Edgardo Antonio Alfonzo (born November 8, 1973), nicknamed "Fonzie", is a

Venezuelan Venezuelans (Spanish language, Spanish: ''venezolanos'') are the Citizenship, citizens identified with the country of Venezuela. This connection may be through citizenship, descent or cultural. For most Venezuelans, many or all of these connect ...

former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

and

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

. He played

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) as an

from to , most notably as a member of the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

, for whom he played in the

2000 World Series The 2000 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2000 season. The 96th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between crosstown opponents, the two-time defending World Series champions an ...

and was chosen as a member of the National League

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

team. Alfonzo's 29.7 wins above replacement (WAR) as a Met place him as the seventh most valuable player in franchise history. Alfonzo also played for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

and

Navegantes del Magallanes Navegantes del Magallanes B.B.C., commonly known as Navegantes del Magallanes (; ''Strait of Magellan, Magellan Navigators''), or simply Magallanes, are a professional baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP), based in ...

from the LVBP. After his major league career, he played in the

Liga Mexicana de Beisbol The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

in 2008 for the

Tigres de Quintana Roo The Tigres de Quintana Roo (English: Quintana Roo Tigers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The team is part of the Southern Division (). The team has won twelve championships to date: ...

then, played for one season in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) with the

Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They h ...

in . When his playing career ended, Alfonzo became a coach and later, the manager of the

Brooklyn Cyclones The Brooklyn Cyclones are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, and play at Maimonides Park, just off the Coney Island ...

. In 2020, Alfonzo was inducted into the

New York Mets Hall of Fame The New York Mets Hall of Fame was created in order to recognize the careers of former New York Mets players, managers, broadcasters and executives. There are presently 30 members. Originally located in the Diamond Club at Shea Stadium, the ind ...

Early life

Alfonzo was raised in Soapire, Venezuela by mother Mercedes Porfiria, a preschool teacher, and father Edgar Alfonzo Sr., a truck driver. Alfonzo's older brother, Edgar Jr., taught him to play baseball. Edgar signed with the

California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...

in 1985 when he was 18 years old and Alfonzo was 11. Edgar sent his baseball paychecks back home so that their father did not have to spend time away from the rest of the family driving a truck.

Playing career

New York Mets

Alfonzo was signed by the Mets as an undrafted

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

in . That year he joined the Gulf Coast League Mets. The following season Alfonzo moved up and split time with the short-season "A" Pittsfield Mets of the New York–Penn League and Class "A" Florida State League St. Lucie Mets in . Alfonzo returned to St. Lucie the next season and played for them in . In , he was promoted to the

Binghamton Mets The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club. The Rumble Ponies play in Mi ...

of the Class "AA" Eastern League and led the team in

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s and RBI. Alfonzo made his Major League debut on April 26, 1995. At the beginning, he was a semi-regular fielder, splitting time at

second base In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the infield, between second and first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and feet, needs the ability to get rid of the ball quickly, and must ...

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

, and

third base A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

with several others. During his rookie season, Alfonzo spent most of his time at third base while accumulating a .310 batting average after the mid-season break. In and , he started regularly on third. After the 1998 season, the Mets signed

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...

Robin Ventura Robin Mark Ventura (born July 14, 1967) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and manager. Ventura played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees and Los Angeles D ...

, and Alfonzo was forced to move to second base. While he was upset about the move at first, he became one of the best defensive

second baseman In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the Infielder, infield, between Baseball field#Second base, second and Baseball field#First base, first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and f ...

in the league from –. Alfonzo was part of the infield considered to be among the best infields in MLB history on a cover of ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'', along with

Rey Ordóñez Reynaldo Ordóñez Pereira (born January 11, 1971) is a Cuban former professional baseball shortstop. He played nine seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and Chicago Cubs. Early life Ordóñez was a pro ...

, and

John Olerud John Garrett Olerud Jr. (; born August 5, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from through , most notably as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays team that won two consecut ...

. Before the season, the Mets signed the aging

Roberto Alomar Roberto Alomar Velázquez (; ; born February 5, 1968) is a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican former second baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seventeen seasons. He is regarded as one of the greatest second basemen and all-around pla ...

, and despite Alfonzo's tremendous offensive and defensive contributions during the previous three seasons, he was forced to move back to third base. He remained strong defensively; however, he struggled on offense, and the Mets decided not to re-sign him. Edgardo Alfonzo 1999

Alfonzo had his first opportunity to display his clutch hitting ability to a nationwide audience in the 1999 playoffs. After finishing in a tie with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

for the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

Wild Card Wild card most commonly refers to: * Wild card (cards), a playing card that substitutes for any other card in card games * Wild card (sports), a tournament or playoff place awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal pla ...

, the Mets played a one-game playoff to decide who would go on to the division series. In his first

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, ...

of the game, Alfonzo hit a two-run home run over the center field fence, providing the Mets with all the offense they would need as

Al Leiter Alois Terry Leiter (; born October 23, 1965) is an American former professional baseball player and current television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from to for the New York Yankees, Toronto Blu ...

threw a complete-game shutout. On the very next night, the Mets played the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

in the first game of the Division Series. Facing the feared

Randy Johnson Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed, "the Big Unit," is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle Mariners and Arizo ...

, Alfonzo again homered in his first at bat of the game, this time launching a two-run shot to center field. In the ninth inning of the same game, with the score deadlocked at 4–4, Alfonzo launched a grand slam down the left field line to help seal the victory for the Mets. In , playing against the

in the Division Series, Alfonzo hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning of game two, which would prove to be of immense importance as

J. T. Snow Jack Thomas Snow Jr. (born February 26, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports color commentator, and current bench coach for the Oakland Ballers. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball from ...

launched a three-run homer in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game. The Mets would eventually win the game 5–4 in ten innings. In game three of the series, with the Mets trailing 2–1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Giants brought in their dominant closer

Robb Nen Robb Allen Nen (born November 28, 1969) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He spent most of his career as a closer. He is the son of former major league first baseman Dick Nen. Nen pitched for the Florida ...

, who had not blown a save since the All-Star break. Alfonzo responded by lining a ball down the left-field line for a

double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...

to drive in Lenny Harris.

Benny Agbayani Benny Peter Agbayani, Jr. (; born December 28, 1971) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) ...

would later homer in the thirteenth inning to win the game for New York. Alfonzo then batted .444 against the Cardinals in the NLCS, but batted just .143 in the World Series against the New York Yankees. Alfonzo's knack for clutch hitting had endeared him to many Met fans, who still consider him one of the all-time Met greats. Coming off two excellent seasons in which he batted .304 and .324, Alfonzo had every reason to expect a big year in 2001. He had his best power numbers in 1999 (27 home runs, 108 RBI, 41 doubles) and 2000 (25, 94, 40), and at 27, he was at an age in which many hitters have their best season. However, Alfonzo suffered from a variety of injuries, including sore right hand, knee, thigh, and a back injury from years before, costing him playing time and lowering his stats to a .243 average, 17 HR, and 49 RBI in

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

. He finished with a .308 average, 16 HR, and 56 RBI. He was signed by the

as a free agent in the off-season.

San Francisco Giants

In , Alfonzo struggled for most of the first half for the Giants. He was hitting .216 with 27 RBI at mid-season, but he hit .306 with 54 RBI the rest of the way, and performed well against the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park. The ...

in the

National League Division Series In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...

, when he hit .529 (9-for-17) with five RBI. He had the lowest range factor among Major League third basemen (2.46). Alfonzo enjoyed a slight career renaissance in hitting for his career average, although with reduced power numbers. But his career continued its downward trend in 2005 due to age, nagging injuries, and reduced playing time in favor of

Pedro Feliz Pedro Julio Feliz (born April 27, 1975), is a Dominican former professional baseball third baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, and St. Louis Cardinals. Feliz h ...

Los Angeles Angels

The

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

acquired Alfonzo in exchange for

Steve Finley Steven Allen Finley (born March 12, 1965) is an American former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for eight teams between 1989 and 2007, most notably the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and Arizona Diamondbacks. He is one of o ...

. As a member of the Angels, Alfonzo's playing time further decreased in favor of younger players. After hitting .100 for the season in late May, the Angels released Alfonzo, whose agent had gone public in demands for a trade for lack of playing time, on May 20.

Toronto Blue Jays

On May 26, 2006, Edgardo signed a minor league contract with the

and was soon called up to Toronto to help the Jays' injury- and error-riddled middle infield. He was released on June 12, after appearing in only 12 games for Toronto.

Bridgeport Bluefish

In July 2006, Alfonzo signed a contract with the

Bridgeport Bluefish The Bridgeport Bluefish were an American minor league baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team was a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Baseb ...

of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

New York Mets (second stint)

After appearing in a small number of games with the Bluefish, Alfonzo's contract was purchased by the Mets on July 15, 2006. Alfonzo reported to the then-Mets Triple-A affiliate

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

with hopes of making it back to New York.

Long Island Ducks

In February , Alfonzo returned to the ALPB, signing with the

Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "par ...

Texas Rangers

On December 14, 2007, Alfonzo signed a minor league contract with an invitation to

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

with the Texas Rangers. After getting reassigned to minor league camp, Alfonzo was released before the season on March 27, 2008, and signed with the

Long Island Ducks (second stint)

On June 9, 2008, Alfonzo signed with the Long Island Ducks.

Yomiuri Giants

In February , Alfonzo signed a one-year contract with the

of Japan's

Central League The or , also known as the for sponsorship reasons, is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League i ...

. He was released by the Giants on December 2, 2009.

Newark Bears

In 2010 Alfonzo signed a contract with the

Newark Bears The Newark Bears were an American independent league professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They were a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and, later, the Canadian American Association of Professional Bas ...

, reuniting him with his former Mets teammate

Armando Benítez Armando Germán Benítez (born November 3, 1972) is a Dominican former major league relief pitcher. Benítez debuted with the Baltimore Orioles in 1994 and within a few years became their closer. He was a reliever for several other organizations ...

Chicago White Sox

In 2012, the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

signed Alfonzo and assigned him to the

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field ...

Coaching career

Alfonzo began serving as the Bench Coach for the

in 2014 under

Tom Gamboa Thomas Harold Gamboa (born February 28, 1948) is an American professional baseball coach and manager. Gamboa has managed in the minor leagues as high as AAA (the Toledo Mud Hens in the International League and the Albuquerque Dukes in the P ...

. He originally coached home games and select road games in 2014, before coaching all games in 2015 and 2016. In addition to that role, he served as a roving instructor with the Mets. On January 5, 2017, the Cyclones announced that Alfonzo replaced Gamboa, who had retired from baseball. Alfonzo led the Brooklyn Cyclones to a New York - Penn League Championship victory on September 10, 2019. This occurred 18 years to the day since the Cyclones won a championship game. The 2001 Brooklyn Cyclones were managed by his brother, Edgar Alfonzo. On October 17, 2019, the Mets informed Alfonzo that his contract to manage the Cyclones would not be renewed. On January 27, 2022, he was announced as the first manager of the

Staten Island FerryHawks The Staten Island FerryHawks are an American minor-league professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Staten Island. They are a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league ...

. The team finished with a 48–84 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs. Alfonzo was not retained following the season.

Personal life

Alfonzo's older brother, Edgar, played in the minor leagues for 12 seasons. He has managed the

Kingsport Mets The Kingsport Mets were a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League from 1921 to 2020. They were located in Kingsport, Tennessee, and were last named for the team's major league affiliate, the New York Mets. The team played its home g ...

, Brooklyn Cyclones,

Savannah Sand Gnats The Savannah Sand Gnats were a minor league baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia. They were a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. The Sand Gnats were an affiliate of the New York Mets in their final nine seasons. The team relocated t ...

and

St. Lucie Mets The St. Lucie Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and play their home games at Clover Park. The Mets have been members ...

. Another brother, Roberto, also played in 70 minor league games in the Mets

farm system In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful pl ...

in 1993–94. A nephew, Giovanny, was selected in the 21st round of the

2015 MLB Draft The 2015 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 8 through June 10, 2015, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order is the reverse order of the 2014 MLB season standings. As the Diamondbacks finished the 2014 season ...

by the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

. Another nephew, Edgar Jr., also played minor league baseball. Alfonzo's son Daniel was selected by the Mets in the 38th round of the

2017 MLB Draft The 2017 Major League Baseball draft began on June 12, 2017. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first 36 picks, including the first round and compensatory picks, were broadcast on MLB Network on June 12, while the remai ...

out of Bayside High School in

Queens, New York Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

Highlights

(2000) *

Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best Batting (baseball), offensive player at each Baseball positions, position in both the American League (AL) and the National League (baseball), National League (NL), as determ ...

(1999) *Top 10

MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...

(8th, 1999) *Top 10 in batting average (1997, 2002) *Finished second in

Gold Glove The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances. It is awarded at each fieldin ...

balloting on three occasions; in 1997 as a third baseman, and in 1999 and 2001 at second base. Alfonzo finished third in the voting as a third baseman in 1999 and fourth in 2004 at second base. *Currently ranks third in

franchise history with 1,136 hits and fifth with 538 RBI. *Currently ranks third in

franchise history with 123 runs scored in a single season. This feat was accomplished in the 1999 season. *All-time New York Mets leader in postseason hits (26) *On July 31, 2021, the Mets inducted Alfonzo into the

in a ceremony at

Citi Field Citi Field is a baseball park, baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the Boroughs of New York, borough of Queens, New York City, United States. Opened in 2009, Citi Field is the home of Major League Baseball's New York M ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alfonzo, Edgardo 1973 births Living people Binghamton Mets players Bridgeport Bluefish players Brooklyn Cyclones coaches Brooklyn Cyclones managers Fresno Grizzlies players Gulf Coast Mets players Long Island Ducks players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball players from Venezuela 20th-century Venezuelan sportsmen Major League Baseball third basemen National League All-Stars Navegantes del Magallanes players New Hampshire Fisher Cats players New York Mets players Newark Bears players Nippon Professional Baseball first basemen Nippon Professional Baseball second basemen Norfolk Tides players Baseball players from Miranda (state) Pittsfield Mets players San Francisco Giants players Silver Slugger Award winners Staten Island FerryHawks coaches St. Lucie Mets players Tigres de Aragua players Toronto Blue Jays players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Canada Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Japan Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States World Baseball Classic players of Venezuela Yomiuri Giants players 2006 World Baseball Classic players