Mauro "Blond Herring" or "Goose" Gozzo (born March 7, 1966) is an American former
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
pitcher and current manager of the
Gastonia Honey Hunters
The Gastonia Honey Hunters are a professional baseball team based in Gastonia, North Carolina. They play in the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball, at CaroMont Health Park i ...
. He played all or parts of six seasons in the majors, from until .
Career
Playing
He was selected in the 13th round of the
1984 Major League Baseball Draft
First round selections
The following are the first round picks in the 1984 Major League Baseball draft.
Other notable players
*Jeff Blauser†, 1st round (secondary phase), 4th overall by the Atlanta Braves
* Greg Maddux‡, 2nd round, 31st ...
by the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
, and was traded to the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
in 1987 as part of the package for
David Cone
David Brian Cone (born January 2, 1963) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, and current color commentator for the New York Yankees on the YES Network and WPIX as well as for ESPN on Sunday Night Baseball.[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) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...]
in the minor league draft, and he debuted in the majors for the Jays on August 8, 1989. After his rookie season, Gozzo played two years for the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
and one for the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
. During his two games with the Twins, he had a blond mustache with brown hair, earning him the nickname of Blond Herring. He played his final two seasons for the Mets, playing his final game on August 11, 1994. (That was the last day of the 1994 season. The players' strike began the next day, and continued into 1995.
Coaching
Gozzo served as the director of the Goose's Gamers
AAU baseball league in 2010. In 2018, Gozzo served as the pitching coach for the
New Britain Bees
The New Britain Bees are an American collegiate summer baseball team based in New Britain, Connecticut. They are a member of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL), a wood-bat league with teams in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connectic ...
of the
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...
. He was promoted to manager for the 2019 season following
Wally Backman
Walter Wayne Backman (born September 22, 1959) is an American former Major League Baseball second baseman. He is best known for his time with the New York Mets from – and was a member of their 1986 World Series-winning team. He was also the for ...
's departure. In 2020, he became pitching coach under manager
Wally Backman
Walter Wayne Backman (born September 22, 1959) is an American former Major League Baseball second baseman. He is best known for his time with the New York Mets from – and was a member of their 1986 World Series-winning team. He was also the for ...
for 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 "partne ...
.
On February 18, 2021, Gozzo was announced as manager of the new
Gastonia Honey Hunters
The Gastonia Honey Hunters are a professional baseball team based in Gastonia, North Carolina. They play in the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball, at CaroMont Health Park i ...
franchise in the
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...
.
Personal life
Gozzo was born in
New Britain, Connecticut
New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately southwest of Hartford. According to 2020 Census, the population of the city is 74,135.
Among the southernmost of the communities encompassed wit ...
and graduated from
Berlin High School, he moved to
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, centrally located between New Haven and Hartford, and Boston and New York City. The population was 44,396 at the 2020 census. The community was named after Wallingford, in En ...
after his playing career ended. Gozzo has twin sons, Paul and Sal both of whom have played college baseball.
References
Sources
1966 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Baseball coaches from Connecticut
Baseball players from Connecticut
Cleveland Indians players
Columbia Mets players
Colorado Springs Sky Sox players
Iowa Cubs players
Knoxville Blue Jays players
Little Falls Mets players
Lynchburg Mets players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Memphis Chicks players
Minnesota Twins players
New York Mets players
Norfolk Tides players
Portland Beavers players
Sportspeople from New Britain, Connecticut
Syracuse Chiefs players
Toronto Blue Jays players
New Britain Bees
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