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Saturday, October 21, 2000

Benny gets bold,
then backs down

Hawaii's Agbayani tells
talk show hosts the Mets
will win in five, then says
he was only joking

---

By Ben DiPietro
Special to the Star-Bulletin

NEW YORK -- Benny Agbayani has swung a big bat all season for the New York Mets, but the easygoing left fielder checked his swing when asked about a different sort of bat in the New York clubhouse.

Agbayani just laughed when queried by radio shock jock Howard Stern which of the Mets has, er, the biggest bat, as far as he could tell from glimpses gleaned while showering with his teammates.

Agbayani has taken well to the role of a media star in the world's media capital.

Along with his appearance on Stern's nationwide radio show, the affable local boy also made an appearance with millionaire-maker Regis Philbin, fitting in three minutes before the talk show host chatted with vice Democrat presidential candidate Joe Lieberman.

On both shows, Agbayani boldly predicted the Mets would beat the Yankees in five games to the win the Subway Series.

"I'll say five games," Agbayani said when asked by Stern. "And we're going to win it."

"What's your prediction, buddy?" Philbin asked Agbayani an hour after his appearance with Stern.

"Mets in five," he said, saying later that was the first number that popped into his head and was a "lucky" number since the Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals in five games to reach the World Series.

"Talk about confidence," Philbin said. "I'm a Yankee fan, but I tip my hat to you guys."

The prediction made the front page of yesterday's New York Post, where a headline screamed: "Benny's Boast: Amazin's in Five."

Agbayani later told reporters during a workout at Shea Stadium that he was just joking.

"How could anyone possibly think I was serious?" Agbayani said. "I just picked a number. I said 'five.' And (the studio crowd) went, 'Yeah.' But I could have said 'eight,' and they could have said the same thing."

Stern also asked Agbayani about the play during the regular season when he flipped a ball to a fan with less than two outs during a game with San Francisco.

Agbayani said manager Bobby Valentine told him to forget the play, but said he'd have a hard time living down a similar gaffe in the World Series.

World Series All times HST Game 1, today N.Y. Mets (Leiter 16-8) at N.Y. Yankees (Pettitte 19-9), 1:30 p.m., KHON-TV, 1420-AM Game 2, tomorrow N.Y. Mets (Hampton 15-10) at N.Y. Yankees (Clemens 13-8), 1:30 p.m., KHON-TV, 1420-AM