Six More Wins

This book has appeal for not only the denizens of Binghamton, but for all New York Mets fans as well. Approximately 66% of the current New York Mets roster passed through Binghamton and the book also compares the rebuilding job of Sandy Alderson with the strategy used by Frank Cashen in building the 1986 World Championship New York Mets team. In 2013 manager Pedro Lopez guided the Binghamton Mets to a franchise-record 86 wins as his team captured the Eastern Division Championship of the Eastern League. In the playoffs, however, his team failed to win a single game. In April 2014, at the team's Welcome Home Dinner, Lopez proudly endorsed the theme of "Six More Wins." From that night on, that mantra became the team's goal and focus. On September 12th, 2014, behind the outstanding pitching of Steven Matz and the timely hitting of Jayce Boyd, the B-Mets fulfilled Pedro's dream, achieving that sixth playoff win to bring home the Eastern League Championship. This book not only documents the storybook 2014 season, but also uses the 2014 Binghamton Mets as a backdrop for the hopes of New York Mets fans everywhere, as well as a metaphor for the comeback story of the Greater Binghamton Area. Known as the "Valley of Opportunity" a century ago, the community has seen more than its share of misfortune in the past few decades, ranging from corporate downsizing to devastating flooding. Just as the Binghamton Mets have rebounded from numerous losing seasons before 2013, the Greater Binghamton Area is on the road to recovery. New York Mets fans also have resurgent thoughts, as the pipeline from Binghamton to Flushing continues to flourish. 2014 B-Mets Dilson Herrera, Steven Matz, and Kevin Plawecki are scheduled to arrive at Citi Field in the near future, combining with the talents of such former Binghamton Mets as Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, and David Wright to raise hopes for a renaissance at Citi Field.