Benny had day in the sun. It's his son's turn

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NEW YORK -- Benny Agbayani was a fourth outfielder when he played for the Mets from 1998-2001. During his time in the Big Apple, Agbayani had that lunchpail mentality, grinding it out on the field daily. By the time he left New York, Agbayani was a cult hero for Mets fans, having received icon status on Oct. 7, 2000.

It was the 13th inning of Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Giants at Shea Stadium. The two teams were tied at 2 when Agbayani swung at a 1-0 pitch from left-hander Aaron Fultz and hit the ball over the left-center-field wall to give New York a 3-2 victory and a 2-1 series lead. New York ended up winning the series the next day and advancing to the NL Championship Series against the Cardinals.

“When we played in 2000, we were like the underdog. We made it all the way to the World Series. No one thought we would be there,” Agbayani said via telephone. “I remember [then-hitting coach] Tom Robson telling me, ‘I think you could end this game right now.’ I just had that confidence. I said, ‘Coach, I’m going to end this right now.’ … I got a pitch to square up and I hit it. Over at Shea Stadium, it was tough to hit a home run in New York. The air is so thick. When the ball went up, I saw [left fielder] Barry [Bonds] running back. I said, ‘Oh, no. Is he going to catch it?’ I saw the fans standing up, and then boom. Home run.”

The home run proved to be the biggest hit of Agbayani's career. He would last five years in the big leagues, mostly with the Mets, before playing six years with the Chiba Lotte Marines in the Japanese Pacific League.

“I had a great time playing in New York,” Agbayani said. “It still brings chills hearing that crowd. I respected the fans of New York because they always put you in check whenever you needed to be in check. They had the same feeling I had: They wanted me to go out there and win.”

While his moment in the 2000 NLDS was truly unforgettable, Agbayani loves to talk about his son, Bruin Agbayani, who recently committed to play college baseball for South Carolina starting in 2025. Bruin is currently a shortstop for Mililani High School in Hawaii, and according to perfectgame.com, he is a left-handed hitter with plus bat speed. Benny said his son is better than he was at that age. Bruin’s lefty batting style reminds Benny of Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper, and Bruin would like his defense to be similar to his hero, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor.

“He wanted to play in the Southeastern Conference, and he picked South Carolina. Just having him take his game to the next level, I’m very proud of him,” Benny said. “His ultimate goal is to play pro ball. He always asked me why I didn’t name him Benny the Third. I said, ‘We named you Bruin because we want you to fulfill your own shoes, succeed in the game and do it on your own terms.’ I will always be there to support him.

“He is better than me. Growing up, he has been around the game. He has a lot of resources. He has a lot of my friends -- people that could guide him, give him advice. That’s the great part of this game.

“For me, I played this game for a long time. All the friends I made, they came back, and they shared it with my son.”