Yoenis Cespedes only let one photographer onto his sprawling ranch in Florida or into his Polaris Slingshot for a drive to spring training.
Now the Mets slugger is remembering the man behind the camera, beloved Post sports photographer Anthony J. Causi, who passed away Sunday night after a battle with COVID-19.
“He was a dear friend to so many, a beloved husband and father, and so much more,” Cespedes wrote in a tweet Tuesday, including four pictures of himself taken by Causi. “I will forever cherish all the memories we’ve had and will miss you by our side. My love and prayers to the family of Anthony Causi. RIP my friend.”
Cespedes joined the growing list of athletes and sports figures to offer condolences in the wake of Causi’s tragic death at the age of 48.
In 2017, Cespedes opened his Vero Beach, Fla. home to Causi and Post columnist Ken Davidoff for an inside peek at La Potencia Ranch. Causi snapped a series of incredible photos of Cespedes, including the outfielder with one of his horses and other portraits of him posing in his cowboy hat.
During spring training the year before, Cespedes made headlines for arriving to the Mets facility each day in a bedazzled lineup of cars. One day, he gave Causi a ride, with the Brooklyn native sitting shotgun for the trip to take videos and photos.
Editor’s note: A GoFundMe account has been set up for the Causi family in wake of Anthony’s passing. Please find it here.
