I tried playing football after watching Didier Drogba star at the 2006 World Cup – thankfully I’m good at baseball
PETE ALONSO is happy his baseball career worked out after catching the football bug… but discovering he wasn’t any good.
The New York Mets home run machine, 29, fell in love with footie after the 2006 World Cup when he was just a teen.
He became a Chelsea fan after watching Didier Drogba in his prime and being inspired to try the sport.
Speaking ahead of the 2024 MLB season, Alonso admitted: “It’s a great sport but thankfully I’m good at baseball.
“Chelsea is my favourite football club and Didier Drogba is my favourite player – the dude is an absolute savage.
“I think my favourite performance of his was against Bayern Munich in the Champions League game.
“He plays football like an American football free safety. It’s really funny how passionate he is, how graceful he is but also how aggressive in his game play.”
Alonso added: “The Latin guys in our team, they’re more La Liga because they’re Spanish speaking.
“In Latin America, especially in Venezuela and Colombia, those guys want to be a footballer before baseball.
“But if you put a bat in their hands they’re going to hit a ball 450 feet so it just works out.”
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Alonso is a three-time MLB All-Star and led his team to a 101-win season in 2022 before losing in the playoffs.
The Mets are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 season which saw their manager Buck Schowalter sacked.
They finished with a 75-87 record and were fourth in their division out of five teams.
Alonso said: “We’re a close-knit group and we’re going to be a really exciting team to watch play.
“We’re a really fun group and we’ve got a bunch of great personalities and we’re a great team to follow.
“Personally I just want to be the best I can be every single day, anytime we play.
“Just impact the game as much as I can in a positive manner, perform and be a good teammate.”
Didier Drogba is my favourite player – the dude is an absolute savage.
Pete Alonso
And the Mets have a trip to England to look forward to this summer when they take on the Philadelphia Phillies at West Ham’s London Stadium on June 8 and 9.
Alonso said: “I’m really excited, there’s a lot of things I’m excited about but I’m also looking to explore some different cultural things about London that we don’t get over here in the States.
“It’s a once in a lifetime experience and I just want to soak it all in the best I can and enjoy the city while I’m over there.”
New York Mets will play Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB World Tour: London Series 2024 on June 8-9 at London Stadium. Tickets are on sale now at ticketmaster.co.uk/MLB.