Tuesday, June 8, 1999
Agbayani having
a blast with Mets
The former St. Louis standout
By Ben Walker
hits two more homers to lead
New York to victory
Associated PressNEW YORK -- All of a sudden, Benny Agbayani is hitting home runs like crazy, and a lot of people are trying to figure out how.
Perhaps his power source is right in his locker. That's where the New York Mets rookie hangs a present from his Aunt Susan in Hawaii -- a shiny coconut shell, trimmed with a feathered headdress and beard.
"It's a Hawaiian warrior helmet," said Agbayani, born in Honolulu. "So I can play like a warrior."
Whatever, he's certainly become a fan favorite at Shea Stadium. Agbayani hit two more homers last night, highlighting an 8-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
The compact 27-year-old outfielder connected for solo shots in consecutive innings, earning him a curtain call from the crowd. The next time he came to the plate, with the fans chanting "Ben-ny! Ben-ny!" while "Benny and the Jets" played over the sound system, the Blue Jays intentionally walked him.
"I don't really like too much attention," he said. "I know it's pretty hard in New York City to do that.
"It's an unbelievable feeling. I just go up and try to see what I can hit and try to hit it."
Mike Piazza homered for the second straight night and Orel Hershiser (5-5) got his 195th career victory. The Mets stopped a six-game home losing streak, and improved to 5-2 overall in interleague play against Toronto.
Agbayani, who started the season in the minors for the seventh straight year, has eight home runs in only 63 at-bats. He's hitting .429 since his May 12 promotion from Triple-A Norfolk.
"I don't know who that guy is, and I can't pronounce his name," Toronto manager Jim Fregosi said. "But I do know that every time I look up, he's hitting the ball over the left-field and center-field fence."
Agbayani was a 30th-round pick in the 1993 draft and has never hit more than 11 home runs in a season. But he hit eight in 101 at-bats at Norfolk this year before getting called up.
"I made a statement to the staff I don't think he'll ever be back to the minor leagues," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said.
Agbayani drove in three runs Sunday night as the Mets broke an eight-game skid by beating Roger Clemens at Yankee Stadium.
Facing rookie Roy Halladay (4-3), Agbayani delivered his second multi-homer game of the season.
"I faced him a lot in Triple-A," Halladay said. "I never thought he was the type of hitter he is now. Obviously, he's doing something."
Agbayani and Roger Cedeno, who had three hits and stole his major league-leading 31st base, each continued to be productive in place of slumping Rickey Henderson and Bobby Bonilla.
Before the game, Henderson and Valentine both talked about an overcrowded outfield that also includes Brian McRae. An immediate solution to the problem, however, does not appear in sight.
Agbayani hit a leadoff home run to center field in the fourth that put the Mets ahead to stay at 3-2. He homered to left-center in the fifth, and the crowd of 21,457 called for him to emerge from the dugout.
"The guys said I had to go out, but they just grabbed me and threw me out," he said.
Chris Woodward also had a game to remember. The 22-year-old Toronto shortstop made his major league debut, with mixed results.
Woodward, batting .322 at Triple-A Syracuse when he joined the Blue Jays before the game, had a sacrifice fly in his first plate appearance. Then in his first official at-bat, he hit an RBI single against the 40-year-old Hershiser.
Later, Woodward had a catchable grounder by Rey Ordonez glance off his glove for a two-out, two-run single. He also struck out against Turk Wendell with the bases loaded in the eighth.
