The Binghamton Mets and the B-Mets Booster Club organized  a panel of former players to speak to fans prior to Monday's home game against the New Britain Rock Cats at NYSEG Stadium.  Panelists for "Baseball in Binghamton Through the Years" included two former B-Mets, a pair of Triplets and a Windsor native who went on to play with two Major League teams.  The panel discussion was part of a season-long celebration of 100 years of minor league baseball in our area.

Taking part in the question and answer session moderated by WNBF Radio's Roger Neel were former B-Mets Tom Wegmann and Matt Raleigh.  Wegmann was a standout in the B-Mets inaugural season going 9-2 and leading Binghamton to an Eastern League crown.  Raleigh holds the team record for home runs in a single season. He ripped Eastern League pitching for 37 home runs in 1997 including one off Hideki Irabu who went on to star with the New York Yankees.

Two Triplets' alumni spoke about their time playing in Binghamton.  Lou Howell spent the 1967 and 1968 seasons in Binghamton and went on to win a Governor's Cup Triple-A Championship with Syracuse.  Steve Kraly made his mark as one of the finest hurlers to put on a Binghamton uniform.  He won 19 games for the Trips in 1953 and was called up to the New York Yankees to complete the 1953 season.

Completing the panel was Windsor native Joel Bennett who never played for the B-Mets but saw duty with two Big League teams pitching for Philadelphia and Baltimore.  He won 133 minor league games over a 17-year professional career and won an independent league championship with the New Jersey Jackals.

More From WNBF News Radio 1290 AM & 92.1 FM