Mets versus Ravens at Yale

COURTESY NEW YORK METS Mets closer John Franco will start for the B-Mets against the Ravens this weekend at Yale Field.

Mets fans in New Haven are not exactly uncommon, especially around Yale. It often seems as if half of Yale is from New York and will fight to the death to defend the honor of their beloved Mets. But for those without cars, or without the will to take the train into the city, watching baseball in New Haven inevitably is limited to the New Haven Ravens, a far cry from the fast-paced professional game played at Shea Stadium. For a brief period, though, New Haven's many Mets fans will be able to satisfy their cravings for familiar Mets faces.

This weekend, Mets fans' eyes will be turned toward New Haven as the Binghamton Mets take on the New Haven Ravens at Yale Field. The Ravens also traveled to Binghamton earlier this week to play the B-Mets on their home field.

These otherwise ordinary minor league games carry great weight for the Mets, because New York pitchers John Franco and Rick Reed will make appearances for the B-Mets. Franco will start at Yale Field on Fri., Sept. 3 at 6:05 p.m., in the first game of a doubleheader. Franco will only pitch one inning, but he will reappear on Sunday to start a 2:05 p.m. game. Reed pitched on Wed., Sept. 1 at Binghamton against the Ravens in a game that the Binghamton Mets lost 6-4. In that game, B-Met pitching gave up four home runs and the team committed two costly errors. Fortunately for Mets fans, only one of those homers came against Reed, who otherwise had a strong outing.

The New York Mets received a devastating blow to their bullpen this year when ace reliever Franco was placed on the disabled list. The veteran left-hander tore a tendon on his left hand on Sat., July 3 after compiling 19 saves in 20 opportunities and a 3.45 ERA. Franco, the all-time saves leader for left-handed pitchers with 416, may be only two years away from breaking Lee Smith's all-time save record of 478. Starter Reed was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Mon., Aug. 9 with a hand injury. Reed contended for the Cy Young award last season, amassing 153 strikeouts and a career high of 16 wins. The Mets need Reed to pitch well down the stretch to have a chance at winning the National League's Eastern Division.

On Wed., Sept. 3, the Ravens handed the B-Mets their sixth straight loss, as New Haven went on to sweep Binghamton in a three-game series. The Ravens already have shown that they can handle premier major league pitchers like Reed. This weekend the Ravens hope to show that they're also capable of standing up to one of the best relief pitchers New York has ever seen.

This weekend also marks Franco's return to Yale Field. In a 1981 NCAA playoff game between St. John's University and Yale, New Haven fans witnessed a masterpiece as two future Mets, Frank Viola of St. John's and Ron Darling, DC '82, engaged in a classic pitching duel. Darling pitched a no-hitter for 11 innings, while Viola kept Yale scoreless. In the 12th inning St. John's broke through with a run to finish the Bulldogs.

In 1981, while a pitcher for St. John's, Franco watched the game from the bench. Now, 18 years later, it is Franco's turn to take center stage as he comes back to Yale Field to take on the Ravens.

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