The Binghamton Rumble Ponies' 2018 season began on April 5th in 31 degree weather. The wind chill factor made it seem like it was 21 degrees. Fans were decked out in coats, gloves and knit caps. Fans were drinking hot chocolate and coffee. The crowd was sparse, but enthusiastic.
The season began with Tim Tebow hitting a home run on the fist pitch that he saw as a Rumble Ponie. Binghamton beat the Portland Sea Dogs 6-0.
The season ended on September 3rd in 89 degree weather with a heat index of 96 degrees. The hot chocolate and coffee of April 5th was replaced by bottled water, beer and soda on September 3rd. Tebow, who began the year in sterling fashion, finished the year on the disabled list and was not in the stadium. The Rumble Ponies lost 8-7 to the Portland Sea Dogs.
Binghamton finished the year 64-76 in 5th place in the Eastern Division, one half game ahead of Portland. The Rumble Ponies had a home record of 36-34, and an away record of 28-42. They finished 37-45 in the division.
Binghamton finished second to last in attendance, with an average of 3,553 tickets being purchased for each game. Only the Erie SeaWolves finished with fewer fans in attendance. Nevertheless, the Rumble Ponies had their best attendance in 25 years. This is a cause for optimism and hope for the future. Binghamton is proud of the Rumble Ponies and lends support to the team.
Binghamton's longest win streak was 5 games. The team's longest losing streak was 8 games.
Luis Rojas was the team's manager this season. Frank Viola coached the pitchers. Luis Rivera served as bench coach, and Valentino Pascucci was the team's hitting coach. The Rumble Ponies are fortunate to have good coaches who are dedicated to player development. Their hard work paid dividends this year.
Levi Michael lead the team in batting with a .305 average. Michael also lead the team with 72 runs scored. Additionally, Michael swiped a team high 13 bases. Michael finished the season with tripe A Las Vegas.
Peter Alonso lead the team with 15 home runs. Alonso also hit .314 with 52 runs batted in for the Rumble Ponies this season. The talented first baseman fished the year with the New York Mets.
Right fielder, Jhoan Urena finished the season with a team high 63 runs batted in . Urena was voted the Eastern League Player of the Week for August 27th to September 4th. Urena hit .424 with 4 home runs and 13 runs batted in. Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Nabil Crismatt also won the weekly honor this year.
Mickey Janis lead the team with 10 wins and had a team low 3.60 ERA for Rumble Ponie starting pitchers. Janis also lead the team with 114 strikeouts and a team low WHIP of 1.36. Janis was clearly Binghamton's best starting pitcher this season.
Eric Hanhold lead the team with 8 saves. Additionally, Hanhold had an ERA of 2.84 with a 1.18 WHIP. Hanhold is currently with the New York Mets.
Players like McNeil, Alonso, Crismatt, Michael, Urena, Janis and Hanhold give the New York Mets hope for the future. The Rumble Ponies' coaches did their best to develop the talent of the players on the roster. The Mets may have a bright future because of some of the players who played for Binghamton this season.
Nothing can duplicate the sights and sounds of a baseball game. The sights and sounds blend in perfectly with the laid back rhythm and casual atmosphere of summer. The games and atmosphere of the stadium combine to make the summer more memorable. Fans who followed the team from April to September have many good memories.
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