Atlantic League spring training is underway, and there are quite a few former New York Mets players on the rosters.
Reliever Jorge Julio (2006) is back for his second season with the Bridgeport Bluefish. Pitcher Tobi Stoner (2009-10) will make his Atlantic League debut with Bridgeport after being released from the Mets organization this spring. Outfielder Prentice Redman (2003) will also return for his second season with the Bluefish.
Kevin Baez (1990, 1992-3) is back for his second season as the Long Island Ducks’ manager and his 10th with the organization. Bud Harrelson (1965-77) is a co-owner of the team and is likely to be seen at some games at Bethpage Ballpark this year. While none of the players on the Ducks’ roster ever appeared in a game for the New York Mets, pitcher Eric Niesen was one of the minor leaguers released by the Mets organization this spring.
Infielder Chin-Lung Hu (2011) will make his Atlantic League debut with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs this year.
Pitcher Tim Hamulack (2005) returns to the Lancaster Barnstormers for his third Atlantic League season.
The Somerset Patriots don’t have any former New York Mets players, but pitcher Roy Merritt had been part of the Mets organization until he was released this spring.
I don’t see any former Mets on the spring training rosters of the Camden Riversharks, Sugarland Skeeters or York Revolution either, though there are undoubtedly more players who spent time in the Mets organization on the rosters of the eight Atlantic League teams.
At the moment, it seems as though you’d have better luck checking rosters by visiting the individual team websites than going to AtlanticLeague.com. The league site has incomplete or 2011 information for several teams.
In a few weeks, I’ll take a look at the rosters of the five Can-Am League teams to see how many players I can find with ties to the New York Mets organization.
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I see a lot of the former Mets are now on the Bridgeport Bluefish. Bridgeport is my hometown. Moved away from there in the mid-’80’s. The Bluefish didn’t even exist back then.
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I’m tempted to try to get up there to see the Bluefish this year. I suspect I’m in the minority, but I love the view of the power plant beyond the outfield.
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From looking at rosters, I see the former Mets farmhands:
Camden Riversharks: Jake Eigsti and Eddie Camacho.
Sugarland Skeets: Same for Josh Pressley and Jason Botts (in Buffalo last year).
York Revolution: Salvador Paniagua, Jesus Sanchez.
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Mets farmhands are everywhere… I still have cards I need to get signed by Paniagua, though I doubt I’ll be seeing the Revs this year.
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