Sunday, March 13, 2011
Giants send Huff to NY, pick up Ike Davis, prospect
New York, NY (AP) - Two teams heading in opposite directions hook up for a trade a few weeks before the deadline. The Mets wanted to upgrade their offense and bring some more experience into the infield. The Giants wanted to get a little younger and bring in some talent for the future. Mission accomplished on both sides. The defending World Series champions sent one of their key cogs from that team, first baseman Aubrey Huff, packing to New York. In return, the Giants got first baseman Ike Davis, already making an impact in the big leagues, and a prospect with a huge up side for the future, right fielder Brian Happel.
| Player | Stats | |
| Ike Davis 1B | .276 Average 18 HR 54 RBI | |
| BRIAN HAPPEL RF | .382 Average 18 HR 79RBI | |
| Player | Stats | |
| Aubrey Huff 1B | .344 Average 23 HR 62 RBI | |
The Mets certainly added more pop to their lineup from the first base position. Huff is slugging at a .620 clip and he is also hitting .344. So, he's getting big hits and knocking in runs. For San Francisco fans, Ike Davis is a good get at first base. His defense does leave a little bit to be desired. But, he's already approaching last season's home run and RBI totals, and we're just at the half way point of the season. As for Happel, he certainly looks like the right fielder of the future. Happel is smashing the ball at an alarming rate, hovering close to .400 and is well in front of all players at the AA level in home runs and runs batted in. His .469 average with runners in scoring position is almost unheard of, so the Giants are certainly drooling over his clutch performance ability. It should be interesting to see how this move shapes both franchises, both in the present and in the future.
| AA Eastern League Leaders - Updated: Jul 1, 2011 | |||||
| Batting Average | AVG | Hits | H | ||
 | 1. BRIAN HAPPEL | .385 |  | 1. Jose Feliciano | 102 |
| 2. Tate Germano | .361 | 2. BRIAN HAPPEL | 95 | ||
| 3. Richard Nieves | .341 | 3. Juan Gomez | 93 | ||
| 4. James Song | .335 | 4. Elmer Molina | 91 | ||
| 5. Jared Cummins | .324 | 5. Jimmy Braxton | 91 | ||
| Home Runs | HR | Runs Batted In | RBI | ||
| 1. BRIAN HAPPEL | 17 | | 1. BRIAN HAPPEL | 73 |
| 2. Conrad Jimenez | 11 | 2. Arturo Ortega | 47 | ||
| 3. Arturo Ortega | 10 | 3. Jose Feliciano | 45 | ||
| 4. Joshua Potts | 8 | 4. Juan Gomez | 41 | ||
| 5. Miguel Escalona | 8 | 5. Elias Fletcher | 40 | ||
| Runs | R | Stolen Bases | SB | ||
 | 1. Bruno Alaniz | 47 | | 1. Albert Barrera | 22 |
| 2. BRIAN HAPPEL | 44 | 2. Gregorio Marquez | 20 | ||
| 3. Rich Reyes | 44 | 3. Peter Ogawa | 19 | ||
| 4. Miguel Escalona | 43 | 4. Josh Riedling | 17 | ||
| 5. Edwardo Calero | 42 | 5. Vincenzo Lopez | 15 | ||
| Slugging Percentage | SLUG % | On Base Plus Slugging | OPS | ||
| 1. BRIAN HAPPEL | .684 | | 1. BRIAN HAPPEL | 1.070 |
| 2. Joshua Potts | .472 | 2. James Song | .880 | ||
| 3. Earl Ogle | .467 | 3. Tate Germano | .869 | ||
| 4. Richard Nieves | .463 | 4. Richard Nieves | .865 | ||
| 5. Tate Germano | .452 | 5. Earl Ogle | .843 | ||
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Binghamton, NY (AP) - New York Mets fans have a lot to be excited about - for this season, and beyond. The big league club is in first place in the National League East. The AAA club in Buffalo is 31-22 and in first place in the International League's North Division. And, our Binghamton Mets have been on fire all season long, leading the Eastern Division of the Eastern League by 4 games with a 34-19 record.
Happel is tearing up the Eastern League with 11 HR and 48 RBI
One pleasant surprise for the organization has been the play of Binghamton's right fielder, Brian Happel. Happel has been on fire since taking over the starting spot in the outfield in mid-April. "He's been working his butt off," said manager John Griffey, "He is clearly very hungry. He's meeting all his goals, his stats are tremendous. Brian has given us a huge boost, and I really don't expect him to stay down here very long." Happel leads the team with a .389 batting average. He's also leading the Eastern League in home runs with 11. His 48 runs batted in are also tops in the league. Two pitching prospects have been nothing short of spectacular. Jenrry Mejia has been blowing batters away with his running fast ball and breaking a lot of bats with his cutter. His 2.54 ERA is among the best in the league. Jerrod Tucker has also been outstanding, posting a perfect 8-0 record.
| Player | Age | Pos | Class | Stats | |
| James Hardwick | 20 | C | AAA | .359 11 HR, 45 RBI, 1.058 OPS | |
| John Cohen | 21 | 1B | AAA | .298 7 HR, .369 OBP | |
| So Hara | 20 | RP | AAA | 0.43 ERA 21.0 IP, 0.86 WHIP | |
| Fernando Martinez | 22 | RF | AAA | .332 AVG, .401 OBP, 42 Runs | |
| Jenrry Mejia | 21 | SP | AA | 6-2 2.54 ERA 7 QS | |
| Albert Barrera | 25 | LF | AA | .315 AVG, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 17 SB | |
| Jerrod Tucker | 18 | SP | AA | 8-0 3.19 ERA, 7 QS | |
| BRIAN HAPPEL | 18 | RF | AA | .389 11 HR, 48 RBI, .688 SLUG | |
Happel is having a solid season in right field for Binghamton. But up in AAA, his competition, 22 year old Fernando Martinez, is also turning heads. Martinez is hitting a solid .332 and is also among the team's best with a .401 on base percentage. Catcher James Hardwick is also raking the ball, hitting .359 with 11 home runs and 45 runs batted in, so far. So, while the big club is competing for an N.L. East title this season, Mets fans can also look forward to some of the prospects waiting to make their own mark in the majors.
SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2011 AT TRENTON (WIN 5-1): It was a grand day for Mets Right Fielder Brian Happel. The rookie smashed a 2-0 pitch over the wall in right field for a grand slam in the 6th inning. "What an awesome feeling," said Happel, "Sure, it's great to hit a grand slam, but I'm just glad it was able to give our team a bigger lead to play with. That just gave us more confidence to finish this one out."
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel smacks his first grand slam home run as a professional
The home run stretched Binghamton's lead to a more comfortable 5 runs. Trenton scored a single run in the 9th, but couldn't get any closer, as the Mets picked up a 5-1 win. Happel finished the day 1-4 with the grand slam and a strikeout.
TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2011 AT NH (LOSS 11-8): Give the Mets credit for never giving in, but Binghamton could never get over the hump and ended up losing 11-8. Mets Right Fielder Brian Happel came up in the clutch in the sixth inning, pulling the first pitch he saw 387 feet for a three-run home run that tied the game up at 5.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel ties the game up with a 3-run blast in the 6th.
Happel led off the eighth inning with a base hit to right, and he eventually scored again. Then, in the ninth, Happel smashed a solo shot to right, closing the gap to three runs. But, Binghamton couldn't complete the comeback. "We need some people to step up. Brian is doing his part, he's been a nice surprise for us," said Mets Manager John Griffey, "But our pitching HAS to be better. We're putting ourselves in way too deep of a hole."
Happel displaying a power surge, crushing the second of his 2 home runs in the 9th.
Happel had one of the best games of his short career, going 3-5 with the 2 home runs and 4 RBI. He also scored three times and struck out once.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011 AT NH (LOSS 3-6): This one started ugly for Binghamton rookie Brian Happel. He struck out in his first 2 at-bats. But, in the 6th inning, Happel found his swing again and laced an RBI double to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Happel showing patience can pay off, getting an RBI double in the 6th
Happel had another good at-bat in the ninth inning. He got behind in the count 1-2, fouled off a couple of good pitches, then got a solid hit to right field to lead off the inning. But again, the Mets couldn't really take advantage, losing 6-3. Happel finished the day 2-4 with a double and an RBI.
THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2011 AT NH (WIN 6-2): Binghamton got things turned around in the series finale at New Hampshire by pulling out a 6-2 victory. Mets outfielder Brian Happel actually had somewhat of a quiet game, going just 1-4 with a strikeout.
Happel belts a changeup to right for a base hit in the 5th.
FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2011 VS HARRISBURG (WIN 5-4): The Binghamton faithful were able to go home happy, thanks to a walk-off win over Harrisburg Friday night. Mets outfielder Brian Happel got the ninth inning started off right by lacing a 2-1 changeup up the middle for a single. He was eventually knocked in from third to score the game-winning run, "What an exciting game! We really fought hard for this one," said Happel.
The game certainly didn't start out well for Happel. He was called out looking in the first inning with runners at first and third and the score tied at one. In the fifth inning, he pulled a 1-2 curveball to right for a hit, and the runner at second got thrown out in a hard collision at home plate.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: A Happel single leads to a rough collision at the plate
That run would have given the Mets the lead. Happel also picked up a one out base hit in the 7th inning, but Binghamton batters couldn't bring him home. Still, the Mets managed to pull out a dramatic victory. The series against Harrisburg wraps up Sunday afternoon.
Friday, March 11, 2011
MONDAY APRIL 25 - AT PORTLAND (LOSS 3-2, Extra Innings): This was an ugly one for Mets outfielder Brian Happel. He just could not get much going at the plate, going 0-4. He reached base twice on errors and managed to score a run. But, otherwise it was just a struggle, "It's one of those games you just shrug off and say, 'Ok, we'll get them tomorrow.' That's baseball for you."
TUESDAY APRIL 26 - AT PORTLAND (WIN 4-1, Extra Innings): Mets Right Fielder Brian Happel picked a great time to come out of a mini-funk. He had not gotten a hit in his last 8 at bats when he stepped to the plate in the top of the 10th inning, with runners at first and second and one out. He smacked a double to right center field, knocking in the go-ahead runs.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel was clutch, knocking in the game-winning runs in the top of the 10th.
There certainly wasn't much offense to go around in this one, but it came at the right time for Binghamton. Happel finished the day with just the one hit. He also scored a run and struck out once.
THURSDAY APRIL 28 - AT PORTLAND (WIN 9-3): Binghamton exploded offensively, scoring nine runs for an easy win at Portland. Mets Right Fielder Brian Happel helped lead the offense with 2 doubles. Happel led off the second inning with a double over the right fielder's head. Happel was eventually knocked in.
Happel ignited the Mets offense with a lead-off double in the second inning.
Happel then lined a double to left-center on a 2-0 fastball in the fifth inning. That double brought in 2 more runs. For the day, Happel was 2-3 with a run, 2 RBI and 2 doubles.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel knocks in 2 with a solid double to right-center
FRIDAY, APRIL 29 - VS AKRON (WIN 6-1): The up-and-down week continued for Happel. After going 2-3 with 2 RBI and 2 doubles the day before, Happel only scratched out one hit, though it was an important one. "The Kid" sent the first pitch he saw in the seventh inning to the opposite field for a hit, plating the runner from second.
Happel fines the whole on the left side of the infield, picking up his only hit of the game.
The RBI single gave Binghamton a 2-run cushion at the time, which the Mets were able to expand on, ultimately picking up an easy win. Happel missed out on another opportunity in the third inning, when he couldn't get a runner in from third base with 2 outs back in the 3rd inning.
SATURDAY, APRIL 30 - VS AKRON (WIN 1-0): Again, this wasn't the prettiest game Happel has ever played. He struck out in the second inning, followed by a weak grounder to third in the fourth. He did show some hustle in the seventh, beating out a grounder to the right side of the infield for a base hit. He eventually scored the game-winning run thanks to that hustle.
Happel earned his only hit of the game, beating out the throw to first.
| 2011 Happel Monthly Stats - Hitting | |||||||||||||
| NAME | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | BA | OBP | SLG |
| April | 10 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | .323 | .328 | .452 |
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Monday 4/18/11 vs Portland (Win) -
The week got off to a decent start. Binghamton Mets Right Fielder Brian Happel picked up an RBI on a bases loaded sac fly in the seventh inning.
Then, Happel sparked another comeback win when he led off the bottom of the ninth with a ringing single. Binghamton scored 3 runs en-route to a walk-off win over Portland 5-4. After the game, manager John Griffey named Happel the every day starter in right field.
Tuesday 4/19/11 vs Portland (Loss) -
Happel wasted no time extending his hit-streak to seven games with an RBI single to left field in the first inning. He also smacked his first extra base hit of his career with a double to the opposite field.
Happel goes to the opposite field for the first double of his professional career
Then in the eighth inning, Happel hit his second double of the game, knocking in another run. He also made a poor base-running decision, getting thrown out trying to leg out a triple.
Wednesday 4/20/11 vs Portland (Win) -
The Mets managed to win, despite Happel struggling at the plate. He went 0-4, including striking out with the bases loaded and 1 out in the fifth inning. Happel's 7 game hit streak came to an end. Happel also sat out the next game, on Thursday, against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
Friday 4/22/11 at NH (Win) -
Happel and the Mets missed out on an opportunity to do some significant damage in the first inning, when Happel grounded out with runners at first and second. However, he did get a nice single down the third base line that just stayed fair.
Happel sneaks one down the line for his only hit of the game
Happel finished the game going 1-5 with a strikeout.
Saturday 4/23/11 at NH (Win) -
It will certainly be a game to remember for Binghamton outfielder Brian Happel, who hit the first home run of his professional career.
Happel took a swing at the first pitch he saw in the 8th inning and sent a rocket out over the center field wall, measuring about 400 feet. The 2-run blast gave the Mets a bigger cushion going into the ninth, as they held on for the win.
Mets fans - both in Binghamton and New York - hope this is the first of many home run swings they'll see from Happel
| 2011 Happel Weekly Stats Stats - Hitting | |||||||||||||
| NAME | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | BA | OBP | SLG |
| 4/17-4/23 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .350 | .364 | .600 |
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Binghamton, NY - Just when it looked like the Fisher Cats had taken the wind out of Binghamton's sail, the Mets respond in a big way in the seventh, pulling out a 7-2 come-from-behind victory in front of more than 6,500 fans at The Porch. It was a pitcher's duel until the 7th inning. That's when Corona hit a two-run home run to give New Hampshire the lead. But Mets outfielder Brian Happel smacked a single to right to lead off the bottom half of the inning, and the offense exploded from there. Binghamton batted around, and when all was said and done, the Mets had a 7-2 lead.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel knocks in the 7th and final run of a big 7th inning
It was easily the best game of Happel's young career with the Mets. He picked up 3 hits in 4 at bats, scored a run and knocked in another run. He raised his average from .200 all the way up to .357. "It felt great to have such a good game," said Happel afterwards, "But, it is just one game. Tomorrow, I could go oh for five with five strikeouts. That's baseball. I just need to try and be consistent and get another hit the next game I play in."
Happel may be finding his stroke early, picking up the first 3-hit game of his professional career
Williamson was solid on the hill for Binghamton, giving up just 2 earned runs in 6.2 innings of work. Frank McKinney has also been good in relief. He hasn't given up a run yet and already has two wins. "It feels good to get the first win at home, in front of our fans," said manager John Griffey, "Hopefully we can do it again and keep this nice streak going." The Mets have now won five games in a row.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel picks up an "excuse me" hit, smacks a liner to right, and smokes one up the middle
| NHA at BNG - The Porch | ||||||||||||
| Apr 14, 2011 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| New Hampshire Fisher Cats () | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| Binghamton Mets () | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 2 |
| W: Frank McKinney (2-0) L: Jonny Case (0-1) | ||||||||||||
| Scoring Summary | ||||
| SCORING DETAILS | NHA | BNG | ||
| NHA | 7th | Corona HOMERED to center, Takei and Corona score | 2 | 0 |
| BNG | 7th | Hernandez DOUBLED to center, Happel scores | 2 | 1 |
| BNG | 7th | Nelson SINGLED to left, Hernandez scores | 2 | 2 |
| BNG | 7th | Lima SINGLED to right, Nelson and Hu score | 2 | 4 |
| BNG | 7th | Baek SAC FLY to left, Harris scores | 2 | 5 |
| BNG | 7th | Maldonado SAC FLY to right, Lima scores | 2 | 6 |
| BNG | 7th | HAPPEL SINGLED to center, Duda scores | 2 | 7 |
| New Hampshire Fisher Cats | ||||||||
| HITTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | HR | AVG |
| Takei, LF | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .125 |
| Corona, 3B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .292 |
| Washington, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .115 |
| Vazquez, 2B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .176 |
| Ortega, 1B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .161 |
| Wells, DH | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
| Koehler, RF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .143 |
| Wilkerson, SS | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .421 |
| Thomas, CF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .273 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 33 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | |
| BATTING: HR: S. Corona (1) RBI: S. Corona 2 (2) GIDP: A. Takei, S. Corona | ||||||||
| BASERUNNING: SB: K. Thomas (1) | ||||||||
| FIELDING: E: S. Corona (2), S. Vazquez (1) | ||||||||
| Binghamton Mets | ||||||||
| HITTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | HR | AVG |
| Harris, DH | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .353 |
| Lima, 3B | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .286 |
| Baek, C | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .357 |
| Duda, RF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .233 |
| Maldonado, CF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .267 |
| HAPPEL, LF | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .357 |
| Hernandez, SS | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .238 |
| Nelson, 1B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .556 |
| Hu, 2B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .563 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 34 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| BATTING: 2B: L. Hernandez (1), C. Hu (1), L. Duda (2) RBI: J. Lima 2 (4), L. Hernandez (2), M. Maldonado (5), B. HAPPEL (1), D. Baek (2), A. Nelson (5) HBP: W. Harris SF: M. Maldonado, D. Baek GIDP: M. Maldonado | ||||||||
| FIELDING: E: D. Baek (1), L. Duda (1) | ||||||||
| New Hampshire Fisher Cats | ||||||||
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
| R. Hernandez | 6.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.45 |
| J. Case (L, 0-1) | 0.0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7.71 |
| J. Allen | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.35 |
| R. Hendley | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.08 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 8.0 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| Binghamton Mets | ||||||||
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
| R. Williamson | 6.2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4.63 | |
| F. McKinney (W, 2-0) | 2.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| TEAM TOTALS | 9.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||
| Binghamton Mets | |||||||
| # | PITCHERS | POS | B/T | AGE | HT | WT | SALARY |
| 23 | Jenrry Mejia | SP | R/R | 21 | 6'0" | 160 | $420,000 |
| 30 | Jerrod Tucker | SP | S/R | 18 | 6'5" | 218 | $256,000 |
| 8 | Ron Williamson | SP | R/R | 22 | 5'10" | 178 | $263,000 |
| 18 | Michael Fahey | SP | S/L | 20 | 6'2" | 195 | $183,000 |
| 24 | Marcelo Wilkes | SP | R/R | 20 | 5'10" | 202 | $155,000 |
| 5 | Israel Gomez | SP | R/R | 24 | 6'4" | 215 | $91,000 |
| 27 | Chris Clements | RP | L/R | 24 | 5'11" | 214 | $41,000 |
| 29 | Frank McKinney | RP | R/L | 19 | 6'3" | 180 | $34,000 |
| 28 | Cesar Perez | RP | R/R | 21 | 6'1" | 220 | $30,000 |
| 10 | Reed Newell | RP | L/L | 21 | 5'10" | 197 | $30,000 |
| 19 | Alex Santana | CP | L/R | 20 | 5'10" | 198 | $218,000 |
| # | CATCHERS | POS | B/T | AGE | HT | WT | SALARY |
| 75 | Cesar Villegas | C | R/R | 19 | 5'11" | 203 | $34,000 |
| 31 | David Baek | C | L/R | 24 | 5'10" | 208 | $30,000 |
| # | INFIELDERS | POS | B/T | AGE | HT | WT | SALARY |
| 26 | Richard Nieves | 1B | R/R | 23 | 6'5" | 213 | $30,000 |
| 6 | Aaron Nelson | 1B | R/R | 24 | 5'11" | 193 | $30,000 |
| 2 | Justin Turner | 2B | R/R | 26 | 5'11" | 200 | $40,000 |
| 9 | Johnnie Lima | 3B | R/R | 19 | 6'1" | 182 | $48,000 |
| 3 | Luis Hernandez | SS | S/R | 26 | 5'10" | 180 | $100,000 |
| 25 | Chin-Lung Hu | SS | R/R | 27 | 5'11" | 195 | $40,000 |
| # | OUTFIELDERS | POS | B/T | AGE | HT | WT | SALARY |
| 56 | Albert Barrera | LF | R/R | 25 | 5'7" | 159 | $256,000 |
| 22 | Lucas Duda | LF | L/R | 25 | 6'5" | 240 | $170,000 |
| 33 | Willie harris | LF | L/R | 32 | 5'9" | 191 | $140,000 |
| 21 | Martin Maldonado | CF | R/R | 25 | 6'1" | 201 | $34,000 |
| 32 | BRIAN HAPPEL | RF | L/R | 18 | 6'2" | 210 | $30,000 |
Here's a look at the depth chart for the Binghamton Mets for 2011:
| Binghamton Mets Depth Chart - 2011 | ||||
| STARTER | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | |
| C | Cesar Villegas | David Baek | ||
| 1B | Richard Nieves | Aaron Nelson | ||
| 2B | Justin Turner | |||
| 3B | Johnnie Lima | |||
| SS | Luis Hernandez | Chin-Lung Hu | ||
| LF | Lucas Duda | Willie Harris | ||
| CF | M. Maldonado | |||
| RF | Albert Barrera | BRIAN HAPPEL | ||
| DH | Willie Harris | |||
| SP | Jenrry Mejia | Jerrod Tucker | Ron Williamson | Michael Fahey, Marcelo Wilkes |
| RP | Israel Gomez | Frank McKinney | Cesar Perez | Reed Newell |
| CL | Alex Santana | Chris Clements | Nate Santos | |
Akron, OH - It was the moment Binghamton Mets Right Fielder Brian Happel had been waiting for his whole life - his first professional at-bad. It didn't exactly turn out as well as he'd hoped. Happel struck out swinging on a low slider and walked back to the bench in disgust. No matter, his team picked him up. The Mets ended up with an easy 9-4 win over Akron thanks to a five-run explosion in the 7th inning that Happel actually played a part in.
Happel stands in for the first at-bat of his professional career, which turned out to be a strikeout
The Mets were able to jump out to an early 4-0 lead, scoring one run in the first and three more in the fourth. But, the Aeros came roaring back with 4 runs of their own in the fifth inning to tie things up. The score remained tied until the seventh inning. Happel led the top half of the inning off with a screaming grounder down the line to first. Diaz managed to dive and knock it down, but he could not get the ball to first in time, and Happel picked up his first hit of his professional career. "It felt good to at least get it out of the way," said Happel after the game, "Now I've got a lot of work to do, because the rest of my plate appearances were not good."
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel picks up the first hit of his professional career.
The Mets loaded the bases, and a bases-clearing double gave Binghamton the lead for good. Frank McKinney picked up his first win of the season. The loss went to Gil Marquez. Binghamton continues its season-opening road trip with a three-game set at Erie beginning tonight.
| BNG at AKR - Riverboat Field | ||||||||||||
| Apr 10, 2011 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Binghamton Mets (2-2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 17 | 1 |
| Akron Aeros (2-2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 0 |
| W: Frank McKinney (1-0) L: Gil Marquez (0-1) | ||||||||||||
| Scoring Summary | ||||
| SCORING DETAILS | BNG | AKR | ||
| BNG | 1 | Baek grounded to center for a SINGLE, Harris scores | 1 | 0 |
| BNG | 4 | Nelson grounded to center for a SINGLE, Lima scores | 2 | 0 |
| BNG | 4 | Turner flied to center for a SINGLE, Maldonado scores | 3 | 0 |
| BNG | 4 | Barrera flied to left for a SINGLE, Nelson scores | 4 | 0 |
| AKR | 5 | Garland DOUBLED to center, Diaz and Guzman score | 4 | 2 |
| AKR | 5 | Carlin flied to center for a SINGLE, Garland scores | 4 | 3 |
| AKR | 5 | Pina HIT BY A PITCH, Carlin Scores | 4 | 4 |
| BNG | 7 | Nelson DOUBLED to left, Happel, Lima, Maldonado score | 7 | 4 |
| BNG | 7 | Hu chopped to center for a SINGLE, Nelson scores | 8 | 4 |
| BNG | 7 | Barrera grounded to left for a SINGLE, Hu scores | 9 | 4 |
| Binghamton Mets | ||||||||
| HITTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | HR | AVG |
| Harris, DH | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .412 |
| Barrera, LF | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .278 |
| Baek, C | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .167 |
| HAPPEL, RF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .200 |
| Lima, 3B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .357 |
| Maldonado, CF | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .267 |
| Nelson, 1B | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .600 |
| Hu, SS | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .600 |
| Turner, 2B | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .437 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 43 | 9 | 17 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 0 | |
| BATTING: 2B: A. Nelson (1) RBI: J. Turner (1), A. Barrera 2 (4), D. Baek (1), C. Hu (1), A. Nelson 4 (4) GIDP: M. Maldonado | ||||||||
| BASERUNNING: SB: W. Harris (2) | ||||||||
| FIELDING: E: C. Hu (1) | ||||||||
| Akron Aeros | ||||||||
| HITTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | HR | AVG |
| Garland, LF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .333 |
| Cummins, SS | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .375 |
| Carlin, C | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
| Huffman, RF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .222 |
| Carmichael, DH | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .389 |
| Hernandez, 3B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .231 |
| Pina, CF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
| Diaz, 1B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .500 |
| Guzman, 2B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .250 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 40 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 | |
| BATTING: 2B: J. Garland (1) RBI: L. Carlin (1), J. Garland 2 (3), E. Pina (1) HBP: E. Pina | ||||||||
| BASERUNNING: SB: C. Huffman (2) | ||||||||
| Binghamton Mets | ||||||||
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
| M. Fahey | 5.0 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3.60 |
| F. McKinney (W, 1-0) | 3.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.00 |
| C. Clements | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 9.0 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | |
| Akron Aeros | ||||||||
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
| J. Sanders | 3.2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9.82 |
| S. Beavers | 2.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| G. Marquez (L, 0-1) | 0.1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40.50 |
| J. Todd | 0.2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.75 |
| J. Matsui | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6.00 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 9.0 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 0 | |
New York, NY - The Mets signed a number of young draft picks they are hoping will turn into major contributors in the upcoming years. Among the high draft picks are two solid starting pitchers, a hot corner prospect and a potentially decent outfielder. "We've got an interesting bunch coming in," said New York manager Terry Collins, "We don't expect anyone to make an immediate impact, but the hope is we get a couple of really good ones out of this group."
Left fielder Albert Barrera may be the biggest prospect the Mets signed. He's already a great contact hitter, putting the ball into play often. He's also a very smart baserunner and has decent speed. Jerrod Tucker appears to have the most potential among pitchers the team brought on. Tucker has good late movement on his four-seam fastball. He also has great break on his curve ball and could get a lot of swing and misses on that one, if he can learn to control it. One unknown that got drafted in the late rounds but managed to turn heads enough during spring training to make the AA club is right fielder Brian Happel.
Binghamton Mets newly drafted right fielder Brian Happel is hoping to turn some heads at the AA level
Happel is an average contact hitter, but has good power given that he is coming right out of high school. "Happel is someone who's going to need a lot of work," admitted Binghamton Mets manager John Griffey, "But his hard work really impressed us in camp. If he keeps that work ethic, he might just make a name for himself some day. But, I wouldn't expect to see him blow through the minors too quickly. He needs a lot of seasoning." For now, Happel is expected to sit on the bench and get the occassional start. His fielding skills aren't great, but he does have a very good arm that could turn into a cannon in the coming years.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
NAME: Brian Happel
HEIGHT: 6'2"
WEIGHT: 210 LBS
Bat/Throw: L/R
AGE: 18
SALARY: $30,000
PRIMARY POSITION: RIGHT FIELD
SECONDARY POSITION: OUTFIELD
CON L: 29 CON R: 35
POW L: 44 POW R: 50
CLT: 48
VIS: 38
DISC: 27
BUNT: 12
DBUNT: 7
DUR: 59
SPD: 31
BR ABIL: 21
BR AGG: 11
ARM: 59
ACC: 50
FLD: 35
REAC: 31
I hope you'll follow along with my guy as he makes it to "The Show" and hopefully goes on to a Hall of Fame career!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel got free for some rim-rocking dunks against Boston
Orlando, FL (AP) - The nets were on fire at the Amway Center for both teams, but Orlando shot just a little bit better en route to an easy 114-97 win over their rivals, the Boston Celtics. You knew it was going to be one of those games, when the Magic got out to a really hot start. Actually, it was their swingman that started off on fire, as Brian Happel scored the team's first 15 points. Boston managed to hang around, and was actually leading 14-11 early on. But, Orlando went on an 11-2 run, ultimately jumping out to a 9 point first quarter lead. The Magic remained hot in the second quarter, and ended up shooting a ridiculous 63% from the floor, including 6-10 from long range. That gave Orlando a 16 point halftime cushion, and the Celtics could not turn things around enough in the second half.
| NBA League Leaders - Updated: Jan 15, 2013 | |||||
| Field Goal Percentage | FG% | Free Throw Percentage | FT% | ||
 | 1. BRIAN HAPPEL | .683 |  | 1. Gordon Hayword | .966 |
| 2. Carl Landry | .555 | 2. Paul George | .963 | ||
| 3. Patrick Patterson | .550 | 3. Luke Babbitt | .956 | ||
| 4. Derrick Rose | .547 | 4. BRIAN HAPPEL | .954 | ||
| 5. Carlos Boozer | .544 | 5. Chauncey Billups | .944 | ||
For his part, "The Captain" dominated on offense, especially in the first half. Happel scored 32 of his 43 points in that first half, connecting on 14-19 shots, including 3-5 from behind the arc. Happel also picked up 3 steals and grabbed 8 rebounds. He has absolutely destroyed the Celtics defense this season, and the rest of the NBA for that matter. After the game, Happel was bordering on cocky with his answer to what this team can do this season, "Keep getting me the ball, and we're gonna get a ring. I can put this team on my back, but they have to let me."
| Happel vs. Celtics Stats - 2012-13 | |||||||||
| Date | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
| 11/16 HOME | 41 | 67 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28-37 | 5-5 | 6-7 |
| 12/1 AWAY | 42 | 44 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 19-32 | 4-8 | 2-2 |
| 1/15 HOME | 40 | 43 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 19-30 | 4-10 | 1-1 |
| AVERAGES | 41.0 | 51.3 | 11.7 | 3.3 | 2.0 | 0.3 | .667 | .565 | .900 |
Happel may not feel like he needs help, but his teammates certainly provided some. Dwight Howard notched a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Stephen Jackson also played the best game he's played in a while, scoring 15 points on 6-14 shooting, including 3-7 from long range. Andray Blatche was on fire on the low blocks, making 8-11 shots and scoring 17 points.
Happel started out on fire from three-point land, hitting 3 of his first 4
The Celtics played pretty well, also. Five players scored in double-figures. Kevin Garnett led the way with 19 points. He also grabbed 10 boards. Ray Allen scored 17 points on 7-14 shooting. Rajon Rondo and Glen "Big Baby" Davis also contributed with double-doubles, with Rondo scoring 13 and handing out 10 assists, while Davis scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Celtics captain Paul Pierce didn't take too kindly to Happel's words after the game. "I'm not sure what's going on with him, but he's just giving teams a bigger reason than ever before to gun for him and his teammates. As defending champs, teams are already going to give them their best. Winners let their game do the talking instead of their mouths."
Happel put on a show for the hometown crowd, adding some sizzle to this dunk
Post game fireworks aside, both teams shot the ball well. Boston connected on 50% of its shots, while the Magic made 54%. Three-point shooting percentages weren't dramatically different, but Orlando took a lot more - 22 compared to just 7 for the Celtics. The Magic were able to get some easy breaks thanks to 13 Boston turnovers. The one real bright spot for the Celtics was the play of their bench. They outscored Orlando's bench by a 31-11 margin. Up next for the Magic: a home date with Utah on Thursday afternoon. They then travel to the "Windy City" to take on the Bulls on Saturday night.
| Jan 15, 2013 - BOS at ORL | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Boston Celtics (18-22) | 24 | 25 | 29 | 19 | 97 |
| Orlando Magic (32-6) | 33 | 32 | 22 | 27 | 114 |
| Boston Celtics | ||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| R. Rondo | 36 | 5-7 | 0-0 | 3-3 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 |
| R. Allen | 33 | 7-14 | 1-2 | 2-3 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17 |
| P. Pierce | 36 | 5-13 | 0-1 | 3-3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| K. Garnett | 38 | 9-16 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 19 |
| D. Gooden | 12 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| G. Davis | 29 | 5-10 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| M. Christie | 19 | 2-7 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| G. Mobley | 11 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| B. Wallace | 11 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| A. Bradley | 7 | 3-5 | 2-3 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| H. Wolfe | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| E. Kelley | 6 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 41-82 | 3-7 | 12-14 | 38 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 97 | |
| Orlando Magic | ||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| Gilbert Arenas | 33 | 4-12 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Stephen Jackson | 36 | 6-14 | 3-7 | 0-0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 15 |
| Brian Happel | 41 | 19-30 | 4-10 | 1-1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 43 |
| Andray Blatche | 32 | 8-11 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| Dwight Howard | 40 | 8-16 | 0-0 | 4-6 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| DeJuan Blair | 16 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Marcin Gortat | 10 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| John Salmons | 10 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mack Bledsoe | 5 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Cory Coleman | 5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wayne Washington | 10 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Ryan Anderson | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 50-91 | 8-22 | 6-10 | 45 | 29 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 114 | |
New York, NY (AP) - Another week, another award for both Orlando small forward Brian Happel and Golden State point guard Stephen Curry. Happel was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of January 6-12. The Magic swingman led his team to a perfect 3-0 record last week with wins over New York, Atlanta and the Los Angeles Lakers.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel put on a show for the fans all week, flying through the air with the greatest of ease
"The award is certainly nice, and I give all the credit to my teammates," said Happel after practice yesterday when he found out he received the award for the third straight week, "It will certainly be a week to remember." Happel reached a milestone last week, scoring his 5,000th career point versus Atlanta. He was also mired in a bit of controversy, after speaking out about Kevin Durant and some other stars. For the week, Happel averaged 41.7 points, 15.7 rebounds and 5 assists per game.
It was also a good week for Stephen Curry, who was named Western Conference Player of the Week after leading his Warriors to victories over Miami and Sacramento, both at home. Curry averaged 24.5 points, 6.5 assists and 5.0 steals per game. He also shot 58% from the field for the week. It's the second time in three weeks Curry has received the honor.
Portland, OR (AP) - Washington pulls even to .500 after beating the Trail Blazers 88-76 on the road. The Wizards pulled ahead in the third quarter and never looked back, outrebounding Portland 50-35, while holding the Trail Blazers to 40% shooting. Washington's Javale McGee had a huge game down low, scoring 17 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. Brandon Roy was Portland's lead scorer with just 13 points.
| Jan 13, 2013 - WAS at POR | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Washington Wizards (20-20) | 24 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 88 |
| Portland Trail Blazers (21-19) | 24 | 17 | 13 | 22 | 76 |
| GAME HIGHS | STAT | GAME HIGHS | STAT | ||
 | Points: J. Wall | 18 |  | >Points: B. Roy | 13 |
| Rebounds: J. McGee | 19 | | Rebounds: G. Oden | 10 |
| Assists: R. Lewis | 3 | | Assists: B. Roy | 4 |