New York Mets' Pete Alonso Opens up About After Effects of Brutal Car Accident
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso is having another fantastic season, in which he has made the All-Star team for the second time in his career, and will aim for a three-peat in the Home Run Derby next week.
But back in March, the day before spring training, Alonso was involved in a frightening near death car accident while traveling from his home in Tampa, FLA. to Mets spring training in Port St. Lucie. This horrific incident saw his Ford F250 pickup truck get side swiped at a stoplight, before flipping over several times.
Thankfully, Alonso came out unscathed, but the experience alone was extremely chilling for him, and left his truck smashed to pieces.
Recently in a self-written article for the Players Tribune, Alonso opened up about dealing with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) ever since his scary car crash.
"When something like this happens to you, there's so much that cycles through your mind. There are a ton of what-ifs involved. I mean, my wife was driving right behind me. If that other driver had arrived at that intersection two seconds later, he would've hit her instead.
"And even beyond that, there are just a lot of things that have gone through my head since I got hit. A big accident like that, when it happens to you, I don't care who you are, it's not easy. No matter how strong you might think you are, it can still be rough in a lot of different ways. I'm still dealing with some pretty bad PTSD from it, to be completely honest with you. And I feel very fortunate that I was able to recognize that. That I've been able to talk through it with some people. I mean, over the past several months I've really been leaning on some people that I trust and hold close. I'm continuously working through everything."
Alonso, 27, acknowledged the myth about time slowing down in these types of situations. For him, it was the complete opposite.
"This was something that happened fast," Alonso wrote. "It was like everything was moving at a million miles an hour. And in those moments when my truck was flipping over and over, I thought that was going to be it. In my head, I was like, Alright, that's it. It's over for me. I'm done. The end."
Luckily, Alonso and his wife, Haley, are both okay. And the Polar Bear recognized he needed to seek assistance from his support system, who have helped him deal with the after effects of this terrible experience.
Alonso has miraculously shown the ability to rise above major adversity in the first half of the regular season. The first baseman has led the first place Mets to a 56-34 record, while slugging 24 home runs and driving in 74 RBIs, which ties David Wright's franchise record for most runs driven in before the All-Star break.
He received the second All-Star nod of his young career, and will face off against Atlanta Braves NL East foe Ronald Acuna Jr. in the first-round of the Derby next week at Dodger Stadium. Alonso is looking to defend his back-to-back Derby titles on Monday July 18.
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