February 2003

When the December 7th deadline for Major League teams to offer salary arbitration to its players who had declared free agency had come and gone, Edgardo Alfonzo's relationship with the Mets had effectively ended. This news caught me by surprise -- the idea that "Fonzie" would be anything other than a lifelong Met seemed unfathomable until it actually happened. Once the shock faded, like many other fans, I took some time to reflect upon why Alfonzo's departure is the end of a special chapter in Mets history.

A homegrown player, Alfonzo spent four years in the Mets' minor league organization prior to his major league debut in 1995. Originally a shortstop, Alfonzo moved to second base when the Mets acquired Rey Ordoñez. Later he moved to third base when Carlos Baerga became a Met, moved back to second when Robin Ventura joined the team, and once again went to third base when Ventura left and the Mets acquired superstar Roberto Alomar to play second. Not only did Alfonzo adapt to these changes, but he did so without exhibiting the "me first" type of attitude that major leaguers are all too likely to show these days. While a fine third baseman, Alfonzo's star seemed to shine more brightly when he played second, where he won the Silver Slugger Award in 1999, was second in the Rawlings Gold Glove balloting in 2000, and was elected by the fans to the Mets' All Amazin' Team in 2002.

Alfonzo's stellar glove work and quiet professionalism masked just what a force he could be at the plate. In one spectacular game in Houston on August 30, 1999, he set Met records for a single game in hits, total bases and runs scored when the went 6-6 with three home runs, a double, six runs scored and five RBIs. Later that year, Alfonzo was a hero at the plate when his ninth inning grand slam home run in Game 1 of the 1999 NLDS broke the previously tied game wide open and set the stage for the Mets advancing to the NLCS. An All Star in 2000, Fonzie was also a pivotal part of the team that won the National League pennant and went to the Subway Series that year.

In addition to these on-the-field accomplishments, Alfonzo has proven to be a worthy role model off the field as well. Alfonzo is a devoutly religious man who is willing to share his faith with those who seek him out without crossing the fine line of imposing his views upon others. His eloquence during interviews is a testament to his motivation to learn English after coming to this country from Venezuela as a young man who could not speak the language. As a ballplayer and as a man, Alfonzo is the type of person you want to see your children admire and emulate.

But during the 2002 season there were indications that Alfonzo's time with the Mets could be coming to an end. Stories emerged during the summer that the Mets offered Alfonzo a three year contract extension worth $18.3 million, but that Alfonzo rejected the offer. Published reports said that Alfonzo didn't object to the compensation, but was reportedly seeking a 5-7 year deal. The Mets, meanwhile, had reservations about offering Alfonzo that long a contract. For starters, it has become almost prohibitively expensive for teams to insure players for the duration of deals beyond three years because the insurance companies have raised the premiums of such policies after having to pay off several expensive claims. Secondly, Alfonzo spent time on the disabled list with a bad back in 2001 and a strained oblique muscle in 2002, which raised issues about his long-term health over the duration of the next several years. There is also the issue of Alfonzo's age. His official date of birth is listed as November 8, 1973. However, since September 11, 2001, many foreign born players, including Met Timo Perez, have had to admit to being older than previously acknowledged in order to obtain the proper documentation to reenter the United States. Alfonzo spent the 2001-2002 offseason training in Connecticut and, thus, has not been subject to this heightened scrutiny. It stands to reason that any uncertainty about a player's age would give a team a disincentive to offer him a long term commitment. Thus, the 2002 season ended and, without a contract extension, Alfonzo declared himself a free agent. Negotiations continued, but a monetary chasm between the two sides developed, with Alfonzo seeking $16 million for a two year contract while the Mets' offer shrank to $11 million for that term. With the December 7th arbitration deadline approaching and the Mets concerned about how an arbitrator might rule, and facing the prospect of Alfonzo being a free agent again next year, the team instead elected to let Alfonzo go.

And with that, the Edgardo Alfonzo era was over.

As he did during his entire Mets career, in the wake of his divorce from the team Alfonzo handled himself with grace and dignity. He said how much he enjoyed his time with the team and that he would have liked to have been a Met for his entire career. Similarly, Mets owner Fred Wilpon praised Alfonzo in the aftermath of his departure, commenting that the two sides simply disagreed about his market value. If anyone acted poorly it was Alfonzo's agent, Peter Greenberg. Greenberg spoke in detail about how disappointed his 9-year-old daughter was that her favorite player would no longer be a part of her favorite team. This struck me as a disingenuous attempt to demonize the Mets for a situation that was largely his own making. Greenberg clearly misread the free agent market and felt that he would be able to find a team that would offer Alfonzo the kind of long term deal that he unsuccessfully sought from the Mets over the summer. It was certainly Alfonzo's prerogative to test the market and try to obtain the best deal possible. But to then try to cast blame on the team because it didn't capitulate to his demands, using his own child in order to tug on the fans' heartstrings in the process, just seemed like an attempt at after the fact emotional manipulation by the agent. Greenberg should take some lessons from his client on how to handle oneself with class during times of disappointment.

Subsequently, Alfonzo signed a four year contract with the San Francisco Giants worth $26 million -- slightly more money than the Mets offered during the season, but with one more year of security than the Mets were willing to extend to the talented infielder.

As a fan, my reaction to this turn of events is complex. I certainly feel a sense of loss for someone who, for many years, has been an important part of the team I love. On the other hand, after having lost so much of the 2000 National League pennant winning team to trades since July 2001, my feelings have been more muted than they otherwise might have been. I have been a Mets fan my whole life, and I will likely remain so no matter what. However, as several of my online friends at Mets boards have said, I sometimes feel like we're rooting for laundry -- the uniforms on the field rather than the men who are wearing them. I love the team, but who are these guys? Where are the familiar faces?

In the end, I will always wish Fonzie well (except, of course, when his Giants are facing the Mets). He has always been one of the good guys, and I look forward to watching him have several more great seasons. At the same time, I hold out hope that somebody with his talent and character will be there to replace him on the Mets, so I can cheer for more than just the laundry on the Diamond