Benny Agbayani

2.2.1. New York Mets

Agbayani made his major league debut with the New York Mets on June 17, 1998, entering the game in the 8th inning as a defensive replacement for center fielder Butch Huskey in a 5-4 loss to the Montreal Expos. His first major league start and hit came on June 19, when he singled to second base off Florida Marlins pitcher Brian Meadows in the bottom of the first inning.

In 1999, his 11 home runs before the All-Star break ranked second among Mets rookies, only behind Ron Swoboda's 15 in 1965. Ike Davis also matched this mark in 2010, though Pete Alonso later surpassed Swoboda's record with 30 homers by the break in 2019.

Agbayani is remembered by Mets fans for several memorable plays and clutch performances during the 2000 season. On August 12, 2000, while playing left field, he was involved in an unusual play. With the bases loaded and one out, he caught a fly ball, but mistakenly thinking it was the third out, he handed the ball to a child in the stands and began to walk towards the dugout. Upon realizing his error, he sprinted back, retrieved the ball, and threw it towards home plate. However, once the ball left the field, the play was dead, resulting in all three runners being awarded two bases and allowing two Giants players, Jeff Kent and Ellis Burks, to score. Despite this, the Mets went on to win the game 3-2, and Agbayani later gave the child another ball.

He earned the nickname "Hawaiian Punch" for his clutch hitting. On March 30, 2000, he hit an 11th-inning grand slam against the Chicago Cubs during a two-game series played in Tokyo, Japan. This grand slam secured the Mets' first win of the season and remained the only regular-season MLB grand slam hit in Japan until 2019. Later that year, on October 7, he hit a game-winning home run in the 13th inning of Game 3 of the 2000 National League Division Series against Aaron Fultz of the Giants. Agbayani also drove in the winning run in the Mets' only victory during the 2000 World Series.

2.2.2. Colorado Rockies and Boston Red Sox

On January 21, 2002, Agbayani was part of a complex 10-player, three-team trade involving the Mets, Colorado Rockies, and Milwaukee Brewers, which sent him from New York to Colorado. He struggled during his time with the Rockies, hitting just .205 with four home runs and 19 RBI in 48 games before being placed on waivers in late August.

The Boston Red Sox claimed Agbayani off waivers from the Rockies on August 26, 2002, as they were making a push for the playoffs. He performed relatively well during the stretch run, batting .297 and driving in eight runs in 37 at-bats over 13 games with Boston. His final MLB game was on September 29, where he went 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout as the Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Fenway Park.

2.2.3. Kevin Miller Controversy

Agbayani was indirectly involved in an unusual transfer negotiation known as the Kevin Miller controversy in the offseason of 2002. After the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball announced the acquisition of Kevin Miller, the Boston Red Sox broke a gentleman's agreement by claiming Miller off waivers and subsequently requesting Agbayani as an alternative player if the Dragons wanted to complete the transaction. The Dragons refused this demand, and Agbayani ultimately did not move to Japanese baseball at that time. Instead, the Dragons signed Alex Ochoa as Miller's replacement.

2.3.1. Joining Chiba Lotte Marines

In the offseason of 2003, Agbayani decided to join Nippon Professional Baseball, signing with the Chiba Lotte Marines. This move reunited him with his former Mets manager, Bobby Valentine, who was returning to the Marines as their field manager after a nine-year absence. Agbayani chose jersey number 50, a significant choice as it represented Hawaii being the 50th state of the United States. His registered name in Japan was simply "Benny."

2.3.2. Key Performance and Achievements

Agbayani quickly made an impact in NPB. In his debut game on March 27, 2004, against the Saitama Seibu Lions at Seibu Dome, he started as the fifth batter and left fielder. In his first at-bat in Japan, he recorded a timely hit off Lions ace Daisuke Matsuzaka. While attention was initially on Lee Seung-yuop, who had hit 56 home runs in Korea the previous year but struggled to adapt to Japanese baseball, Agbayani consistently performed well. By May, he had secured the cleanup hitter position and remained a fixture there for the entire season. He finished 2004 leading the team in batting average, home runs, and RBIs, with 0.315 batting average, 35 home runs, and 100 RBIs. His 35 home runs were the most in team history since the Marines relocated to Chiba. Additionally, he displayed better-than-expected defensive and baserunning skills for a foreign player, taking over as the regular center fielder from August and recording eight stolen bases, a team high. Despite pre-season evaluations suggesting he was less effective against right-handed pitchers, he hit consistently against both left and right-handers, showing strong clutch hitting and a low strikeout rate.

In 2005, Agbayani continued his strong performance, notably hitting two consecutive grand slams on April 6 and 8. This achievement made him only the fifth player in Japanese professional baseball history and the fourth in the Pacific League to do so since Tuffy Rhodes in 2003. However, injuries began to affect his play, leading to his absence during the summer. With other foreign outfielders like Matt Franco, Val Pascucci, and Lee Seung-yuop on the roster, he struggled to regain a regular starting spot towards the end of the season. He finished the year playing in 98 games, falling short of the required plate appearances and recording lower statistics than the previous year. Despite this, he was a key player in the playoffs, Japan Series, and Asia Series, primarily starting as the sixth batter. In the Asia Series, he was particularly instrumental, recording nine RBIs, and was named the Most Valuable Player of the series as the Marines defeated the Samsung Lions to win the inaugural tournament. The Chiba Lotte Marines swept the Hanshin Tigers in four games to win the Japan Series on October 26, 2005, marking their first title in 31 years.

2.3.3. Injuries and Retirement

Agbayani's later career in Japan was increasingly impacted by injuries. In 2006, he served as the cleanup hitter for the 12-team NPB All-Star team in an exhibition game against the World Baseball Classic Japan national team. He maintained the cleanup spot for the Marines until July that year but was again sidelined by injuries during the summer, eventually yielding the fourth spot to Tomoya Satozaki. Despite playing more than half his games as a designated hitter due to foot injuries, he reached the required plate appearances for the first time in two years, finishing with a 0.281 batting average, 17 home runs, and 65 RBIs.

In 2007, Agbayani won the batting title during the interleague season. However, injuries continued to limit his appearances, and he played in 122 games with a 0.272 batting average, 13 home runs, and 51 RBIs. The 2008 season saw him play in only 97 games due to injuries and slumps, hitting just five home runs and again failing to reach the minimum plate appearances.

In 2009, Agbayani's playing time remained limited under similar circumstances. With manager Bobby Valentine's impending departure from the team, Agbayani was also removed from the team's future plans. On September 27, 2009, Valentine arranged a special "retirement game" for Agbayani against the Orix Buffaloes. In the second inning, Agbayani hit a go-ahead solo home run off Shogo Yamamoto. He was then immediately replaced by Daisuke Hayakawa in the third inning. An announcement over the stadium's public address system informed fans that his recent at-bat was his last for the Marines, a decision he later revealed was only known by Valentine. He ended the 2009 season playing 95 games. On October 7, 2009, Agbayani's retirement from professional baseball was officially announced alongside the departures of Chase Lambin and Gary Burnham Jr..