The Binghamton Mets (or B-Mets, as they’re often called) franchise dates back to 1987, when the team played in nearby Williamsport, PA and was called the Williamsport Bills. The Bills played at Bowman Field, home of today’s Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York-Penn League, from 1987 to 1991. During that span, the club was affiliated with the Cleveland Indians for two seasons, Seattle Mariners for two seasons and the New York Mets for their final season. The Bills struggled overall, finishing each of their five seasons with a losing record and never finishing better than sixth in the league, despite being managed by such future Major League managers as Mike Hargrove and Clint Hurdle.
The team announced it would be relocating to Binghamton for the 1992 Eastern League season, and construction on NYSEG Stadium began in August 1991. Even with the move, the team kept its affiliation with the New York Mets and changed its name to the Binghamton Mets. More than two decades later, the New York club is still the parent franchise.
The move paid off quickly. Led by manager Steve Swisher, who played nearly a decade in the Majors and is the father of Yankees outfielder Nick, the B-Mets finished the regular season with a 79-59 record and won the Eastern League championship. A year later, the Mets finished four games under .500 but in 1994, went 82-59 to win the division and their second EL title in three years. The team won another division title in 2000 but has not won another since.
In addition to Hargrove, Hurdle and Swisher, the franchise’s managers have included Juan Samuel, John Gibbons, Tim Teufel and Wally Backman.
Notable alumni
Edgardo Alfonzo
Jason Bay
Jeromy Burnitz
Ike Davis
Octavio Dotel
Jason Isringhausen
Scott Kazmir
Jay Payton
Mike Pelfrey
Jose Reyes
Ty Wigginton
Preston Wilson
David Wright