The owner of the Binghamton Mets came out once again to defend his team, refuting reports from earlier in the day made by ballparkdigest.com that the team was close to moving to Ottawa, Ontario for the 2014 season.

After interviewing Binghamton Mets owner Michael Urda, Press & Sun-Bulletin B-Mets reporter Lynn Worthy had this to say in an electronic article posted at 7:12 PM last night:

Urda said the B-Mets ownership has not had discussions with Beacon Sports Capital or any potential ownership groups about buying the franchise.

When Worthy pressed the B-Mets owner further as to the future of Double-A baseball in Binghamton, Urda had this to say

Urda would not definitively say the Binghamton franchise would remain a Double-A affiliate, quipping, “Anything is possible. We could put a Major League team here as well.”

One further quote that appeared in the article, this time from Eastern League president Joe McEacharn and a salient point in the entire ‘Ottawa is getting an Eastern League club’ controversy is:

“The reason there’s not baseball in Ottawa right now is because it failed miserably,” McEacharn said.

Although proponents of the Ottawa market returning to affiliated baseball have turned a blind eye to this fact, the fact remains that attendance numbers in Ottawa – even before they became a lame duck team prior to their move to Allentown – were below what Binghamton is drawing at this point, and at that time Ottawa had a Triple A club, one step above the Double A Eastern League.

The Ottawa Citizen reports it as a possibility, but we can report it as a certainty that Ryan-Sanders Baseball is negotiating to buy the Binghamton Mets (Class AA; Eastern League) and move the team to Ottawa Stadium in 2014.

The Ryan name of ‘Ryan-Sanders Baseball’ should be familiar to all Mets fans as it is none other than former New York Mets pitcher Nolan Ryan.

Ryan-Sanders Baseball, owned by the Nolan Ryan family (which includes sons Reid and Reese) and Don Sanders, owns the Round Rock Express (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) and the Corpus Christi Hooks (Class AA; Texas League). The firm has quietly been looking at expansion in the past few years both in the affiliated and summer-collegiate fields.

The move will apparently not take place until 2014, but the news breaking at this point essentially ensures the Binghamton Mets will be a lame duck team in 2013.

In the standings, Binghamton finished the season with a 68 and 74 record which translates to a .479 win percentage.  They ended up in fifth place in the Eastern League’s Eastern Division (for the third season in a row), eleven games behind front runner Trenton.  The last time the B-Mets had a winning record was 2008 when the Mako Oliveras led team finished in third place with a 73 and 69 record.

Final 2012 Eastern League Standings

Looking at the B-Mets win/loss stats against their Eastern League opponents, the Portland SeaDogs and Erie SeaWolves proved to be the only teams Binghamton had a winning record against in 2012.  They tied their season series with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at ten games a piece, the Richmond Flying Squirrels at three games a piece, and the Harrisburg Senators at six games each.  Binghamton posted losing series records against their six other EL opponents, with their worst record against the Bowie BaySox at 1-and-7.

Team batting stats when matched up against the rest of the EL showed that Binghamton was tied for fourth in average at .261, alone in fourth with an OBP of .338, and tied for fifth in SLG at .387.  Team pitching stats in relation to the other Eastern League teams had the B-Mets ninth out of the twelve teams with a 4.13 ERA, tied for fifth in WHIP at 1.36, and seventh in strikeouts with 994.  The B-Mets were dead last in the league with only 27 saves to their credit in 2012, and at the other end of the spectrum they were tied for first in number of complete games tossed with seven.

Den Dekker led the B-Mets in BA/SLG/OPS in 2012

Individually at the plate in 2012 it should come as no surprise that Matt den Dekker’s numbers early in the season kept him at the top in key statistical categories for the B-Mets throughout the season.  Den Dekker led the overall season batting stats in average at .340, as well as slugging at .563 and OPS at .960.

Juan Lagares ended up at the top for the B-Mets in runs scored (69), hits (141), doubles (29), and triples (6).  Lagares also led the team in stolen bases with 21 as well as caught stealing with 10.

Leading the team in the long ball category was Reese Havens, with ten round trippers to his credit in 2012.  Havens also led the team in strikeouts with 113 K’s, and was tied with Eric Campbell for most walks in the season with 58.

The last (major) stat category to mention as far as the hitters go is RBI’s, the top honor belonging to Jefry Marte with his 58 helpers in 2012.

Collin McHugh led all starters with a 2.14 ERA

On the mound as far as the starters were concerned Greg Peavey started the most games for Binghamton in 2012 with 25.  The stat that floats to the top with pitchers, and the top spot for B-Mets starters in this category, was Collin McHugh who finished the season with a 2.41 ERA.  McHugh also led the starters in WHIP at season’s end with a 1.07 mark.  The strikeout king for Binghamton this past season was – Darin Gorski who fanned a total of 118 opposing batters.  As I’m sure everyone would like to know, Gorski edged out Zack Wheeler for the top spot in this category by one strikeout, although Gorski also pitched in six more games than Wheeler as well.  Mark Cohoon pitched the most innings amongst the starters, tossing a total of 146.2 frames on the season.  Darin Gorski at 9-and-8 and Zack Wheeler at 10-and-6 proved to be the only B-Mets starters with records above .500 in 2012.

Looking at the bullpen for Pedro Lopez’s B-Mets, Brad Holt saw the most time in relief for Binghamton in 2012 being called upon in a total of 39 games with 47.2 innings pitched all told.  Holt also led all relievers with 42 strikeouts.  In their brief time in Binghamton, Andrew Carpenter (5 games) and C.J. Nitkowski (6 games) were the only relievers to go unscathed each posting an ERA of 0.00.  Nitkowski held the top spot in WHIP among the relievers at 1.07.  Ten B-Mets relievers recorded saves in 2012, but no one topped Robert Carson who led this category with 9.

Robert Carson was the B-Mets top closer with 9 saves

Fans in Binghamton saw three New York Mets players make a pass through the Southern Tier on their rehab route in 2012.  Miguel Batista, before being released by the New York Mets on July 26th, made one start for the B-Mets.  He took the loss in the game, giving up four earned runs on four hits.  New York Mets closer Frank Francisco played in five games for the B-Mets at the end of July/beginning of August.  In those five games he allowed two earned runs on six hits while striking out four.  Francisco earned one save as well in his brief stint in Binghamton.  Mike Baxter was the third and final rehabber to play for Binghamton in 2012, appearing in three games going three for ten at the plate with a run scored.

The end of August brought some great news for the fans in Binghamton as the B-Mets to New York trail will continue for another four years as the two Mets teams signed a new player development contract.  After being barraged by Ballpark Digest and other media outlets during the off season about a potential relocation of both franchise and affiliation, Binghamton and the parent New York Mets finally put all of the unsubstantiated rumors purported by those entities to rest ensuring that the blue and orange will play in Upstate New York for another four seasons.

Caption from this Binghamton Mets posted picture says it all

On the heels of this, attendance at B-Mets games seems to be the concern of many (many that like to come up with rumors).  In 2012, Binghamton’s final tally at the gate was 196,929.  This past season was only the third time in the B-Mets 21 year history they fell below the 200,000 mark, although it was not their ‘worst’ season ever – that dubious honor belongs to the 2000 season when they drew 187,692.  On the surface this season’s number looks a bit low.  Now, let’s fill in the blanks.  As stated above, in the off season Ballpark Digest and the newspapers in Ottawa, Ontario published articles based on rumors and in essence created a somewhat lame duck team in Binghamton as each of those entities stated the team was moving.  Couple that with a cold April and beginning of May – average temperature was ten degrees lower this season over last (yes, I am a nerd, and yes I have the stats to back this up) – any way you shake it out, sitting at any ballpark anywhere when it’s 45 degrees outside is just damn cold and only the diehards will show up (we were there).  Looking further, the Binghamton Mets lost five openings to inclement weather.  Mining this number down even further, one of those games – June 4th – was a ‘Baseball in Education’ game, meaning the attendance number would have been over 5,000.  Not only was the game postponed, but the makeup was moved to Akron!  Using a conservative stat of 2,500 for four of the games they lost, and a realistic number of 5,000 for the BIE game, had the B-Mets been able to take advantage of all of their dates – their season ending attendance stat would have been approximately 15,000 higher, putting them at or around 211,000 fans.

One further and final thought on this subject.  Percent capacity is sometimes a more genuine attendance stat to look at as opposed to average attendance or total attendance as it shows to what percent your team is putting butts in the seats, and that really is what it’s all about right?  Looking across the Mets system, here’s how the teams rank: Brooklyn Cyclones (87%), New York Mets (69%), Binghamton Mets (50%), Savannah Sand Gnats (47%), Buffalo Bisons (41%), St. Lucie Mets (21%).

When he makes the bigs, Zack Wheeler will join a long line of players that Binghamton fans will be able to say ‘I remember when he played here’

It’s been a somewhat tumultuous and at times exciting season for the fans in Binghamton, as well as the players and staff of the Binghamton Mets.  To be able to watch the likes of current Major Leaguer Collin McHugh, as well as future Major Leaguers Zack Wheeler and Matt den Dekker put on the B-Mets uniform and play day in and day out was certainly a highlight of an otherwise middle of the road season in Upstate New York, but the best news of all was the realization that we have four more years to cheer on our B-Mets.  Mark it on your calendars, April 11, 2013 starts off the home campaign of the 22nd season of Binghamton Mets baseball as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats come to town.  Until then, peace, and everyone have a great off season!

Done deal…

The Binghamton Mets, have been affiliated with the Mets since they were incepted in 1992, and New York Mets have announced a four-year extension of their player development contract, securing the B-Mets as the Mets’ Double-A affiliate through the 2016 season.

Original Post 7/12

An article that appeared in Thursday’s Press & Sun-Bulletin reported that a new deal between the Binghamton Mets and their parent club the New York Mets is near.   In the article, written by B-Mets beat writer Lynn Worthy, B-Mets president Mike Urda stated

“It’s going to happen,” said Urda, also a member of the ownership group, when asked if the club had reached an agree­ment with the Mets on another player development contract.

Urda was in New York and met with New York Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson on June 22nd. One caveat the two discussed was the length of the PDC, which is traditionally two years.

The two discussed continuing the relationship between Bing­hamton and New York, and Urda said the idea of extending the player development con­tract for four years instead of two years was brought up.

A contract of longer than four years is usually rare between minor league teams and their major league counterparts, but such an agreement between Flushing and Binghamton would show the Major League Mets are happy with their Double A club right where it is. Many teams that have already signed new contracts this season have a 2014 expiration date.

At present, an actual agreement has not been reached but Urda remains optimistic after his meeting with Alderson.

Urda did not say any agreement was reached, instead saying that he and Alderson agreed they would not “rush into” any announcements simply because of interest from the press or fans.

“We have a good feel­ing about things,” Urda said. “We trust each oth­er. We’re not going to jump into anything.”

The Binghamton Mets, who have been affiliated with New York since 1992, were dogged repeatedly this past off season by rumors of the team moving, rumors that never came to fruition as the destination for the franchise – Ottawa, Ontario – has all but fizzled.

B-Mets SS Wilfredo Tovar had the eventual game winning RBI on Sunday in Portland

The Binghamton Mets played their final game of the 2012 season at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine on Sunday afternoon, taking the rubber match by a score of five to three in extra innings over the Sea Dogs.  It was the thirteenth time the B-Mets beat the Double A Red Sox in 2012, winning the season series by a 13-6 margin.

Greg Peavey found himself on the mound at the outset for the twenty fourth time in 2012.  Peavey, who is four and two with a decision in his last six starts, went seven innings for the visitors.  He allowed three runs on six hits while striking out four and walking only one.  All of the runs surrendered by Peavey were by way of the long ball off of the same Sea Dogs bat as Jeremy Hazelbaker hit a solo shot in the first inning and two run dinger in the bottom of the third.

Jeff Kaplan was brought in to relieve Peavey in the bottom of the eighth inning, throwing a total of two innings in the game.  Kaplan kept the Sea Dogs off the scoreboard in his outing, allowing only one hit and striking out three Portland batters.  Kaplan was the pitcher of record when the B-Mets took the lead in the top of the tenth inning, and in that earned his second win of the season.  Kaplan’s first win of 2012 was against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats way back in April.

Brad Holt would be the third and final pitcher used by Pedro Lopez on the afternoon.  Holt pitched a clean sheet in the bottom of the tenth, striking out one Sea Dog in the process, and closed out the game for the B-Mets earning his first save of the 2012 season.

Aided by two errors in the top of the tenth by the Sea Dogs, the B-Mets batters were able to plate two runs in the frame to take the win.  After a leadoff walk by Allan Dykstra, Dustin Martin reached on a catching error by Portland pitcher Michael Olmstead.  Juan Centeno walked as well loading the bases and setting the stage for the go ahead runs by the B-Mets.  Those two runs came by way of a Wilfredo Tovar single to center field scoring both Juan Lagares – who had been inserted in the game as a pinch runner for Dykstra – and Dustin Martin.

Wilfredo Tovar was certainly the man of the afternoon for Binghamton going 4-for-4 at the plate, including the game winning RBI and a run scored himself in the fourth inning.

Wilmer Flores was 3-for-5 in the game matching his season long hitting streak at seven games.  Flores has gone 14-for-27 over that span for a .518 average.

Dustin Martin was 2-for-5 in the game and catcher Juan Centeno was 2-for-4 each with a run scored to their credit.  Martin hit his tenth double of the season as part of his two hit tally.

B-Mets Buzz: It’s off to Reading, Pennsylvania for the B-Mets now where they will open a four game set beginning Monday night against the Phillies.  Mark Cohoon (8-9, 3.48) will be on the mound to begin the series against the R-Phils Trevor May (9-12, 4.97).  This is certainly the make or break series of the season for the B-Mets as Reading is the team they are chasing for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Division.  Currently Binghamton sits six games behind second place Reading with an elimination number that is now down to three.

Gonzalez Germen started his seventeenth game for the B-Mets coming into the contest with a seven and ten record, figuring in the decision in each of his starts on the season.  Germen would figure in this games decision as well, unfortunately earning his eleventh loss of the 2012 campaign.  He tossed seven and two thirds innings, giving up all four of Portland’s runs on a season high nine hits allowed.  Two of the hits and runs he gave up were back to back solo home runs in the bottom of the eighth, runs that proved to be the difference on the night.  Germen struck out seven and issued three walks in the game.  With the loss, Germen is now 1-for5 in his last six starts for the B-Mets.

Brad Holt came on in relief of Germen in the bottom of the eighth facing one batter, Portland catcher Christian Vazquez, who grounded out second to first to end the inning.

Wilmer Flores continued to swing a hot bat in the month of August, going 1-for-4 in this game with a ninth inning two run home run that brought the B-Mets to within one run in the final frame.  Flores is now 8-for-18 over his last six games and is on a five game hitting streak.  His current season high streak is seven games which came earlier this month, a stretch in which he hit .467 going 14-for-30.

Juan Lagares, who was on base when Flores hit his ninth inning shot, was 2-for-4 in the game with an RBI to his credit as well.  Lagares has hit safely in six games in a row.  Eric Campbell was also 2-for-4 in the game.

Raul Reyes went 1-for-4 on the night, and Pedro Zapata’s 1-for-3 performance by way of his sixth triple of 2012 completed the B-Mets hit tally.

Reese Havens went 0-for-4 in the game, his cold streak now at four games.  He has gone 0-for-16 in that time period.

B-Mets Buzz: The two teams will go at it again on Saturday night at Hadlock Field in game three of their four game set.  Darin Gorski (8-7, 3.81) will take the hill for the B-Mets against the Sea Dogs Drake Britton (4-5, 3.60).  In a roster move on Friday, relief pitcher Drew Carpenter was sent to the Buffalo Bisons while Armando Rodriguez made the opposite trip returning to the B-Mets lineup from the Triple A club.

The Binghamton Mets and Portland Sea Dogs pounded out a total of thirty one hits and scored twenty three runs between the two teams in game one of their four games series at Hadlock Field on Thursday night.  In the end the B-Mets were on the losing end of a fourteen to nine decision.

Binghamton starter Cory Mazzoni lasted all of three innings in the game, making his shortest appearance as a B-Met in 2012.  In those three innings, the Sea Dogs scored seven earned runs on seven hits, including a two run homerun by Xander Bogaerts in the bottom of the second.  Mazzoni struck out two and walked two in the game.  The seven earned runs surrendered by Mazzoni was a season high for him, and in taking the loss his record now sits at .500 with five wins and five losses.

Brandon Moore came on in relief of Mazzoni in the bottom of the fourth inning and pitched one third of that frame before being pulled.  Moore allowed two runs on two hits, struck out one and walked two and threw three wild pitches in the frame.  In four appearances since returning from the DL earlier in August Moore has pitched a total of three and two-thirds innings, allowing seven earned runs on ten hits.

Edgar Ramirez would be the third of five pitchers used by Pedro Lopez in the game, coming on to finish out the fourth inning in relief of Moore.  Ramirez, pitching for the second time after missing eighteen games with an ankle contusion, lasted two and two thirds innings.  Over that span, he allowed three runs on five hits and didn’t register a strikeout or a walk.

Jeff Kaplan came on in the eighth inning and like his predecessors in the game couldn’t find a way to keep the home team off of the scoreboard.  In one inning, Kaplan allowed two earned runs on three hits, one walk and no strikeouts.

Ryan Fraser would prove to be the final pitcher used by the B-Mets in the game and the only one to keep Portland out of the run column.  Fraser pitched a clean eighth inning putting up doughnuts across the board.

With the pitching giving up fourteen runs on seventeen hits – ironically neither of which were season highs for the B-Mets – one would think the end result would look like a blowout.  However, the Binghamton batters did their best to keep pace with the Sea Dogs plating nine runs on fourteen hits themselves.

Wilmer Flores led the way at the plate for the B-Mets batters, going 3-for-4 on the night with a double and home run to his credit, two runs scored and two RBI’s.  Wilfredo Tovar was also 3-for-4 in the game, including his second triple of the season.  Tovar had two RBI’s and a run scored in the game as well.

Juan Lagares and Dustin Martin each went 2-for-5 on the night, with Lagares hitting his 27th double of 2012 and Martin credited with an RBI.  Lagares also struck out two times in the game.

Jefry Marte, who went 2-for-4 on the night, scored a third of the B-Mets runs in the game crossing the plate three times.  One of Marte’s two hits was his twentieth double of the season.

Reese Havens was one of only two B-Mets batters without a hit in the game going 0-for-5 with a strikeout.  Havens is now 0-for-12 in his last three games.  Juan Centeno was the other Binghamton batter that didn’t register a hit in the game, going 0-for-2, however he was credited with two RBI’s on the night with a sacrifice fly in the second and a Wilfredo Tovar run in the fifth on a groundout by the B-Mets catcher.

B-Mets Buzz: Game two of the series will be on Friday night at Hadlock Field, Gonzalez Germen (7-10, 4.65) taking the mound for the B-Mets against the Sea Dogs Brandon Workman (2-0, 1.64).  In the race to the playoffs watch the B-Mets fell one game further from second place Reading with the loss and the Phillies win over the Erie SeaWolves.  Binghamton is now six games back and their elimination number sits at six as well.

Drew Carpenter earned his third save in as many attempts on Wednesday night

The rubber match and final game of the season between the Binghamton Mets and New Hampshire Fisher Cats went the way of the home team as the B-Mets won by a score of six to three.

Binghamton jumped out to the early three run lead before watching the Fisher Cats claw their way back into the game.  After four innings the two teams were tied at three before the B-Mets scored single runs in the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings to win their sixty-third game of the season.

Mark Cohoon was on the mound at the outset and threw a total of seven innings in the game.  Cohoon allowed three runs total in the game, two of which were earned, on eleven hits.  He had seven K’s to his credit and walked three Fisher Cats.  With the win in the game Cohoon’s record now stands at 8-and-9 on the season.

Brad Holt came on in relief of Cohoon in the eighth inning making his 34th appearance for the B-Mets this season.  Holt tossed one inning striking out one and blanking New Hampshire in the runs and hits columns.  Holt earned his team leading sixth hold in the game.

Drew Carpenter was called upon for the second night in a row to close out the game for the B-Mets, and close out he did.  Carpenter struck out two while allowing no runs and no hits.  It was his third relief appearance in a row in which he was awarded a save.  Carpenter has also struck out two opponents in each of his five games, all of which were one inning stints, since being signed earlier in August by the Mets.

Every B-Mets batter except for one tallied one hit in the game, with a third inning Raul Reyes proving to be the biggest run producer on the night.  Reyes, who went  1-for-4 in the game, was credited with two RBI’s and a run scored himself on the play as he was able to come home on a throwing error by New Hampshire second baseman John Tolisano.  The triple was Reyes’ first of the season.

Dustin Martin went 1-for-3 in the game with two runs scored.  He hit his fourth home run of the season in the sixth inning, a solo shot that cleared the left field wall.  Allan Dykstra’s line on the night read the same, going  1-for-3 with a home run in the bottom of the eighth.  The home run was Dykstra’s sixth of the season.

Wilmer Flores was 1-for-4 on the night with his fourteenth double of the season.  Francisco Pena went 1-for-3 hitting his sixth double as a B-Met.

Reese Havens was the lone B-Mets batter without a hit, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the game.  Havens is now 1-for-14 over his last four games.

B-Mets Buzz: With the win, the B-Mets gained a game on second place New Britain and the last playoff spot.  Binghamton is five games behind the Rock Cats with an elimination number of eight.  It’s off to Portland now for the B-Mets to play a four game weekend set.  Binghamton holds an 11-and-4 record against the Sea Dogs this season, but Portland is riding high at present and on a four game win streak.  Cory Mazzoni (5-4, 3.49) will take the mound for the B-Mets on Friday night against the home teams Mike MacDonald (1-2, 4.86).

Peavey earned his seventh win of the season on Tuesday night

On an almost perfect night weather wise for baseball at NYSEG Stadium the Binghamton Mets took game two of their series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats by a score of one to nothing.  It was the first time in nineteen games between the two teams that the B-Mets defense was able to hold New Hampshire off of the scoreboard.

Greg Peavey got the call for the B-Mets, his 23rd start of the season for the home team.  Peavey has been a marathon man of sorts for Pedro Lopez as of late, pitching complete games in two of his last three starts.  On Tuesday night Peavey would ‘only’ go seven innings though, throwing a total of 107 pitches 72 of which were for strikes.  He allowed six hits in the game and struck out an equal number of Fisher Cats batters as well, and in the end was awarded his seventh win of the season.

Through the first four innings of the game, no Fisher Cat runner made it past second base.  The fifth inning would prove to be the only inning where New Hampshire mounted any sort of threat of scoring, but Peavey was able to pitch himself out of a bases loaded situation by striking out Brad Glenn swinging to end the frame.

Jeff Kaplan relieved Peavey in the top of the eighth, allowing one hit and no runs while striking out two in his one inning worth of work.  Kaplan earned his fourth hold of the season in the process.

Drew Carpenter was brought on in the ninth to finish out the game for the B-Mets, and that he did earning his second save in his last two appearances.  Carpenter struck out two Fisher Cats batters while allowing a single hit in the inning.

The Binghamton Mets scored their lone run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning as Wilmer Flores scored from third on an Eric Campbell hit.  The Fisher Cats third baseman Ryan Schimpf was charged with an error on the play.

Flores was 2-for-3 in the game with his fifth inning double the only extra base hit the B-Mets batters had all night.  Jefry Marte was 2-for-4 in the game.  Juan Lagares, Juan Centeno, and Dustin Martin all went 1-for-4 on the night.

B-Mets Buzz: With their loss on Tuesday night, New Hampshire is now mathematically eliminated from the post-season.  The B-Mets are still six games behind that second playoff spot in the Eastern Division, eight games away from elimination.  The rubber match of the series, as well as the twentieth and final game between the two teams, will be at 6:35 on Wednesday night at NYSEG Stadium.  Mark Cohoon (7‐9, 3.52) takes the hill against the Fisher Cats Fernando Hernandez (4‐6, 4.31).

B-Mets starter Darin Gorski took the loss in a close one at NYSEG Stadium on Monday night

The Binghamton Mets and New Hampshire Fisher Cats opened their sixth and final series of the 2012 season on Monday night at NYSEG Stadium with the visitors taking game one by a score of three to two.  The twenty games between the two teams this season are the most the B-Mets have faced any of their Eastern League opponents.

Darin Gorski made his fifth start against the Fisher Cats, and twenty second overall, in the game.  Gorski pitched seven innings allowing all three runs scored by New Hampshire, two of which were earned, on four hits.  He struck out a season high nine batters while walking four.  Gorski threw a total of 110 pitches in the game, 70 of which were for strikes.

New Hampshire struck first in the game, plating two runs in the top of the fourth inning.  Gorski would have been out of the frame with only one run given up, but a catching error by first baseman Jefry Marte allowed the second Fisher Cats run to be scored.  It was Marte’s fourteenth error of the season.

The Fisher Cats third and winning run came in the top of the seventh inning by way of a bases loaded walk by Gorski.  On the play Koby Clemens, son of former major leaguer and current Sugar Land Skeeter Roger Clemens, scored from third.

Gorski was issued the loss in the game and his record now stands at 8-and-7.  Gorski had won his last three of four and was looking for his first three game win streak on the night.

Ryan Fraser came on in relief of Gorski in the top of the eighth making his twenty second appearance for the B-Mets this season.  Fraser held the Fisher Cats batters at bay giving the B-Mets offense the opportunity to catch up to the visitors.  Unfortunately Binghamton’s offense was as ineffective in the late frames and Fraser’s no run and one hit outing over two innings was all for not.  Fraser also struck out two in the game.

Speaking of offense, the B-Mets batters scattered two runs and five hits across the game.  Juan Lagares led the way with his 2-for-4 performance on the night.  Wilmer Flores scored both of the Binghamton’s runs in the game, one in the fourth and one in the sixth, while going 1-for-3 at the plate.  Flores’ one hit was a double, his twelfth of the year.

Allan Dykstra was 1-for-3 in the game with a double as well.  Wilfredo Tovar’s 1-for-4 night at the plate concluded the B-Mets hit tally.

B-Mets Buzz: With the loss in the game, coupled with Portland’s four to three win over the New Britain Rock Cats, the Binghamton Mets fell in the standings to fifth place in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League.  Tuesday night the two teams will be back at it with Greg Peavey (6-8, 5.41) on the mound against New Hampshire’s Deck McGuire (5-14, 6.26).

Eastern League standings as of August 21st

Gonzalez Germen made his twenty third start of the season for the B-Mets in the game.  In seven innings pitched, Germen held Richmond to two runs on eight hits, striking out three and walking only one.  Germen was issued the win in the game and his season record now stands at 7–10 with a 4.65 ERA.

Brad Holt came on in relief of Germen in the eighth inning, making his thirty-third appearance for the B-Mets this season.  Holt threw a clean inning, allowing no runs on no hits, struck out and walked none.  For his effort, Holt earned his fifth hold of the season.

Andrew Carpenter was called upon in the ninth to close the game out for Pedro Lopez’s B-Mets.  Carpenter allowed one hit and no runs, while striking out two and walking one, and was given his first save of the season.  He has now shut out his opponents in three appearances since being signed by the Mets on August 10th.

The B-Mets batters plated all of their runs in the first third of the game, with two coming in the second inning and the final three coming in the third inning.  All told, the B-Mets scored their five runs on six hits in the game.

Eric Campbell went 2-for-4 in the game with two doubles and a run scored.  His two doubles in the game increased his season total to 23.  He was credited with his 46th RBI of the season in the game as well.

Allan Dykstra had a 2-for-4 afternoon as well, with an RBI and two runs scored.  Reese Havens who went 1-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, and Juan Lagares’ 1-for-2 performance rounded out the B-Mets hit total on the afternoon.

B-Mets Buzz: The New Hampshire Fisher Cats come to town now to open a three game series beginning Monday night at NYSEG Stadium.  Darin Gorski (8‐6, 3.88) is the scheduled starter on Monday night, facing off against the Fisher Cats Sean Nolin (0‐0, 0.00).  Nolin joined the Fisher Cats over the weekend after spending most of the 2012 season in Dunedin.  With the win on Sunday, the B-Mets remain seven games behind the New Britain Rock Cats for the final playoff spot in their division.

The Binghamton Mets batters were only able to squeak out three hits on Saturday night at NYSEG Stadium and in the process couldn’t plate any runs as the Richmond Flying Squirrels took game two of the series by a four to nothing tally.

The B-Mets first recorded hit came in the bottom of the third by way of starting pitcher Cory Mazzoni.  Mazzoni, who went 1-for-2 in the game, led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a Juan Lagares walk.  That was as far as he made it though as Reese Havens, playing in his first game in the last nine days, struck out and then Wilmer Flores grounded into an inning ending double play.

Binghamton’s next hit came in the bottom of the fourth as Eric Campbell led off the inning with a single.  Unfortunately, Campbell was erased as a base runner as the following batter, Dustin Martin, hit into a double play.

Binghamton’s third and final hit came in the bottom of the fifth inning off the bat of Raul Reyes.  Reyes led off that inning with his fourth double of the season only to be stranded there as the next three B-Mets batters were unable to advance him any further with Wilfredo Tovar flying out and both Cory Mazzoni and Juan Lagares striking out to end that inning.

Mazzoni made his eleventh start of the season for the B-Mets.  Mazzoni tossed seven innings in the game, allowing three runs on seven hits.  He struck out a season high seven Richmond batters in the game and didn’t issue any walks.  Mazzoni threw a total of 102 pitches in the game with 74 of them for strikes.  With the loss, Mazzoni’s record now stands at five and four.

Armando Rodriguez pitched one inning in relief of Mazzoni, allowing no runs on no hits while striking out two and walking one.  Jeff Kaplan relieved Rodriguez in the top of the ninth, giving up one run on two hits, striking out one and walking none.

B-Mets Buzz: Saturday night was the first time since July 20th in Bowie that the B-Mets were unable to score a run.  The final game of the series will be on Sunday afternoon at the stadium formerly known as Binghamton Municipal as Gonzalez Germen (6-10, 4.81) looks to salvage at least one win on the weekend for the home team.  The Flying Squirrels will send Mike Kickham (10-9, 2.79) to the mound as Richmond tries to sweep the series.

Updated 8/18 1:00 PM

Tim asked me yesterday to do some digging on this, and so I did. According to what a source from The Oklahoman with knowledge of the situation told me, the Oklahoma City Red Hawks are “not very keen” on renewing their PDC with the Houston Astros. The word is that the Mets are one of two teams that have some “strong appeal” to them. – JD

Original Post 8/17 8:15 AM

If reports in this mornings Democrat and Chronicle are accurate (and we have no reason to believe they aren’t), the Minnesota Twins and Rochester Red Wings are set to announce a new two year player development contract this afternoon.  With the signing, the Buffalo Bisons will be the only team left in the fourteen team International League that has not resigned with their current parent club.

The D&C article took direct aim at the Mets and their ‘situation’ at the Triple A level as well, stating

The Buffalo Bisons are expected to drop the New York Mets as their parent club and perhaps sign with the Toronto Blue Jays. However, a Red Wings official said the Mets’ track record is not solid – Buffalo is their third Triple-A city in six years – and they are reluctant to take a chance on a new major-league club.

Out west, eight of the sixteen teams in the Pacific Coast League are still without agreement renewals with their current parent clubs. Oklahoma City, Nashville, Albuquerque, Fresno, Memphis, New Orleans, and Iowa – along with Las Vegas – are the current markets still somewhat ‘open’ at this point in the PCL.

League rules and agreements prohibit MLB teams from speaking with any minor league team other than those they are currently affiliated with until the minor league season comes to an end; this may explain why there hasn’t been any news out of Flushing, Buffalo, Toronto, or Las Vegas about the 2013 season as of yet, and a final decision may not be known in any of those locales until mid-September.

Mark Cohoon, making his first start since a nine inning complete game gem against the Harrisburg Senators on August 10th, lasted seven and a third innings in the game. Cohoon cruised through the first four innings of the game, allowing only one hit by Richmond batters in that span. In the fifth inning, Ryan Cavan tripled to score two base runners and give the Flying Squirrels the 2-to-0 lead; however Binghamton would score three times in the next two innings to give Cohoon the lead.

Then came the eighth inning and it all fell apart for Cohoon and the B-Mets. After giving up a single, a wild pitch, and walking a batter Ryan Fraser came on in relief of Cohoon. Cohoon’s final line on the night read seven and a third innings pitched, four earned runs on six hits, four strikeouts and a walk. Cohoon threw a total of 100 pitches in the game, 68 of them for strikes. Charged with the two batters that were on base when he left the game, who Fraser eventually let score, Cohoon suffered the loss in the game and his record now stands at seven and nine on the season.

Fraser was ineffective in his relief appearance, lasting only two thirds of an inning and suffering his second blown save of the season. Fraser allowed both runners he inherited from Cohoon to score and gave up an additional two earned runs of his own and by the time he finally got himself out of the eighth inning the B-Mets were looking at a 6-to-3 deficit. Fraser’s numbers in his shortest appearance in the last ten games he pitched in read two thirds of an inning pitched two runs on two hits, no strikeouts and one walk.

In the ninth Brandon Moore was brought on to relieve Fraser and the Flying Squirrels batters lit him up just as they had Cohoon and Fraser in the previous inning. Moore, making only his second appearance since a 45 day stint on the DL, threw the entire ninth inning giving up four runs on five hits, walking none and striking out one Richmond batter. Over the last two games Moore has allowed a total of six runs on eight hits and struck out two in only two and a third innings.

Dustin Martin had a big night at the plate for the home team as he went 4-for-4 with a run scored. Sean Kazmar and Juan Centeno each went 2-for-4 in the game, with Centeno now hitting safely in his last five games and equaling his previous season high. Wilmer Flores and Raul Reyes’ lines on the night were identical as each went 1-for-4 with a run scored. At game’s end, the box score showed that no Binghamton Mets batter had a multi-base hit in the game.

B-Mets Buzz: The two teams go at it again on Saturday night at NYSEG Stadium. Cory Mazzoni (5-3, 3.45) will throw for the home team and Chris Heston (8-5, 2.20) will be on the mound for the Flying Squirrels. With the loss on Friday night, the B-Mets now sit seven and a half games behind the New Britain Rock Cats for the final playoff spot with seventeen games remaining in the 2012 season.

The Binghamton Mets were unable to seal the deal in their bid for their third straight series win on Thursday night in Manchester as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats defeated the visiting B-Mets by a five to two score.  With the loss, the B-Mets fell one game further behind the final playoff spot and are now seven games back.

Greg Peavey, making his twenty second start of the season for the B-Mets, went the distance for his first complete game performance of 2012.  In eight innings, Peavey gave up five earned runs on nine hits, while striking out three and issuing no walks.  Peavey surrendered two home runs in the game, a three run shot in the fourth off of the bat of John Tolisano and a solo round tripper by Sean Ochinko in the seventh.  With the loss in the game, Peavey’s record now stands at 6-and-8 on the season with a 5.41 ERA.

Former major leaguer Yorvit Torrealba, signed by the Toronto Blue Jays and assigned to New Hampshire earlier in the week, made his Fisher Cats debut in the game.  Torreabla went 1-for-4 on the night, with no runs scored.  He was also charged with one passed ball in the game.

For the B-Mets, Jefry Marte had the biggest numbers at the plate in the game going 2-for-3 with both B-Mets runs scored.  Marte snapped an 0-for-12 streak over the last three games with his performance on the night.  Francisco Pena was also 2-for-3 in the game with a walk issued as well.  Pena has now hit safely in a season high five games in a row.

Wilfredo Tovar went 1-for-4 on the night and was credited with hitting in both of the B-Mets runs in the game.  Wilmer Flores, who also went 1-for-4, and Juan Lagares, who went 1-for-5, rounded out the B-Mets total of seven hits in the game.  Flores’ season high hitting streak is now at six games.

B-Mets Buzz: It’s back home for the Binghamton Mets now where the Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, are waiting to open a three game weekend series, their only trip to NYSEG Stadium in 2012.  Friday night will feature the B-Mets Mark Cohoon (7-8, 3.44) on the mound against the Flying Squirrels Craig Westcott (10-9, 3.90).  The B-Mets announced on Thursday that PGA Champions Tour member Tom Watson will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Friday night’s game.  Watson, who won eight Major Championship titles during his PGA career, is in town Dick’s Sporting Goods Open at En-Joie Golf Club in neighboring Endicott, New York

Gorski earned his eighth win of the season on Wednesday night

Behind a four RBI night by Raul Reyes and seven strong innings worth of work by starter Darin Gorski the Binghamton Mets defeated the New Hampshire Fisher Cats by a score of six to two.

The seven innings pitched was Gorski’s second longest outing of the season.  Making his 21st start of the season, Gorski allowed both Fisher Cats runs, only one of which was earned, on eight hits.  He struck out six and walked two enroute to earning his eighth win of the season.

Brad Holt came on in the eighth in relief of Gorski.  Holt gave up one hit and struck out one while keeping New Hampshire off of the scoreboard.  Holt threw a total of seven pitches in the inning, all of which were for strikes.

Andrew Carpenter pitched the final frame for the B-Mets in the non-save situation.  Carpenter struck out two, walked one, and allowed one hit while giving up no runs in his second outing for Binghamton.

Raul Reyes had a big night at the plate for the B-Mets with a 2-for-4 showing including four RBI’s and his sixth home run of the season, his second round tripper in the last three games.  All of Reyes’ RBI’s came over a two inning span in the middle frames of the game, with his two run shot giving the B-Mets their first runs of the game in the fourth, and a fifth inning single giving Binghamton their final two runs in the fifth.

Juan Centeno continues to have a hot bat for Binghamton as he went 3-for-5 in the game with a run scored.  Centeno has now hit safely in the last four games.  He is 8-for-17 over that span with a double and a triple to his credit.

Eric Campbell and Juan Lagares each went 1-for-5 on the night with a double to their credit, Lagares’ 26th of the season and Campbell’s 21st.  Wilmer Flores was the only other B-Mets batter beyond Centeno and Reyes to have a multi-hit night going 2-for-4 in the game.

B-Mets Buzz: The Binghamton Mets and New Hampshire Fisher Cats play the final game of the series on Thursday night with Greg Peavey (6-7, 5.40) on the mound for the B-Mets against Fernando Hernandez (3-6, 4.64) for New Hampshire.  The two teams have one series left this season against each other, a three game set to be played in Binghamton August 20th through the 22nd.  Absent from the lineup for the fifth game in a row on Wednesday night was second baseman Reese Havens.  Havens hasn’t played since a four hit outing on August 9th at home against the New Britain Rock Cats.

Germen took the loss on Tuesday night in New Hampshire

After an off day on Monday, the Binghamton Mets travelled to Manchester, New Hampshire for game one of a three game series against the Fisher Cats on Tuesday night.  The B-Mets were unfortunately on the losing end of the decision, dropping game one by a score of 5-2.

Jeff Kaplan relieved Germen in the sixth, and over the next one and two thirds innings allowed only one hit and kept New Hampshire out of the run column.  Edgar Ramirez, pitching for the B-Mets for the first time since being placed on the DL on July 30th, gave up no runs and no hits in one inning of work in the bottom of the eighth.

The Binghamton Mets batters scattered five hits over the first six innings before being shut down by the New Hampshire pitchers in the final third of the game.  Brandon Morrow made his second rehab start for the Fisher Cats, giving up three hits and no runs while striking out six B-Mets in four and two thirds.  Morrow has been on the DL with an oblique injury since mid-June.

One swing of the bat by Allan Dykstra proved to be the limit of the B-Mets runs on the night, as his sixth inning two run home run provided the only ones Binghamton scored.  Dykstra’s home run, his fifth of the season, was his only hit of the game in a 1-for-4 performance.

Francisco Pena was 2-for-2 in the game, with a double and a walk.  Pena proved to be the only B-Met batter with more than one hit on the night.  Juan Lagares was 1-for-4 with a double as well.  Eric Campbell rounded out the B-Mets hit tally going 1-for-4 with a run scored.

B-Mets Buzz: With the loss, the B-Mets fell one game further from a playoff spot.  They are now seven games out of the playoff hunt with twenty games left in the season.  On Wednesday night Darin Gorski (7-6, 4.03) will take the hill against New Hampshire’s Deck McGuire (5-13, 6.17).  Adam Kolarek became the second B-Mets reliever of the week to be reassigned to St. Lucie, making room for Edgar Ramirez’s return.  Previously, Adrian Rosario was returned to the StL-Mets.  On Tuesday the Toronto Blue Jays sent recently signed catcher Yorvit Torrealba to New Hampshire.  Torrealba was released by the Texas Rangers on August 8th and may appear in the game on Wednesday night against the B-Mets.

EL Pitcher of the Week Mark Cohoon alongside Bisons starter Collin McHugh

Behind his complete game shut out and near no-hitter on Friday night against the Harrisburg Senators, Binghamton Mets starter Mark Cohoon has been named as the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the August 6th to August 12th time frame.  The game on Friday night would prove to be the only one Cohoon pitched for the B-Mets, but the Burleson, Texas natives performace was strong enough to earn him the weekly honor, his first such award as a member of the Binghamton Mets in 2012.

On Friday night, Cohoon pitched all nine innings of the B-Mets 5-to-0 victory over the Senators, flirting with a no hitter into the seventh inning.  It was only then that a bloop double by the Senators Justin Bloxom broke up the no no bid.  Bloxom’s double was only one of two hits Cohoon gave up in the game enroute to his seventh win of the season.

Cohoon’s numbers on the week read one game started, nine innings pitched, no runs allowed, two hits, one walk, and a season high ten strikeouts.  His record now stands at 7-and-8 with a 3.44 ERA.

Cohoon becomes the fourth Binghamton Met to win weekly honors in 2012, with fellow starter Greg Peavey, outfielder Matt den Dekker, and infielder Josh Rodriguez previously being named.

Sean Kazmar had three hits and three runs scored on Sunday afternoon.

Behind a fifteen hit barrage the Binghamton Mets took the game and series from the Harrisburg Senators with their seven to two victory on Sunday afternoon at MetroBank Park.  The season series ended up tied with the B-Mets win, each team taking six of the twelve games played.

Three B-Mets batters went 3-for-5 in the game, with Juan Centeno, Sean Kazmar, and Wilmer Flores each reaching safely in over half of their plate appearances.  Centeno hit his second triple of the season and had three RBI’s in the game.  Kazmar scored three of Binghamton’s seven runs in the game and had his ninth double of 2012 as well.  Flores also had a run scored along with his three singles on the afternoon.

Allan Dykstra, who went 2-for-4 in the game, had three RBI’s and a run scored to his credit.  Raul Reyes was 2-for-4 as well with a solo home run, his fifth of the season, in the seventh inning.  To complete the B-Mets hit tally Pedro Zapata was 2-for-4 in the game as well.

Cory Mazzoni made his tenth start of the season for Binghamton and earned his fifth win of 2012 in the game.  Mazzoni’s record now stands at 5-and-3.  Over five innings pitched on Sunday, Mazzoni allowed one earned run on six hits, struck out two and walked three.

Jeff Kaplan relieved Mazzoni in the sixth and pitched a scoreless frame, giving up one hit.  Adam Kolarek made his sixth relief appearance for the B-Mets throwing two innings in the game.  Kolarek gave up a solo home run to Jimmy Van Ostrand, the first Harrisburg batter he faced in the game, but it proved to be the only run he allowed.  In two innings, Kolarek’s line read one run on three hits, one strikeout and one walk.

Ryan Fraser pitched a clean ninth inning in the non-save appearance, striking out two and putting up donuts in the run and hit column.  Fraser has now held his opponents off of the run column in his last eight games, and hasn’t allowed a hit in three straight.

B-Mets Buzz: Binghamton has an off day on Monday before opening a three game series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.  With the win on Sunday the B-Mets kept pace with second place New Britain, and still sit six games out of the final playoff spot.

Raul Reyes hit his fifth long ball of the season in the game.

The B-Mets batters got to Harrisburg starter Dan Rosenbaum early, smacking four singles in the top of the first inning.  Coupled with a walk and sacrifice fly, Binghamton was up by three runs before starter Armando Rodriguez ever took the mound.  The B-Mets added their fourth run in the top of the second inning with a double, two singles, and a walk in that frame.

Wilmer Flores had a big night at the plate going 3-for-5 with a double and run scored.  Every other positional player with the exception of Wilfredo Tovar, who was 0-for-3, had a hit.  Armando Rodriguez even helped himself out going 1-for-2 on the night including a second inning double and eventual run scored.  Flores and Rodriguez registered the only multi-base hits for the B-Mets in the game.

On the mound, Rodriguez made his third spot start of 2012 for the B-Mets.  He won his first start on June 24th against the Erie SeaWolves, and lost his next start on August 4th against the Portland SeaDogs.  On Saturday night Rodriguez would do neither as late inning runs by Harrisburg negated him from a decision.  Rodriguez threw four innings in the game allowing two runs, one of which was earned, on four hits, striking out two and walking one.

Brad Holt came on in relief in the fifth inning and threw two frames.  Holt gave up one run on one hit and equaled his season high by striking out four Harrisburg batters.

Andrew Carpenter, making his first appearance for the B-Mets, kept the Senators off of the board in his one inning of work, the only Binghamton pitcher to do so all night.  Carpenter’s line read one inning pitched, one hit, no runs, no walks issued, and two strikeouts.  For his effort, Carpenter earned his first hold.

Brandon Moore came on in relief of Carpenter in the eighth inning, and promptly gave up a home run to Harrisburg’s Tim Pahuta on the first pitch he threw in that inning, tying the game at four.  Moore settled down at that point and retired the next three Senators batters, two on pop out/fly outs, and one struck out swinging.

In the bottom of the ninth, with the score still knotted at four, leadoff batter Jose Lozada singled and then advanced to second base pinch hitter Jonny Tucker bunt popped out.  The following batter Brian Goodwin hit a soft grounder which was fielded by second baseman Wilmer Flores.  Flores’ throw to first was off the mark and Lozada scored the game winning walk off run easily from second base.  Flores was charged with his third error of the season on the play.

As for Moore, not only was he charged with his first blown save of the season but he suffered his second loss of 2012 as well.  Moore’s final numbers on the night read one and a third innings pitched, two runs on three hits, one of which was earned, one strikeout and no walks.

B-Mets Buzz: The rubber match between Binghamton and Harrisburg will be Sunday afternoon at MetroBank Park.  Cory Mazzoni (4-3, 3.60) will be on the mound for the B-Mets against the Senators Paul Demny (6-6, 5.29).  This will be the final game of the 2012 season between the two teams, with Harrisburg currently winning the season series by a one win margin.  Binghamton has not won a season series against Harrisburg since 2006 when they took six of ten games between the two teams.