ST. LOUIS _ Mickey Callaway was heading to dinner with his parents in St. Louis on Saturday night when he received a phone call from his rookie first baseman, Pete Alonso.
The former Florida Gator knew the Cardinals were throwing out right-hander Dakota Hudson, a former Mississippi State Bulldog that Alonso knew well from his days in the SEC.
He also knew the Mets were considering resting him for the series finale against the Cards. He had been hit on the hand with a pitch in the second game of the series Saturday. It turned out to be nothing but a "little boo-boo," as he put it, but he recognized that Sunday could have been an opportunity to rest him.
"My range of motion is completely fine, strength is completely fine," Alonso said. "Right now I'm just icing it to reduce the swelling. If I had range of motion issues or strength problems, then I would feel that tests would probably be necessary. But based off of how it is, it feels 100 percent.
"Just a little bruise, a little boo-boo. So it's OK."
The last thing Alonso wanted was to rest against Hudson.
"He called me last night and said, 'You better put me in the game,' " Callaway said.
And so the Callaway started him and good thing too, as Alonso homered in the first inning to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
Callaway didn't know what to make of the call initially. When your first baseman's name is popping up on your phone on a night off, it's usually not good news.
"He's calling and texting me," Callaway said. "He said, 'Hey, I want to play tomorrow. I hate this guy. I played against him college.' I don't know what he was saying, he was going nuts."
Alonso only faced him a couple times in college with the last time coming back in 2016. Hudson had his number: Alonso went 0-for-4 against him. The two never squared off against one another in the minor leagues.
Alonso shrugged off the notion of a rivalry and said he doesn't "hate" Hudson. He just wants to face him again to help the team close out the series with a win.
"I played against him in college and had some pretty good battles," he said. "I just want to win today."
It's easy to see why Alonso has quickly become a fan-favorite in Queens. Between his candidness and his batting average, Alonso has not only given Mets fans hope but he's been entertaining as well.
The "Polar Bear," as he's become known, assured all that his hand is good to go. A planned off day isn't in store anytime soon. And even if it was, he'd probably protest it. No hibernation necessary.
"I just want to hit against him," Alonso said. "Simple as that."
