Photo courtesy of Michelle Ioannou/MMO

Todd Hundley was at Citi Field on Friday night and you bet that he and Pete Alonso met after batting practice to talk home runs. This was the first time that the two had met.

For those who may have forgotten, Alonso recently broke Hundley’s franchise single-season home run record (which he was tied at 41 with Carlos Beltran for). Obviously, this was a hot topic of conversation for the two.

“It’s awesome!” was Hudley’s immediate response, followed by, “It’s a lot of home runs. Obviously, he’s still going.” He was extremely excited that Alonso had broken his record. “Records are made to be broken,” he also stated. Hundley recalled the game in which he broke the home run record, hitting it off of Greg McMichael. He remembered the feeling, and he and Alonso shared in their excitement of when they each, respectively, broke the record.

“No matter what year you’re in, that many home runs is tough to do — let alone (as a) rookie,” Hundley admired. He then continued to sing Alonso’s praises, saying that “it looks a lot easier than it is. He’s just an all-around good hitter.” None of us can argue that one, can we? But it holds a special meaning coming from a former Mets home run king.

Alonso also informed Hundley that growing up, he was a catcher. But when he got to high school, his coaches said that had to change. Yet another thing for the two to be able to bond about. Alonso asked Hundley questions about his playing days, his approach at the plate, and about hitting to the shift.

Another hot topic of conversation for the two? Hundley’s shoes. I, unfortunately, was unable to get a picture of them, but Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News did us all a favor.

Upon meeting and shaking hands, one of the first things Alonso said to Hundley was “I like your shoes.” Considering Alonso is from Florida, this is not surprising.

Hundley was all smiles while speaking with Alonso. His excitement about what Alonso is doing for this Mets team was evident. He had encouraging words for the rookie, and both had a bit of a laugh about how they were having this conversation but Alonso is not in the lineup.

One last thing to note on – Mets fans, you made a mark on Hundley. He spoke briefly about his time in New York, commending his teammates but also giving a special shoutout to the fans. “.. you always knew where you stood with the fans,” Hundley said. “You respect them. Either they love you or they don’t love you, but you respect them.”

The former home run king still has respect for the fans. And, of course, for the new home run king.