Mets release Joe Suozzi, son of LI congressman Tom Suozzi
Mets outfielder Joe Suozzi looks on during a spring training game against the Nationals on Feb. 26 in West Palm Beach, Fla. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
The Mets on Sunday released Joe Suozzi, a Double-A outfielder and first baseman and son of U.S. representative Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove).
Joe Suozzi, 26, had some nice moments with the Mets in spring training, including his first hit in a major-league exhibition game (a double on March 11) and a walk-off sacrifice fly two days later with his father in the stands.
Suozzi, who attended Chaminade High School, reached Triple-A Syracuse last season. But this season, he appeared in only six games for Class A Brooklyn and six for Double-A Binghamton, collecting four hits in 32 at-bats. He hadn’t played since May 12.
Mendoza a happy father
First-year Mets manager Carlos Mendoza played catch with his two sons (Adrian, 12, and Andres, 10) on the field before Sunday’s 11-6 victory over the Padres at Citi Field.
“It means a lot,” Mendoza said. “It’s a privilege. What a blessing that I get the opportunity to come to work and have my kids [here] . . . now that they’re at an age where they know how to behave. It’s special. Something that I will never forget. I always like being around them. But now, as a manager, to come here and to be able to put this uniform on and walk into the manager’s office with my kids and have them around, it’s special.”
Always on
J.D. Martinez (2-for-3, two walks, RBI) reached base in 10 straight plate appearances before striking out in the eighth. “He was so locked the entire series and homestand,” Pete Alonso said. “What he was able to do was really special. He was not just driving pitches, but it’s the pitches that he doesn’t swing at and the pitches — like, tough pitchers’ pitches — that he just takes that are balls. It was a clinic he put on this homestand.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
