The Boys are Back in Town

This year's B-Mets roster has several familiar faces.

Brian Bannister, Ken Chenard, and Tim Lavigne all pitched for the B-Mets last year with varying success. Ken's little boy likes to warm up with the team, and some of the guys look like they're having a great time with him, especially Chase Lambin.

Joe Hietpas and Zac Clements both caught for the B-Mets last year. Joe is respected as a receiver, but he looks lost at the plate. Surprisingly, in one game over the weekend, he singled, then stole second. We think the opposition was totally stunned that he would even attempt it.

Mike Jacobs, David Bacani, Aarom Baldiris, and Chase Lambin are back in the infield. At one time, Jacobs was the heir apparent to Mike Piazza, but he is back in Binghamton to learn to play first base following a season lost to injury. Bacani is a crowd favorite, a sparkplug, but we are surprised he is not at AAA. Chase is listed on the roster as the utility player. He played a flawless third base his first game, but the next game he was back in his usual spot, at second, and uncharacteristically committed an error, tossing an routine doubleplay ball over Bacani's head into left field (Bacani is listed as 5'8", a generous stat, so he is a low target). The next doubleplay ball Chase displayed a little uncertainty by running to tag second himself before throwing to first.

Jeff Duncan, Wayne Lydon, Bobby Malek, and Prentice Redman are the returnees in the outfield. Jeff and Prentice have played with the NY Mets; we were all surprised to see them back at this level. Theirs is one of those cases in which you love the chance to watch him play, but you wish he, for his sake, was playing elsewhere. Wayne, if he sticks for the season, might make another go at the stolen base record; a late-season groin injury stopped him 2 bases shy of it. Malek came up to Binghamton late last season, right when they were dismantling the excellent team anchored by David Wright and Angel Pagan.

We were somewhat spoiled in 2004 by the team that played in Binghamton, until the majority were called up either to Norfolk or New York, but what this year's team has already shown us foretells an entertaining season.