Last night was a first for me.  I attended my first minor league game – Binghamton at New Britain – and it was my first time getting a press pass to walk on a baseball field…

I intended on talking a few players about a story idea I was noodeling with.  And though I talked briefly with Mike Jacobs and Joe Hietpas, I never got the quotes or information I was looking for. 

Oh well…

I did pick up a few thoughts, though…

No Regrets…

While I may have had talent as a baseball player in my younger days, even had I possessed super talent I never could’ve been a professional baseball player.  These kids are so much bigger than my friends and I were, be it in height, weight or stature.  It actually makes me feel better about the decision to quit my varsity high school team and, instead, play Wiffle Ball with my friends…

For example, Jacobs lobbed a ball in from first base during batting practice.  The ball landed square on David Bacani’s chest, thumping loud enough to t urn heads.  Bacani picked up the ball casually put it back in a bucket of balls, and then went about his business as if nothing had happened.  Had that been me, I would’ve undoubtedly required medical attention…

Mike Jacobs…

Speaking of Jacobs, the kid has an intriguing aura about him, with a confidence to his stride across the diamond and in the dugout.  He’s not very graceful at first base, though.  In fact, he looks very timid…

However, at the plate he defines grace.  He swings a lot like Nick Johnson, but with a small hitch before he swings.  And the ball just pops off his bat.  Listening to batting practice, in fact, you can tell when he is taking swings and when he is not.  The ball just sounds different.  During the seventh inning, Jacobs smacked a two-run homer over the center-field wall, which stands roughly thirty feet high…

He is impressive and raw, and certainly caught my attention…

Anderson Hernandez…

Also of interest was Anderson Hernandez, whom the Mets brought back when they sent Vance Wilson to Detroit this past spring…

Upon his arrival, I was told by all sorts of experts that Hernandez was a Rey Ordonez clone.  With Jose Reyes blocking the line at shortstop for the Mets, Binghamton is now using Hernandez at second base.  He is slick in the field, and turns the double play without effort.  During the game, a ball was ripped to his left, which he caught back-handed on a short-hop while sliding on his knees, from which he hopped up and threw to first all in one motion.  Had you blinked you’d have missed it…

The kid is peppy, too.  He has a Reyes-like smile and talks with his teammates a lot…

At the plate, he’s exceeding expectations, batting .322 with seven HR and 24 RBI while stealing 11 bases in 63 games.  And though his hands are relaxed at the plate, he needs to be less aggressive, wait for the ball to come to him and swing more with his hands, and less with his upper body.  The end of his swing resembles Reyes more than you’d like see.  Granted, he was batting as a lefty, and I was told he is a more sound hitter from the right-side…

Similar to Jacobs, he’s raw and impressive, and seems to have a way about him that his teammates and fans respond to.