6/10/09

Biss Masse Named Bisons Hitting Coach

Bill Masse Joins Bisons as Hitting Coach

Mets Re-Assign Luis Natera to Double-A Binghamton Mets

The New York Mets today announced that Binghamton Mets Hitting Coach Bill Masse will take over as the new Hitting Coach for the Buffalo Bisons. The Mets have re-assigned current Bisons Hitting Coach Luis Natera to the same position with Binghamton.

Masse, 42, is in his first season in the Mets organization and his 13th season as a coach/manager in the minor leagues. As their hitting coach, the B-Mets currently rank 4th in the Eastern League with a .269 team batting average. The club is also 4th in the E.L. in walks (219) and 2nd in stolen bases (42).Prior to joining Binghamton, Masse spent the previous nine seasons as a minor league manager in the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Montreal Expos organizations. He amazed a 610-560 record (.521 winning pct) and made the post season in four of his last five years as a manager. That streak started with a Florida State League Championship in 2004 with the Tampa Yankees (75-58).

In 2008, Masse led San Diego’s Double-A affiliate San Antonio to a 75-65 record and a playoff birth. He spent the 2007 season with Toronto’s Double-A affiliate New Hampshire and 2001-2006 in the Yankees system. After two years as an assistant coach at Wake Forest University, Masse joined the Expos system from 1997-2000.

Masse was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 7th round of the 1988 draft out of Davidson College (NC). He played seven seasons in the Yankees minor league system and hit .269 with 71 home runs and 341RBI in 678 career games. In 1993, he hit .316 with 35 doubles, 19 home runs, 91RBI and 17 stolen bases with Triple-A Columbus and was named the Yankees Minor league Player of the Year. He retired as a player in 1995.

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