Dein erstes Forum » Polar Bear Pete is headed to the Home Run De

NEW YORK (AP) —rby.New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso plans to compete in the power-hitting contest during All-Star week in Cleveland next month.The big first baseman said Friday he accepted an invitation from Major League Baseball to participate July 8 regardless of whether he’s selected to the National League squad for the game the following night.“It’s going to be awesome. I’m just really excited http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey ,” Alonso said.The 24-year-old slugger entered Friday tied for second in the majors with 27 home runs, an NL rookie record before the All-Star break and already a Mets rookie mark for a full season. He went deep against Atlanta Braves starter Mike Soroka in the fourth inning for No. 28.Alonso, nicknamed Polar Bear Pete, was not elected by fans to start the All-Star Game but could be chosen as a backup when pitchers and reserves are announced Sunday.Either way, he’s pumped up about the derby. The winner gets $1 million.“I’m going to be ready to go,” Alonso said. “It’s just something I’ve always looked forward to. I grew up kind of the same person I am now, just a big power hitter, and it’s something that is like, man, hopefully I get to do this one day. So, I’m really excited and hopefully I get to be there for the game http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , too.”“That’d be surreal,” he added later. “Just total icing on the cake.”Alonso said his cousin, Derek Morgan, who played college baseball at St. Bonaventure, will likely be his batting practice pitcher. The rookie said Morgan threw to him recently in Atlanta and they’ll practice again next week at Citi Field.“He lays it in there good. He’s got a good arm slot,” Alonso said.“I’m trying to win it, obviously. But I think that for me, I just want to go out there and have fun and represent the Mets in a really great way.”New York teammate and buddy Jeff McNeil walked through the Mets’ dugout Friday afternoon carrying a giant stuffed polar bear.“This is Pete,” McNeil said, smiling. SEATTLE (AP) — Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said he does not expect teams to make changes to the protective netting around ballparks during the season, although he expects conversations to continue about whether netting should be extended.Manfred’s comments on Tuesday came less than a week after a young child was struck by a foul ball and hospitalized in Houston. Manfred said structural issues in each individual stadium would make it difficult to mandate changes during the season http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , but the incident at Minute Maid Park will lead to conversations into the offseason.Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. hit a line drive in the fourth inning of last Wednesday’s game into the field-level stands down the third base line, where it hit a young girl. Manfred said communication with the family of the young girl has been primarily done by the Astros, who have then updated the commissioner.“Look, I think it is important that we continue to focus on fan safety,” Manfred said. “If that means that the netting has to go beyond the dugouts, so be it. Each ballpark is different. The reason I hesitate with ‘beyond the dugout,’ I mean, a lot of clubs are beyond the dugout already. But, there is a balance here. We do have fans that are vocal about the fact that they don’t want to sit behind nets. I think that we have struck the balance in favor of fan safety so far, and I think we will continue to do that going forward.”Following recommendations from MLB, by the start of the 2018 season all 30 teams had expanded their protective netting to at least the far ends of the dugouts after several fans were injured by foul balls in 2017. The latest injury has sparked renewed debate about whether protections should go down the foul lines.“It’s very difficult given how far the clubs have gone with the netting to make changes during the year Anthony Rizzo Jersey , because they really are structural issues,” Manfred said. “But, because safety is so important, I’m sure that conversation will begin and continue into the offseason.”Manfred was in Seattle as part of a West Coast business trip, but also to meet with Mariners owner John Stanton, who has taken over as the chair of the competition committee and with owners’ meetings coming up in few weeks in New York.Among the other topics Manfred addressed:— Manfred said he’s been kept abreast of the attempts at stadium development a few hours away in Portland, Oregon, but reiterated any consideration for expansion won’t come until stadium situations are resolved in Oakland and Tampa Bay. Manfred sounded hopeful about the progress in Oakland, and described Tampa Bay as being behind Oakland in the development process.— Manfred expects any rule changes to be addressed in the next collective bargaining agreement negotiations that will ramp up next year. The current CBA expires after the 2021 season.“I think given the way that the players’ association has reacted to various rule changes that have been put forward and given that a year from now we’ll be in that final year of an agreement and we’ll be having conversations, I think those rules changes are probably going to be part of that bigger negotiation,” he said.— Manfred described Seattle as being in consideration for a future All-Star Game http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , assuming the Mariners submit a bid. Seattle last hosted the game in 2001 and would like to again, but Manfred said the team has not submitted a bid for any future openings. Currently the All-Star Game is scheduled out through 2021 with the 2026 game already scheduled to be in Philadelphia.“Let me pick a random number, but once you are in the 18-plus-year category since you’ve had a game, when the club comes forward to make a bid, they would be in the category that gets active consideration,” he said. “Obviously, we don’t like to markets too close together because we have 30 that we are trying to serve. But like I said, once it’s been 18 years or so, it’s time for that consideration to be active.”