Pete Alonso sent Cardinals infielder Masyn Winn an autographed bat and a bottle of Don Julio 1942 as a apology after the Mets first baseman tossed the ball from Winn’s first major league hit into the crowd on Friday at Busch Stadium.
Winn, who was called up from the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds on Friday, notched an infield single in the fifth inning. Typically, when a player earns his first MLB hit, the ball is removed from the game and given to the player, but Alonso lobbed it into the crowd.
Luckily, the fan who caught the ball from the milestone hit returned it to Winn following the Mets’ 7–1 victory against the Cardinals. Alonso said first base umpire John Tumpane told him that a new ball was needed, prompting the three-time All-Star to throw Winn’s ball into the stands, according to the New York Post.
In addition to the gifts, Alonso apologized to Winn at second base during Friday’s game and said he felt “like a piece of crap” after tossing the ball.
“I feel awful,” Alonso said. “I know it sounds stupid, but it’s just a bad brain fart. I know throwing the ball into the stands … that robs him of a really special moment, but I feel really bad thinking back on my first hit and just getting the ball thrown back to the dugout. … That’s a really bad mistake and unintentional. I feel horrible about it.”
Meanwhile, Winn “had no idea” that Alonso had mistakenly tossed the ball from his first hit into the crowd until Alonso apologized. But after securing the ball, Winn told reporters that situation was “quite funny.”
