A high-profile guest dropped in on Baltimore's ballclub at Camden Yards this past Sunday.
John Oliver, the comic behind HBO's Last Week Tonight, showed up with relatives in tow to cheer for first baseman Pete Alonso.
In a clip filmed at the ballpark, Oliver introduced himself, saying that he and his kids had come down for the day. He pointed out that Alonso had graciously dropped by for a greeting ahead of the opening pitch, that the group was having a wonderful time, and wrapped up with an enthusiastic "Let's go O's!"
Oliver tapes a clip for the team's social feeds
The appearance came three months on from the moment Oliver disclosed, while sitting in with Seth Meyers on his late-night show, that he'd become an ardent backer of the Mets shortly after his arrival in America from Britain.
Talking to Meyers, he reasoned that he'd done it because it was the proper call. Pulling for the Yankees, in his view, wasn't the move, except maybe for someone who sees life in another light. He explained that he deliberately latched onto a franchise destined, in his estimation, to wound him, then noted it had delivered on that promise.
Following in his dad's footsteps, Oliver's son soon ran into that very same anguish once his most-loved player on the Mets moved along.
Oliver recounted that the youngster's favorite a year earlier had been Alonso, and that he'd anticipated the slugger leaving once summer came. Seeing his boy grow fond of the player, who even holds an autographed baseball, made it agonizing, the comic recalled, to enter the kid's bedroom and deliver word that Alonso was off to Baltimore. The youngster, he relayed, wondered aloud whether he might just root for the Orioles instead.
Having earlier impressed upon the boy that devotion to a beloved team has to endure the highs and lows alike, Oliver remembered responding that they'd been over this matter before.
A day later, Alonso fired back through a clip the team posted across its social feeds, extending an invite for the whole household to take in a contest.
In that message, Alonso said the boy was always welcome to switch over and root for the O's. He offered to host them at the ballpark for a contest at some point that year, floating the idea that they could step onto the field during batting practice, enjoy themselves, and signed off by hoping to see them soon with a "Go O's."
Alonso's warm gesture ultimately nudged Oliver into easing the rule he'd laid down for the boy. Sunday's trip to the park also produced fireworks, with Baltimore slipping past Detroit 5-3 on a game-ending three-run shot off the bat of Colton Cowser.
His turnout arrived only a short while after the member of Strike Force Five, who has claimed three Peabodys, made a brief cameo during the closing episode of Stephen Colbert's Late Show.