October 2004

It's a lot of fun watching the Mets farmhands learning their trade, as evidenced by the fact that the Brooklyn Cyclones games are among the hottest tickets in town. However, man does not live by Single-A ball alone, and it is nice to be able to watch a higher level of minor league baseball on occasion. Although a trip to Binghamton might be a bit far for a day trip, Mets fans have the opportunity to scout the Mets of the future when the B-Mets play road games in Trenton.

Trenton is reasonably accessible from New York City -- approximately an hour and a quarter south of the City, and not too far from the New Jersey Turnpike. Waterfront Park, located on the shores of the historic Delaware River, has been the home of the Trenton Thunder since 1994. The Thunder was a Boston affiliate until 2002 -- the retired numbers of Nomar Garciaparra (5) and Tony Clark (33) are from their days as Red Sox farmhands. However, in 2003 the Thunder changed affiliation, and it is now the New York Yankees' Double A affiliate. Thus, while Thunder/B-Mets games were interesting enough before, these days the matchup takes on the quality of a mini Subway Series.

As with any Subway Series game, there is no shortage of fans dressed in Mets gear when Binghamton faces off against Trenton. For some fans, like Mark Millea of Englishtown, New Jersey, the appeal of the series is that, "it's a Met-Yankee thing." John Martin of Franklin Park, New Jersey brings 7-year-old David to Trenton on a regular basis because, "This is a nice atmosphere. It's kind of small, there are good seats that are up close, and it's nice to see the Mets prospects coming up." Harry Kerr of Hamilton, New Jersey enjoys being able to mingle with other Mets fans, "and hopefully seeing a Met who has been sent down for rehab."

Some fans make the trip in order to see familiar faces in unfamiliar roles. Tom Meyer of Levittown, Pennsylvania journeyed to Trenton for the first time because he "wanted to see Howard Johnson coach." For his part, Johnson, who is the B-Mets hitting coach this season, enjoys meeting the fans who come out to the ballpark to see him. "It's awesome. They always tell you what they remember about you -- it's great."

The O'Connor family of West Windsor, New Jersey also came to see a familiar face in a new setting. Parents Tom and Mary are long-term Mets fans, and in 2003 they enrolled 8-year-old Tommy in a week-long Mets baseball camp in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Tommy learned a lot about baseball, and the family had the opportunity to meet several members of the Florida State League St. Lucie Mets. Blake McGinley was one of those players, and the O'Connors were "very excited" to be able to cheer for McGinley as they watched him pitch on the Double A level prior to McGinley's promotion to Triple A Norfolk.

Sometimes fandom is the result of happenstance. Such is the case for one group of boys from the Langhorne (Pennsylvania) Athletic Association Little League. This year the LAA named their teams after minor league baseball teams, and one of the teams was named after the B-Mets. LAA coach Ken DePinto had the foresight to contact the Thunder front office and was able to make arrangements for his B-Mets to meet the actual team prior to a game in June. The boys, clad in their minor league replica uniforms, had the chance to be on the field during batting practice, and the B-Mets didn't let their smaller namesakes down. DePinto tells Fan's Voice that, "the players were great to the boys. They signed everything and let us take pictures." 10-year-old Ryan DePinto, who was already a Mets fan, "thought it was great. I think they're really nice. It was exciting being on the field with them." It's safe to say that the B-Mets gained several new fans in the Delaware Valley that evening.

In addition to scouting the Mets of the future, there are many other reasons to attend B-Mets games in Trenton. For starters, Trenton and the vicinity was the location for many significant battles and events during the American Revolution and Colonial times -- the area is a potpourri of historic sites for anybody who has studied American history. Minor league baseball is inherently entertaining, with contests and other exhibitions between innings. The level of play on the Double A level is of a much higher level than you generally see in Brooklyn. 10-year-old Waterfront Park is a lovely facility with affordable tickets ranging in price from $5.00 to $9.00. The parking is plentiful, and it only costs $1.00. There are events for children outside the ballpark to entertain them before the gates open, and a Kid Zone inside the park with activities for restless tikes who just cannot sit through an entire 9-inning game. And best of all, whenever the Mets face off against the Yankees, even on the minor league level, there is the excitement of a Subway Series in the air.

For tickets, information and directions to Waterfront Park, call 609-394-3300 or visit http://www.trentonthunder.com/ on the Web.