Alonso cites fictional coach, unhappy with Mets’ change

NEW YORK — Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor learned from phone messages that the New York Mets had fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant Tom Slater, a move that left players unhappy.

New York made the announcement late Monday night, two days after Alonso started to publicly mention the positive assistance of a new batting instructor — someone who, apparently, is fictional.

“I found out on Twitter while I was eating my postgame meal,” Alonso said, explaining he then talked to acting general manager Zack Scott and gave Davis and Slater hugs. “And then I cried at my locker a little bit.”

The slugging first baseman referred to the dismissed coaches as “Uncle Chili and Uncle Slate, I mean, they’re like family to us.”

“It really caught us all off guard,” Alonso said. “It’s confusing for me, and, listen, I respect everybody who made that decision. But to me, it just doesn’t make sense right now.”

“But I know that the guys coming up, guys coming in have great minds, they’re great people. And I know that people who were in charge in the office know that they want to win, everybody wants to win. But I guess from a results standpoint, from let’s say 2, 21⁄2 years, the results have been there and so to me it still doesn’t make sense,” he said.

Hugh Quattlebaum, the team’s minor league director of hitting development, was promoted to big league hitting coach. Kevin Howard, who was director of player development, was appointed the assistant hitting coach.

Scott was hired by team president Sandy Alderson after new owner Steven Cohen bought the Mets last fall.

Manager Luis Rojas said the coaching changes were an “organization decision … that’s the best way I can share it right now.”

He said he was not concerned a manager change could be coming.

“Those are types of things that I do not think about just because in my field, it’s just very disrespectful to the group here to be worrying about that before worrying about the team,” Rojas said.

The sudden moves, uncommon for this early in a season, were announced after a 6-5 loss at St. Louis.

“It broke my heart. I was sad,” Lindor said. “It hurt me a little bit.”

While the Mets began Tuesday ranked ninth among the 30 teams with a .240 batting average, they were last in runs with 76 and homers with 18. Their .209 batting average with runners in scoring position was 29th and they were dead last with a .143 average with two outs and runners in scoring position.