B-Mets to Send Four to 2014 All-Star Stop

BINGHAMTON, NY – The Binghamton Mets are proud to announce that they will send four players to the 2014 Eastern League All-Star Stop at Peoples Natural Gas Field in Altoona, Pennsylvania on July 15 & 16. Infielder Brian Burgamy and outfielder Kyle Johnson will represent the B-Mets position players, while righties Cody Satterwhite and Jon Velasquez will bear the flag for the pitching staff.

The Eastern Division and Western Division All-Stars will first square off in the Ghostman Games & Hitting Challenge on Tuesday, July 15 before the All-Star Clash on Wednesday, July 16 at 7:00 PM.

Burgamy’s selection marks a resounding return to affiliated baseball. After spending the last five years playing in a collection of independent leagues, the B-Mets versatile infielder has made the most of his first Double-A season since 2007. The 33-year-old has belted 14 home runs and racked up a team-high 51 RBI in 71 games with Binghamton. A former Padres and Phillies farmhand, the Lawton, Oklahoma native was signed by the Mets as a Minor League free agent in February 2014.

Johnson will make his first appearance in a professional All-Star Game. Picked as a fan vote, the B-Mets outfielder has taken the reins in his first season at Double-A, leading the team with a .288 batting average in 65 games. He’s belted four home runs, including two in one game against the Rock Cats on July 3. Originally drafted by the Angels in the 2012 draft, the Post Falls, Idaho native was acquired by the Mets via trade in June 2013.

Satterwhite’s All-Star nod caps a comeback stretch four years in the making. After notching a dozen saves as a flame-throwing closer for the Erie SeaWolves in 2009, the right-hander missed virtually three full seasons due to a shoulder injury. He returned in full health in 2013 with the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association and signed with the Mets as a Minor League free agent later that year. In 30 appearances with the B-Mets in 2014, he has compiled a 1.60 ERA and struck out 42 batters in 39-1/3 innings. His .188 opponent batting average ranks as the best among league relievers.

Velasquez, another independent league success story, makes his first affiliated baseball All-Star game. After spending the first two years of his career in the Phillies organization, Velasquez logged three seasons in the American Association and Atlantic League. In 2013, he posted a 1.95 ERA in 61 games with the Camden Riversharks prior to signing with the Twins in the offseason. Before throwing a pitch in Minnesota’s system, the Mets grabbed the Bronx, New York native in the Rule 5 Draft. In 28 appearances with the B-Mets in 2014, Velasquez has compiled a 3.05 ERA and held opponents to a .193 batting average, the second-best among league relievers. He has allowed just 8.0 base runners per 9 innings, the best rate in the league for bullpen members.