Tampa Bay’s Pete Alonso Announces New Venue to Host 2nd Annual Youth Baseball/Softball Competition for Charity

TAMPA, FL – Major League Baseball All-Star and New York Mets First Baseman, Pete Alonso, who grew up and resides in Tampa, will be bringing his Battle For The Bay to Armature Works in the Heights District, on Sunday, January 21^st from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, with all proceeds benefitting The Alonso Foundation.

Following a successful inaugural event at Plant High School this past year, the 2024 Battle For The Bay will be hosted in an outdoor lot that will be converted into a baseball field and once again feature a youth homerun derby and a superstar showcase, where Pete and other MLB players will attempt to launch balls into the Hillsborough River.

The 2024 Battle For The Bay will be hosted from 1:00pm to 4:00pm with Tampa area baseball and softball competitors, ages 12-16, competing to see who can hit the most homeruns.  A family-friendly Fan Fest, complete with food trucks, interactive games, activities, and market-style vendors will accompany the homerun derby on the outdoor space.

Tickets go on sale on Monday, December 4^th through the Alonso Foundation website (www.alonsofoundation.org).

“Giving back to the Tampa community is super important to us, and building on last year’s success with this incredible and popular venue is so exciting.  Our partnership with the City of Tampa to form a fund that refurbishes and improves area fields is critical to enabling kids to safely enjoy the game that has given us so much.  Haley and I are dedicated to building up the youth here where we live in Tampa and are so thankful that our mission and this event were so deeply embraced,” noted Pete, a 2013 graduate of Plant High School.

Alonso is the two-time MLB Homerun Derby Champion and set the rookie record for most homeruns in a season (53 in 2019).  Off the field, Pete and his wife, Haley, created the Alonso Foundation in 2020 to give back to organizations in their community that support causes they care most deeply for.  In conjunction with Battle For The Bay, the Alonso Foundation began dedicating annual field refurbishments and equipment to local youth baseball and softball fields, with additional focus placed on veterans support and animal welfare causes in the region.  West Tampa Little League received the inaugural grant via the City of Tampa, with the purchase of an Alonso Foundation branded field tractor and new batting cages.  This year’s winner will be announced at the event.

The Battle For The Bay will once again be produced locally by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission’s Event Development Institute, and continues as a flagship event for The Alonso Foundation, creating positive impact in the greater Tampa Bay area while simultaneously partnering with additional organizations in need.

About The Alonso Foundation

In 2020, Haley and Pete Alonso were moved by the tremendous sacrifice being demonstrated by the multitude of heroes and frontline workers in our communities.  They formed their foundation to honor these local heroes and build up the causes they care most deeply about – supporting our youth, veteran's needs, and animal welfare. The mission of 'standing up for those who can’t' remains their guiding philosophy for giving.

The Alonso Foundation aims to be the voice for those who can't speak up for themselves, partnering with organizations that are advocating for and providing relief to those in need.  We vow to create lasting change in this world.  We partner with extraordinary organizations around the country to provide direct support in each of these areas and more. The donations we make are typically unrestricted to offer other nonprofits the flexible funding needed most to scale their work in service of those that need it most. Additionally, we work with educators, legislators, and stakeholders at the state and local levels to work to drive the policy changes that will create positive impact.