promotion<\/a> offers MLB teams gave out to their fans. Edgardo Alfonzo was an all-star infielder for the Mets.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 3″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.106″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” force_fullwidth=”off” src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/GioW2_wr.jpg” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Caption 3″ _builder_version=”3.0.106″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”8px|||2px” custom_padding=”|||” background_layout=”light”]<\/p>\n
The Columbia Fireflies are off to a winning start to the season. They are 11-6 and in first place in the South Atlantic League Southern Division.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 4″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.106″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” force_fullwidth=”off” src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/GioW3_wr-1.jpg” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Caption 4″ _builder_version=”3.0.106″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”8px|||2px” custom_padding=”|||” background_layout=”light”]<\/p>\n
Spirits Communication Park was built April 4, 2016 and is the home of the Fireflies. It has a capacity of 7,501.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.0.106″ src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/GioG1_wr-1.jpg” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”News Story” _builder_version=”3.0.106″ custom_margin=”0px||0px|” background_layout=”light”]<\/p>\n
The New York Mets added a familiar name to their farm system this March when they signed Giovanny Alfonzo, nephew of former Mets star Edgardo Alfonso.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was always a dream. And I always wanted to put on a Met uniform with the last name Alfonzo on it,\u201d Alfonzo said. \u201cSo come around spring training when I got the opportunity, I was almost in tears.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alfonzo plays infield for the Columbia Fireflies and is off to a hot start. He has a .301 batting average through his first 8 games this season and hopes to build on his hot start by perfecting his routine both physically and mentally.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a minor league ball player, don\u2019t worry about the things you can\u2019t control. Only focus on the things you can control. Focus on what you do on the field. Focus on the type of person you are and the type of player you are,\u201d Alfonzo said.<\/p>\n
Alfonzo, 25, is one of the oldest players on the Fireflies. Pedro Lopez, head coach of the Fireflies, says Alfonzo’s experience in the minors makes him a leader in the clubhouse.<\/p>\n
Alfonzo grew up in Port St. Lucie, where the Mets play spring training. He says that most of his community growing up was Mets fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was huge to be a Mets fan there. So the fact that my uncle was there and he was the star of the team. It was awesome growing up in Port St. Lucie,\u201d Alfonzo said.<\/p>\n
Edgardo Alfonzo played on the Mets as a utility infielder from 1995-2002.\u00a0In New York, Alfonzo batted .292, became an all-star in 2000 and won the silver slugger award in 1999.<\/p>\n
Now his nephew, who is known as Gio,<\/span><\/strong> has his own opportunity to follow the footsteps of his uncle\u2019s successful baseball career.<\/p>\nWhen it was time for college, Giovanny\u00a0Alfonzo got a scholarship to Florida State University and then transferred to University of Tampa, where his team was able to win a championship.<\/p>\n
University of Tampa is also where Alfonso was able to experience what he calls \u201cone of the best moments\u201d of his baseball career.<\/p>\n
In 2015,\u00a0 University of Tampa played the Philadelphia Phillies for a spring training game in Clearwater, Fl. With the score tied 2-2 and the bases loaded, Alfonzo stepped up to bat and hit a walk-off grand slam.<\/p>\n
\u201cI get chills just thinking about,\u201d Alfonzo said.<\/p>\n
University of Tampa became the first college baseball team to beat an MLB team since 2011.<\/p>\n
Following his college career, Alfonzo got drafted to the Marlins in 2015. Since he was drafted, he has bounced around to different teams before the Fireflies. After a rough start in the minors, Alfonzo says he is taking lessons from his past experiences in the minors and using them to become a better player.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing that kept me from advancing was myself. I was in my head too much. I was thinking what the front office was going to do,\u201d Alfonzo said. \u201cYou can\u2019t play this game like that. There is already too much pressure on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alfonzo\u2019s first season with the Fireflies is going well and he wants to stay above the .300 mark all season. Alfonzo says he is working on all parts of his game.<\/p>\n
Lopez says he is impressed by Alfonzo’s start to the season and hopes he continues to make an impact for the Fireflies with his leadership and his skill set.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to make it to the big leagues. Everyone does,\u201d Alfonzo said. \u201cBut along the way, I just want to be a better person. If I can grow as a person and grow as a player, I think I\u2019ve achieved what I needed to play in this game.\u201d<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” prev_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_video _builder_version=”3.0.106″ \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Edgardo Alfonzo is an all-time great for the Mets. Now, the organization has a familiar name in its farm system — Edgardo Alfonzo’s nephew Giovanny Alfonzo. After bouncing around to different teams in the minors, Giovanny Alfonzo is determined to live his dream for playing in the major leagues for the Mets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":9873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[65,38,69],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9281"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9281"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9281\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9898,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9281\/revisions\/9898"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}