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.
