Wednesday, May 12, 1999

Agbayani hits first
big league homer

The HPU and St. Louis standout
was called up from Norfolk to
take the place of Bonilla

Associated Press

DENVER -- Benny Agbayani, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Norfolk earlier yesterday, made his own personal history, hitting his first career homer in the seventh inning in the New York Mets' 8-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

"I was still tired," said Agbayani, a standout at St. Louis and Hawaii Pacific University "All I wanted to do was go to sleep."

Agbayani was called up to take the place of Bobby Bonilla.

An errant pitch by Colorado's Pedro Astacio sent Bonilla to the 15-day disabled list.

Bonilla was placed on the DL yesterday with a bruised left knee. Astacio hit him in the knee in the second inning of Colorado's 10-3 win Monday night, prompting Bonilla to take a step toward the mound.

Bonilla, 36, left the game after flying out in the fourth inning. He was already playing with a partially torn ligament in his right knee.

Bonilla is hitting just .157 (11-for-70) with two homers and 11 RBIs.

Agbayani, 27, hit .356 with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 28 games with Norfolk.

He played in 11 games with the Mets last season, going 2-for-15 with one run scored.