Chris Cannizzaro, an original member of the 1962 New York Mets, passed away at the age of 78, the San Diego Padres announced on Friday. Cannizzaro was suffering from lung cancer and lost his battle on Thursday.
A defensive minded catcher, Cannizzaro was selected from the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1961 expansion draft and played in 59 games for the 1962 Mets team, batting .241 in 156 plate appearances with a .606 OPS. However, he did lead the National League in caught stealing percentage in 1962 (56%) and then again as a Met in 1965 (53%).
Cannizzaro was the third original Met to die in 2016.
Catcher Choo-Choo Coleman died on August 15 at age 80, and outfielder Jim Hickman passed away on June 25 at age 79.
