It was Benny’s day in the sun. His son is next in line.

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NEW YORK From 1998 to 2001, Benny Agbayani was a fourth outfielder for the Mets. Agbayani had a lunchpail mindset while he was in the Big Apple, working hard every day on the field. On October 7, 2000, Agbayani became an icon to Mets fans, and by the time he left New York, he was a cult hero.

It was the thirteenth inning of Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Shea Stadium, which was pitted against the Giants. When Agbayani took a 1-0 pitch from left-hander Aaron Fultz and hit the ball over the left center-field wall, tying the score at 2, New York took a 3-2 lead in the series. The following day, New York emerged victorious in the series and faced the Cardinals in the NL Championship Series.

We were the underdogs when we played in 2000. We succeeded in reaching the World Series. Agbayani stated over the phone, “No one anticipated that we would be there.” I recall Tom Robson, the hitting coach at the time, saying to me, ‘I think you could end this game right now,’ I simply exuded that confidence. “Coach, I’m going to end this right now,” I declared. I hit a pitch that I had to square up. It was hard to hit a home run in New York over at Shea Stadium. The density of the air is immense. I noticed Barry Bonds, the left fielder, sprinting back when the ball went up. Oh no, I said. Will he be able to get it? The fans began to stand up, and suddenly.

What turned out to be Agbayani’s greatest hit of the season was the home run. Before spending six years with the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League, he would play five more seasons in the major leagues, primarily with the Mets.

Agbayani remarked, “I had a great time playing in New York.” Hearing that crowd still gives me the goosebumps. I had respect for New York fans because they never failed to hold you accountable when you needed it. They shared my sentiments, wanting me to succeed in the game.

Agbayani loves to talk about his son, Bruin Agbayani, who recently committed to play college baseball for South Carolina starting in 2025, even if his time in the 2000 NLDS was absolutely remarkable. Bruin is a left-handed hitter with excellent bat speed who plays shortstop for Mililani High School in Hawaii right now, according to perfectgame.com. According to Benny, his son has improved since he was that age. Benny is reminded of Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper by Bruin’s lefty batting approach, and Bruin wants his defense to resemble that of his idol, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor.

He choose South Carolina because he wanted to play in the Southeastern Conference. I’m very proud of him for just taking his game to the next level,” Benny remarked. “Playing professional ball is his ultimate dream. Every time, he would ask me why Benny the Third wasn’t my name for him. “We named you Bruin because we want you to succeed in the game on your own terms, fulfill your own shoes,” I remarked. I’ll be there for him no matter what.

I’m not as good as him. He grew up surrounded by the game. He is well-resourced. He has several of my friends, who are able to mentor and counsel him. That is this game’s best feature.

I spent a lot of time playing this game. All of my newfound buddies returned and told my son about it.