Ron Schwane/Associated Press
CLEVELAND — Part of the charm of Pete Alonso, the precocious and powerful rookie for the Mets, is that he is both supremely confident and utterly awe-struck. He knows he belongs at the All-Star Game, yet he also cannot quite believe it.
“For me, it’s like, I’m an All-Star and my idol, a guy I want to emulate, is Paul Goldschmidt — and he’s not here and I am,” Alonso said, referring to the St. Louis Cardinals’ first baseman. “That’s the most humbling thing about this.”
Goldschmidt, a six-time All-Star, is not the only slugger missing at Progressive Field this week.