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Benny Agbayani
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 66 of 1252 players
Benny Peter Agbayani
Born: December 28, 1971 at Honolulu, Hawaii
Throws: Right Bats: Right
Height: 6.00 Weight: 225

Benny Agbayani was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on June 14, 2009, May 21, 2010, February 24, 2011, May 18, 2011, July 3, 2016, and December 31, 2018.

First Mets game: June 17, 1998
Last Mets game: September 1, 2001

Share your memories of Benny Agbayani HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY: Bernard Aguinaldo First player of Filipino ancestry to play in the major leagues. Wears number 50 to honor his home state - Hawaii. flushing flash Benny was already one of the most popular players on the Mets before he hit his game-winning home run against the Giants. Now he will forever be a Mets legend. Mr. Sparkle Considering the completely mediocre minor league career this guy has had, it's amazing that he has turned into a total clutch hitter and quite invaluable piece of the team. He's the type of player you gotta love, no fanfare coming in but has produced very steady numbers and has been amazingly clutch. Coach HoJo 20 December 25, 2000 Benny is the Man!!!!!!! Thank God Benny was able to take his Hawaiian Hammer to the Orient and Pearl Bomb the Cubs with a mighty Home Run to beat the Cubs and to keep his spot on the Mets Some one in the Mets organization is trying to get rid of Benny hopefully it wont happen because this guy is a Prime Time Player and should be allowed to bring the Mets to future World Championships Come on guys lets sing it together..... "BBBB BENNY AND THE METS" Won Doney March 16, 2001 They need to play Benny more in 2001. All of the non- Mets fans and those fake Mets fans all overlook the potential of both Benny and Jay Payton. I think that soon enough, they'll both be All-Stars. Benny is one of my favorite players right now. Just wait. In five years, they'll trade Benny for another Jim Fregosi or Juan Samuel. EG March 18, 2001 Anyone notice how good an eye this guy has? You get the feeling that the Mets organization will never be comfortable saying he's the LF. I think this has proven that he can play. I like players who have proven that they can perform in Post-Season. Big hits in both years. He may not be Barry Bonds, but I think Bonds would envy his October success. Then again, being such a jerk, Bonds probably wouldn't be smart enough to. Henny April 4, 2001 i really did not think this guy would be able to run, but he can. I did not think this guy would come through at really tough times, but I guess he proved me wrong there to. I cannot have anymore doubts about this great big teddybear of a guy because he is just too good. ROSA A.K.A.(MAMITA) April 9, 2001 All I have to say is I love his butt! Jim Alderson April 9, 2001 I was at the 13-inning game against the Giants and I will never forget the way the bleachers shook and swayed when Benny hit that game-winning blast and thousands of fans who were freezing their tuckuses off, started jumping up and down. Benny touches home and the Mets carried him off the field. murphy May 7, 2001 Game 3 of the 2000 NLDS was the greatest game I have ever witnessed in person. By the bottom of the 13th, the fans were out of emotion. Benny came to the plate and Shea was soundless. We didn't think the game was ever going to end. The ball cracked off the bat, and the sound just started to rise and rise and rise, crescendoing into a furious roar. We were going absolutely nuts, the stands shaking. Made being a Mets fan worth all of those terrible, paiful years. Shannon October 20, 2001 Nice guy like a lot of Mets. Got his autograph several times. I know this might sound silly, but what I remember most about Benny is his smile. Willie Mays November 7, 2001 What a fat excuse for a left fielder. Can't field OR hit. Go play for the pirates. Bring back someone who can do the job like Giles. He threw a ball into the stands and allowed 3 runs to score. Jerk... Shorty December 11, 2001 It looks like Benny's days with the Mets are over. I will miss him very much. He didn't always have the skills, but he always had heart and personality. I'll never forget the extra-inning HR against the Giants in the play-offs. On a more dubious note, I was at the game when he gave the ball away to the fan after he caught the second out (also against the Giants, I think....). But we won that game anyway, so who cares. So Benny, Farewell, Good-bye, Aloha, Siyanara and Good luck. You'll always be Hawaii 5-0! Anthony Pesca December 18, 2001 Benny is a great guy, but all of you "we want good guys on our team" get over him. He's simply not a good ballplayer. Of the "5 tools", which one does he bring to the table? Everyone complains about how the Mets don't put a team together that can win the Series but are up in arms when they want to get rid of a player who is a terrible outfielder with no kind of arm, has no speed, no power, and can't hit for average. Hold on...I've changed my mind let's bat Benny cleanup(sorry Mr. Piazza) and be a solid 3rd or 4th place team. Maybe all of us "we want good guys on our team" can get a tenative date for Benny Agbayani day when he gets his #50 retired and is enshrined in the Mets Hall of Fame. "I'm a great guy, I'll smile and talk to fans and sign autographs. Maybe I can toss a few innings out of the pen next season?" Mr. Sparkle January 19, 2002 When Benny was first called up in 1998 it was the first major league game he ever attended in his life. Considering he's from Hawaii I guess that's not so unusual but still, how many guys can say that? Benny was good in 99 and 2000 but not so hot last year. He's best off as a 4th outfielder. Andy from Rego Park January 29, 2002 When Benny first came up for a cup of coffee in '98, on either his first or second big league hit, he had a potential double but, watching the ball as he rounded first base, he stumbled. His helmet fell down over his eyes and he nearly sprawled out between first and second base. Sheepishly, he retreated to first, looking like a little leaguer or one of the Bad News Bears. The next year, when he wasn't even on the 40- man roster, he came up and stuck with the big club. While he wasn't much of a fielder (losing track of how many outs there were, doing his "Benny two-step" dance under every fly ball), Agbayani was a surprisingly clutch hitter. He may yet flourish in the rarified air of Coors Field. revolve February 1, 2002 Forever has a place in Met lore with that homer against the Giants. If he has any baseball skill, I dare someone to find it--all heart and hard work, a great underdog story. I like the improvements the Mets have made this offseason, but I will miss Benny. Joe Beyrer February 14, 2002 Good hustle and always a smile .... you could tell he loved the game... wrote to him and he sent very good responses and 2 pictures because I told him my wife was one of his biggest fans. a mets fan March 23, 2002 Benny was a great player and I am really dissapointed that the Mets don't have him anymore. Like all the other Mets fans I remember the game vs. the Giants in the playoffs where Aaron Fultz was pitching and Benny came up and just slammed the ball!. Since I live in San Francisco and I remember teasing all the Giants fans about his home run and how horribly Kent and Bonds had played in the 2000 playoffs. Benny just kicked the Giants' ass by the way. Larry Burns June 10, 2002 Here is a shining example that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Benny looked like he was Jack Lord's Lieutenant on Hawaii 5-0. (The one who was sent to Krispy Kreme for the pickup). When he first arrived I was wondering where the heck they found this guy. All he did was prove my initial observations wrong. He consistently got big hits, I loved when they played Bennie and the Jets at Shea. He was a typical Bobby V player---good work ethic and an overachiever! Now, once I become a huge fan, we let him go to Colorado? Why do we do things like this? Shari June 16, 2002 I never cared for Benny as a player. I always wanted him to do well, but he never materialized into anything. He was another Butch Huskey-a big guy who hit under 20 home runs in a season. He also made a lot of stupid plays in the outfield. I'll never forget when Benny was in left field and he thought there were 3 outs. He gave the ball to a kid in the stands as guys are flying around the bases. He grabbed the ball back from the poor kid and threw it to the cut off man a couple of runs too late. I'll never forget the look on that poor little boy's face. He played left field as well as Jay Payton runs the bases, and his offense was mediocre at best, I always rooted for him, but he always ended up disappointing me. Frank Grimes June 18, 2002 I believe Benny gave the kid a new ball before the next inning. murphy August 30, 2002 Poor Benny. He goes to Colorado, gets hurt, has a terrible season, gets picked up by Boston on waivers and then is sent to the minor leagues. That's a tough road for one of the most popular Mets over the past few years. Benny goes from a playoff hero to a demotion to the minor leagues in less than 2 years. Maybe he only thrived as one of Bobby Valentine's "disciples." Jonathan Stern November 10, 2002 There will never be a Monument Park at Shea. But the Mets have won four pennants in 40+ years, and it's largely been due to players like Benny - little guys who overachieve and get the job done when it really matters. It would have been nice if the Met front office had shown more confidence over the years. But if it boils down to the Agbayanis, the Swobodas, the Weis's and the Mookies, and not the Ruths, Dimaggios and Mantles, to win for us, well, things could be a lot worse. NL December 16, 2002 I thought Benny did a really fine job for the Mets, especially as a clutch hitter. Sure, he'd turn fly balls into adventures from time to time, but when the game was on the line, Benny always seemed to put real good wood on the ball. They gave up on him, but I miss him as a player. And he hasn't been replaced out there. Jonah Falcon March 14, 2003 He was the main reason the Mets won Game 3 of the 2000 World Series. Joe March 15, 2003 I was sneak listening to the Playoff game between Mets and Giants. I was at a wedding reception upstate and the reception (radio, that is) stunk. However, I was able to hear Gary Cohen's call of Agbayani's Home Run. That was exciting! Gregory Gewirtz April 7, 2003 I had the pleasure of meeting him at a Mets Clubhouse store, where he was giving autographs. As nice a guy as he was - I got two autographs and a picture with him - there was a ceiling on his talent, and the excessive playing time he got, especially late in the 2001 season, would have been better off going to guys with a brighter future. Who would have thought he'd stop hitting after his trade to Colorado, of all places? Jim Snedeker September 10, 2003 So what's going on--is Benny out of baseball for good? Hard to believe it, such a gutsy hustler who made the most out of the talent he had. Reminded me of Backman and Dykstra. And he sure had heart. I remember him predicting that the Mets would beat the Yanks in the World Series in five games. Too bad it turned out the other way around. He'll always be one of my favorite Mets. Jared Raskin December 19, 2003 Benny was my favorite player before I went to the Mets-Giants playoff game for my birthday with my best friend and well, let's just say his 13th inning game- winning homer did not do anything to change that. That was the best moment in sports I've ever felt. The excitement felt by Mets fans in Shea that night can not be put into words. He hit that awesome pinch-hit grand slam in Japan and his performance directly after being called up to the majors for the first time was unbelievable. What a great story and Met! Mettle Man April 20, 2004 Benny is in Japan now getting a lot of playing time for Bobby V. It's nice that that the two of them and Matt Franco are together. Matt and Benny both bring desire and a degree of talent that should be appreciated in Japan where "work ethic" is celebrated. JJ June 2, 2004 One of my most favorite Mets. This guy hustled hard on the field. He was a HUGE class act. Good with fans. He would've been a good one. Too bad the Mets gave up on him. He was a clutch hitter and a post season threat. I hope he does well in Japan. He should have gotten more chances with the Mets. Like so many other under appreciated Mets, he's in Japan. This guy had a huge heart. Shame on the Mets. A Catskill Mountains Mets fan August 20, 2004 Got to see Benny in Montreal the afternoon before a night game. He was waiting on line in front of me in a coffee shop with his wife or girlfriend. I said hi, and wished him best of luck and he was happy to hear I had come to Montreal just to see the game. I think he might have been a little nervous, but he was very polite. I ended up having him sign my Hard Rock Cafe shot glass. Won Doney October 15, 2004 They were always trying to make him into a leadoff hitter. That really wasn't the right place for him, especially considering that he inherited the job from Rickey Henderson. Anthony January 26, 2005 My family always said how he looks like my best friend since kindergarten; he is Thai. He does look like him too. Benny is one of my favorites. I was at game three of the 2000 NLDS sitting in the upper deck with my best Mets fan friend when he hit the game winning home run. He also was one of the players who signed the birthday card my dad arranged to get me for my 19th birthday during the summer of 2001. He may have only been a solid platoon player whose only tools were average and power, but he was pretty good when it counted. DavidC May 5, 2005 Benny is playing for the high-flying Chiba Lotte Marines (entering winning 12 straight as of this writing), managed by Bobby V and playing with Matt Franco, entering his second year here. Benny is a very popular player here, giving clutch hits and smiles to the fans, so popular that Chiba Lotte decided to sell a lunch box named after him in the home stadium - "Benny's LocoMoco Lunch Box" - a traditional Hawaiian meal, starting on May 3rd. On its cardbox cover, you can see Benny with traditional Hawaiian wardrobe. Lifelong Fan July 10, 2005 Man, I miss this guy. Good, not great, but put his heart into everything. Had to have been great in the clubhouse. In the event of a brawl, would you want Benny to be on your team or the other side? Steve July 16, 2005 I will never forget coming out of the movie theater the night of Game 3 of the Division Series against the Giants, and then immediately after starting the car and turning the radio on, Benny Agbayani hits his home run. That was a classic Mets moment for me. Another Agbayani memory is when he hit a grand slam in Japan and was presented with a samurai helmet. Shari July 18, 2005 My funniest memory of Benny was him catching a ball in left field for the second out but he thought it was the third out. He gives the ball to a little kid in the stands. As runners are flying around the bases, Benny realizes this and rips the ball out of the shocked little kid's hands and throws it back in. I will never forget the look on his face or that kid's. Too bad I can't remember who they were playing at the time, although it was completely irrelevent. Jesse November 6, 2005 In the 2000 playoffs, While over at a relative's house, some of the family (including me) were watching the Mets in the NLCS while others watched the Yankees in the ALCS. Agbayani came to the plate during a home game in the series in the bottom of the 13th inning. All I said to myself is "I just know he's going to hit a home run. I just know it". Well, sure enough, he hit a monster home run to win the game for the Mets that evening. I was celebrating so wildly. It was insane. I knew Agbayani was never going to be a great, everyday slugger, but he always came up with the monster hit at clutch moments. In the right situation, you knew his at-bat was automatic: I always knew he would do something important for the Mets. Especially that night in the NLCS. Joe From Jersey December 21, 2005 Good ol' Benny: I recall waking up at 5:00am so I could catch the first few innings of the Japan Series vs the Cubs; then I went to work and I listened to Benny's big home run and I yelled out "YEAH". People thought I was being mugged out on the street, but after a minute I told them what happened. Also, I was at Shea when he handed the ball to the kid vs the Giants. What a moment. Besides, he wasn't the first or he won't be the last to do that in the history of baseball. Glad he won the Japanese World Series with Matt Franco and Bobby V. this year. Bonbolito December 21, 2005 I remember being at the at the game the Mets beat the Cards for ther pennant in 2000. Left field loge last section. At the last out Benny went in for the pileup then he came back to be with us for a moment. I could see his face and shared the his excitement and gratitude. I think it said a lot about the kind of guy he was and his understanding not only of what that moment meant to him as a player going to to the World Series but also what it meant to us as Met fans. Lee March 22, 2006 Benny Agbayani is one of my favorite players ever to grace a Mets uniform. I saw him come in 99 and hit 10 homers in 50 at-bats and I knew this guy was good, even though I had never heard of him. Then he hits that home run in Game 3 of the 2000 NLDS and that was just incredible. But now he's gone, down to Japan in a league under Bobby V. (I think) Good luck Benny Bunny Wailer July 28, 2006 Benny signed my baseball in 2001 right before he was traded. VIBaseball October 29, 2010 Benny is now back at home in Hawaii. His pro career ended after the 2009 season, when the Chiba Lotte Marines parted ways with Bobby V (always Benny's #1 supporter). Count me among those who loved Benny and his three outstanding moments: the grand slam at the Tokyo Dome, the game-ender in the 2000 NLCS off Aaron Fultz, and the game-winning double off El Duque in the Subway Series. TP February 5, 2011 As a longtime Mets fan, Benny will always have a special place in my heart. I'll never forget that walk-off in the 2000 NLDS as long I live. Gord February 10, 2011 Waking up earlier and heading over with my roomate Tim to watch the Mets Opening Day in Japan with Kevin and Jeremy at the Southside Apartments, I was up against the clock for my early morning class. The game was in extra innings, but I really had to go -- pretty sure we had a test that day, otherwise I would have cut the class. In any event, while en route to the SUNY New Paltz campus, Benny came in for a pinch-hit grand slam to win the game in the 11th inning. Alex January 27, 2021 My enduring memories of Benny Agbayani: --The leg kick --"We'll win the World Series in 5 games." (2000 Subway Series vs. the Yankees; they lost in 5). --Giving the ball to a fan with only 2 out, allowing two runs to score. That clip is still readily available on YouTube. --His walk-off grand slam in Japan in 2000. Poor Danny Young, that was the pitcher's first MLB game, what a terrible way to end it. He pitched only 3 more games in the big leagues. I remember being 10 and waking up at 5 AM or so to watch those games. I saw the home run live on TV -- I remember thinking it didn't look like a home run, it looked like a routine flyball, but it just kept going and going and going ... --He had his own special brand of coffee, I believe. --Him going to Colorado, me hoping he would succeed, but he didn't. What I didn't remember until I read about them later on: --He had a walk-off home run in either the 1999 or 2000 NLDS. --His stunning postseason performances. He hit .299 in 22 playoff games overall, with a .353 mark in the 2000 NLCS and a .333 average in that year's NLDS. Agbayani sure packed a lot into a relatively short career. Sam Prado July 6, 2022 I was working for KUMU radio Honolulu in 2000 and they had Benny on as an interview guest of The Mufi Hanneman Hour. I was already 38 and got over my youthful baseball fanaticism, following the '73 Mets loss. So I was just going about my radio station board operator duties and his agent hands me an autographed ball. Didnt ask for one but I was nonetheless touched by her gracefulness for this extended gift. I enjoyed hearing Benny talking about his challenges he was facing with the Mets, uncertainty of his future with them...ya know this celebrity has the same concern as a regular guy. Wow! He was very down to earth too. Alex June 17, 2024 The electorate of the Mets Hall of Fame project I run on another website recently chose cult hero Agbayani with 75% of the vote. He'd not had enough luck in the regular elections, but earned his place in this last chance, catch-all series we're running. Though his overall statistics with New York aren't too gaudy, he left an indelible mark on the team's history, nevertheless. Hot Foot June 18, 2024 Congrats to Benny for making Alex’s Mets Hall of Fame. What I really want to know is, dis he ever receive an autograph request from Alex, and did he ever respond? And if he did, how many times did it take? Oh, and his (Benny’s) hit in Game 3 of the 2000 World Series was pretty cool.

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