The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Twin bill: Gozzo brothers reunite
Sal and Paul Gozzo are twin brothers who have been baseball teammates as far back as they can remember.
They were together on the Goose’s Gamers travel team founded by their father, through their terrific careers at Sheehan High, even into college last year when both were freshman contributors at Tulane.
Heck, it seemed their paths would eventually find them as teammates some day on the … wait for it … Minnesota Twins.
Alas, things don’t always work out so perfectly, and the twins are now separated by some 1,400 miles. After starting 40 of the Green Wave’s 58 games at catcher last season, Paul — a bit dismayed that the relatively new coaching staff, which hadn’t recruited him, was bringing four catchers into the program — decided to transfer. He wound up at UConn, where he’s sitting out the season per NCAA transfer rules.
This weekend at Dunkin’ Donuts Park, the Gozzo twins will be reunited, albeit from opposing dugouts, as Tulane faces No. 20 UConn in a three-game series.
“I’m very excited to see my family, I know a couple of guys on their team,” said Sal. “It’s really exciting, especially for our team. UConn is now ranked, they’re a really good team. Hopefully, we get some conference wins and move up.”
The first game of the series was Friday night, the
second at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday’s finale will be played in Storrs at 11:05 a.m.
Lisa Gozzo, the twin brothers’ mom, will be among dozens of relatives and friends at the games. Dad, however, won’t be there. Mauro “Goose” Gozzo, the former big-league pitcher, was recently named pitching coach of the New Britain Bees, who opened their 2018 schedule in Texas on Friday against the Sugar Land Skeeters.
“It is what it is,” Mauro shrugged. “Sal’s a big boy, he can handle it.”
Sal Gozzo has certainly handled things well in his second season of college ball. Entering Friday night’s game, he’s started 41 of Tulane’s 42 games at shortstop, providing his usual stellar defense while hitting a solid .252 — 31 points higher than a year ago. He hit a home run back on March 4 against Cal State-Fullerton, his first round-tripper since his senior year at Sheehan.
“It’s definitely an improvement from last year,” said Sal. “I wish I were doing a little bit better. I went into a little slump but I’m doing pretty well now. I’m just worried about the team, moving forward and winning some games so we can move on.”
He had conflicting feelings seeing his twin brother transfer after last season.
“It was definitely kind of sad to see him go,” said Sal. “But seeing how much he enjoys UConn, I’m happy that he’s happy.”
Indeed, Tulane’s loss was UConn’s gain.
“He’s a really good defensive catcher with a lot of upside in his bat,” UConn coach Jim Penders said of Paul Gozzo, who hit .224 with a homer and 13 RBIs in 44 games last year at Tulane. “He’s a very good teammate, has a very good feel for the game itself, which is what catchers need to do to be successful.”
In fact, even on a roster that includes Zac Susi, the Southington product who should be selected in this June’s MLB draft, and steady junior Thad Phillips, Gozzo may be the best on the team in handling a pitching staff.
“He knows what makes pitchers tick, how to get them on track when they’re off track,” said Penders. “He’s got a pitching coach’s brain behind the mask.”
BASEBALL IN THE BLOOD
It’s not hard to pinpoint where the Gozzo twins’ baseball acumen comes from. Mauro Gozzo pitched for four different teams over six major-league seasons, the final two (1993, 1994) with the Mets. A New Britain native who grew up in Berlin, he’s regaled his sons with numerous stories of his big-league career.
Like when his parents and other family members drove up to Syracuse to watch him pitch in 1989, only to keep driving up to Toronto after learning Mauro had earned his first bigleague call-up. Or when he made his second big-league start at Fenway Park, in front of 46 family members and friends. Or when he pitched against the Bash Brothers (Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco) in the 1989 playoffs.
Gozzo met Lisa while pitching two seasons in the late 1980s with the Double-A Memphis Chicks, and eventually bought a 10-acre lot in Collierville, Tennessee. The Gozzos lived there for nearly 20 years, raising horses and, ultimately, a family. It’s where Sal and Paul were born and lived until they were 10, when Mauro wanted to move a little closer to his family in Connecticut.
The Gozzos settled in Wallingford, where Mauro continued the Goose’s Gamers travel ball team that he had started down in Tennessee, this time with his twin sons on the roster. It became one of the elite AAU teams in the Northeast, traveling all over the country for tournaments and spawning numerous top-level players.
Through it all, Mauro Gozzo instilled a lifelong love and respect of baseball in his twin sons.
“He’s taught me every single thing I know, since I was 2 years old,” said Sal. “Not just the basics, but how to play the game right. I owe a lot to him.”