Nothing quite compares with the explosive impact of a baseball hitting the sweet spot on a baseball bat and the ball soaring high and long and over an outfield fence for a home run. Baseball fans love home runs. And, of course, the home run is baseball’s quickest and most efficient way to generate runs. Studies have demonstrated a strong correlation between a baseball team’s ability to smack the long ball and their capacity to win baseball games.
Did that theory hold water in Binghamton last summer when the B-Mets captured their first Eastern League championship in twenty years? A look at the last ten years of offense for the B-Mets gleans little evidence to prove or disprove that theory. Clearly, a spike in home run production as been one of the variables attributing to the B-Met success on the baseball diamond during the past two seasons. Binghamton finished third in HR production in their franchise regular season record 2013 campaign hitting 115 round trippers. And, the B-Mets ranked second in home run production during their championship season last summer with 122 dingers.
More likely it was a combination of hitting factors that made the difference on the offensive side last year for Binghamton. The B-Mets led the Eastern League in batting at .278, finished at the top of the league in both runs scored with 718, 60 more than the second place squad, and finished first in the league in on-base-percentage at .353.
Five B-Mets blasted double digit home runs in 2014. The home run parade began with Matt Clark who slammed 10 four baggers in his 67 games before the B-Met fisrt-sacker asked for his release.
But, it was the trio of Brian Burgamy, Dustin Lawley and Travis Taijeron who fueled Binghamton’s long ball fireworks all season long. Showing consistency from beginning to end, Burgamy led the team with 23 home runs. After a slow start, Lawley was blistering hot for a 3-4 week stretch in the middle of the summer and finished with 20 home run blasts. And, Taijeron caught fire toward the end of the season totaling 15.
Four additional B-Mets teamed to boost the B-Met home run total near the top of the league. Jayce Boyd hit 8 HR clouts, Darrell Ceciliani had 7, and in part time stints Brandon Nimmo and Kevin Plawecki both added 6.
Power numbers like that would lead you to believe it was those offensive numbers that made a championship difference for Binghamton. But, the 2010 Binghamton squad lead the league in home runs with 150, finished second in team batting at .268, scored the second most runs at 718 and had the fourth best on-base-percentage. That team won only 66 games and finished 5th out of 6 Eastern Division teams of the Eastern League.
It would be difficult to discount the impact of power pitching in Binghamton’s championship success. The B-Mets finished first in strikeouts last year, allowed the second fewest walks, and threw the second most shutouts. Those kind of pitching numbers combined with Binghamton’s prowess in the batter’s box was the championship formula for the B-Mets.