Adam Ottavino isn’t the only member of his New York-raised family making a living these days in baseball.
Ottavino’s 66-year-old father, John, umpires games around the five boroughs, something he has done for at least 15 years.
“In my life, where it pertains to baseball, we lived a block from Prospect Park [in Brooklyn] and we’d go every day to practice, just me and him, when he was home,” Adam Ottavino told The Post on Saturday before the Mets’ 3-2 win over the Marlins, and ahead of Father’s Day. “We’d come back and listen to games on the radio. It was just part of what we did together, this combined mission to share and get better at baseball.”
John Ottavino worked as an actor in New York on the stage and screen as far back as 1983, according to his IMDB page, with roles in movies such as “Malcolm X” and “Presumed Innocent” and in TV in the various incarnations of “Law & Order,” the soap opera “As the World Turns” and most recently in an episode of “Succession” in 2018.
“He had a family business that he elected not to go into to pursue what he wanted to pursue. Just like he let me and helped me pursue what I wanted to pursue,” Adam Ottavino said. “Umpiring for him was more just like he missed baseball and the local baseball scene once I was off to college. I wasn’t around as much anymore, and he saw that they needed somebody to be organized, so he took on some of that himself.
Ottavino added this father still works games “all over the place” throughout the area.
“Obviously, they’re based out of Brooklyn mostly, but he umpires everywhere. Queens, Staten Island, Long Island, Manhattan sometimes. He even did high school championship games at Yankee Stadium,” he said. “I think he just really likes doing it. He gets some exercise and he likes to see what’s going on, really enjoys the game.”
Max Scherzer (oblique) threw a bullpen session on Saturday, but the Mets still haven’t announced where his minor league rehab start will take place, likely on Tuesday. Jacob deGrom (shoulder) threw two simulated innings Friday in a bullpen session as part of his progression.
James McCann (hand) had a scheduled day off after catching Thursday and serving as the DH on Friday (1-for-9 combined) for Triple-A Syracuse. … Eduardo Escobar rejoined the lineup following his hospital scare Friday and went 0-for-3.