Edgardo Alfonzo

Alfonzo was raised in Soapire, Venezuela by Mercedes Porfiria, a preschool teacher, and Edgar Alfonzo, Sr., a truck driver. Alfonzo\'s older brother, Edgar, Jr., taught him to play baseball. Edgar signed with the California Angels 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 Alfonzo and the rest of the family driving a truck.\n', ' Alfonzo was signed by the Mets as an undrafted free agent in 1991. 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 1992. Alfonzo returned to St. Lucie the next season and played for them in 1993. In 1994, he was promoted to the Binghamton Mets of the Class "AA" Eastern League, and led the team in home runs and RBI. \n', ' Alfonzo made his Major League debut on April 26, 1995. At the beginning, he was a semi-regular fielder, splitting time at second base, shortstop, and third base 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 1997 and 1998, he started regularly on third. After the 1998 season, the Mets signed third baseman Robin Ventura, 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 the league from 1999–2001. Alfonzo was part of the infield considered to be among the best infields in MLB history on a cover of Sports Illustrated, along with Rey Ordóñez, Robin Ventura, and John Olerud. Before the 2002 season, the Mets signed the aging Roberto Alomar, 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.\n', '