Benny Agbayani was shocked.
He did not expect his 19-year-old son, Bruin, would be traded by the Twins ahead of Monday’s deadline, and the former Met couldn’t even conceive that a prospective trade would be to the team and city to which he endeared himself a quarter century ago.
“It means a lot,” said the 54-year-old on a conference call Friday, hours after his youngest of three children — and the only boy — was dealt to the Mets in Minnesota’s trade for reliever A.J. Minter. “He wanted to get drafted by the Mets when he was first coming out of high school. That’s all he knew, and that’s all we talked about. It’s a great opportunity for him. I’m just going to support him as much as I can.
“I’m going to tell him the ins and outs of playing in New York because it’s tough.”
The elder Agbayani couldn’t be more proud of his son potentially continuing his Mets legacy, one cemented by the home run he hit in the 13th inning of Game 3 in the 2000 NL Division Series against the Giants.
The Mets had scouted Bruin a bit during his draft year, including at an organizationally run workout in California, according to his dad.
Ultimately, the Twins selected him last year in the sixth round out of St. Louis School in Honolulu.
Benny’s support of his son’s dream reached new heights when he began a taxing job as a ramp agent at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in 2014. The unlimited free flights he received from his company helped fund his children’s athletic pursuits. He still works there to this day.
(https://nypost.com/2024/10/07/sports/mets-hero-benny-agbayani-now-works-in-hawaii-coaches-his-kids)
“They started playing ball in the mainland, and we wanted them to get exposed,” Benny said of his job. “Just experience the growing up and just competing. I told them that’s what they needed. They needed to know how to compete. I’m glad it paid off.”
Just the thought of his son taking the field in a Mets jersey made Agbayani emotional.
Though he inherited his dad’s power hitting, Bruin is a left-handed infielder rather than a right-handed outfielder like his father. Benny believes he’s “growing into his swing” and is “a better hitter than me.”
Considering Agbayani hit .282 with an .833 OPS over 322 games with the Mets, the organization sure hopes his assessment of his son — who was named the Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year prior to being drafted — is accurate.
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While the family surely is enjoying this moment, the prospect has been limited to only 10 games this season due to a right shoulder injury. His dad assured on Friday that he’s “on his way back.”
Until then, the famous “Hawaiian Punch” has plenty of advice to share with his son from his days playing in Flushing.
“He couldn’t believe how the Mets fans treated me and things like that,” Benny said of his son’s perception of his time as a Met. “I was like, ‘Sonny, you just got to play good.’ The Mets fans want to win, and that’s what you go out there for. You’re going to lose some; you’re going to win some. Just as long as you know that you’re giving your best effort out there every day.”
