who has been a die-hard #Mets fan her entire life and was recently diagnosed with cancer. https://t.co/J5kEKn8IB4 pic.twitter.com/AAp7Svgp8R
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 18, 2020
The joy in her voice says it all.
Spreading positivity goes a long way! So glad I could make a life long fan’s day! Best fans in baseball #LFGM https://t.co/wpkSWnH4Tx
— Pete Alonso (@Pete_Alonso20) March 19, 2020
Baseball provides a lift
The future of Major League Baseball, like many other major professional sports leagues around the world, is uncertain due to the coronavirus pandemic. Spring training was abruptly halted last Friday. Opening day has been delayed until mid-May at the earliest. We simply don’t know when we’ll have baseball again, and we’re all still trying to adjust to that void.
But the players, from Alex Bregman to Anthony Rizzo to Pete Alonso, are doing their part to give back. Even something so simple as a video message means so much right now. It reminds us that baseball will always be there for us in some form. And it shows the players, who can sometimes seem unreachable, are right there with us.
More from Yahoo Sports: