No matter how bleak the baseball world looks at the moment, there is always one thing that Mets fan can fall back on. Pete Alonso plays for their team.

Every time Alonso opens his mouth, he endears himself to Mets fans, as he always seems to be saying the right thing. On Tuesday, Alonso sat down with the longtime radio voice of the Mets for an interview. Shared on the team’s YouTube page, Howie Rose spent 35 minutes with the slugging first baseman.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways from their conversation.

1. More Information on Homers for Heroes

Two months ago, Pete Alonso debuted the foundation that he started with his fiancée Haley called Homers for Heroes. At the time of its debut, this foundation set out to help everyday heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. While that is the pressing issue at the moment, Alonso went into further detail about the foundation with Rose.

Homers for Heroes is not singularly focused one cause. Instead, Alonso’s foundation is broadly looking for any everyday hero that deserves to be recognized. While first responders and service members are all heroes that will be supported by this foundation, the Alonso’s don’t want to overlook the teachers, coaches and other everyday people who are heroes in their own right.

“If you just make one person’s life exponentially better, you are considered a hero.” Alonso explained.

In the everchanging world, Alonso wants to have the flexibility to help many different types of people that are deemed heroes for their contributions to society. Homers for Heroes aims to give recipients a platform and support them in their mission.

Each month there will be a new hero that will be recognized by Alonso’s foundation. Anyone can go to the Homers for Heroes website and nominate a hero to give them a chance to be recognized by the foundation.

2. Alonso Works Out in a Barn

When asked how he has been staying ready to get back on the field this season, Alonso naturally spoke about working out in a barn in rural Florida.

The barn actually houses a private gym located in the Tampa area where Alonso has been working out with his trainer, his brother and a friend who is actually now a fielding instructor with the Mets. Alonso continues to run, field, throw, hit and do everything else he normally would to be ready to play baseball.

One aberration to his usual program is taking some grounders at shortstop to break up the routine a little bit. Although no one expects him to step into that position once he’s back at Citi Field.

3. He Grew Up Playing Catcher

If Pete Alonso could play any position other than first base, it wouldn’t be shortstop, but instead he’d like to suit up behind the dish. Apparently Alonso grew up playing both catcher and first base, eventually settling in as a first baseman before he started his professional career.

“It’s fun getting beat up back there,” Alonso told Rose of his time behind the plate. “I know some people wouldn’t say that, but I guess I’m a little different, I got a couple screw loose. But I used to love playing catcher.”

Now as Rose points out, no team official would ever dream of putting Alonso in harm’s way as a catcher, because his bat is far too valuable.

4. Alonso is on a Mission to Win a Gold Glove

Speaking of his defense, Alonso was never highly-touted as a first baseman prior to making it to the big league club last year. In fact, the Mets often used Dominic Smith as a defense replacement during the early parts of the 2019 season.

While no one is mistaking him for Keith Hernandez, Alonso did prove himself to be an adequate defensive first baseman as a rookie. Yet Alonso is determined to continue to improve playing the position that so many doubted him at.

“I’m on a mission to win a Gold Glove.” Alonso proclaimed.

He spoke about how winning a Gold Glove is about putting the team first and helping everyone out around him. The pitchers appreciate when he makes a good play and his teammates count on him to clean up some of their mistakes at first base. If Alonso becomes a Gold Glover, there is no question the team will be far better because of it.

5. No Golf for the Polar Bear

Despite constant badgering from his teammate and scratch golfer Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso isn’t hitting the links any time soon.

Alonso told Rose that he has hit a ball out of Topgolf before, so the power still translates to his golf swing, but that ruined his baseball swing for six weeks.

“For me if I pick up clubs, there is no chance I am going to be locked in baseball-wise. I got one swing I need to worry about, I can’t be worried about two.”

Meanwhile McNeil can go out and shoot a 68 in the morning and still get a couple knocks later that same night. But not everyone is blessed with that ability to play both golf and baseball. Luckily Alonso is focused on the latter.