The Kiger Counter

[Guest Edgy DC]

If you haven't been watching, the Mets have addressed the organizational thin-ness at the keystone which keeps Vic Sage up at night by grabbing Mark Kiger off the waiver wire when Oakland removed him from the their 40. Kiger has been an on-base machine in Binghamton, reaching in 42 of 44 games, and currently throwing up a whopping Henderson-esque Isolated OBP of .123.

Check out the Career OBPs

Year	Team	Lg	Age	Level	OBP
2000	UFlorida	NCAA	20	NCAA	.416
2001	UFlorida	NCAA	21	NCAA	.421
2002	UFlorida	NCAA	22	NCAA	.522
2002	Vancouver	Nwest	22	A-	.346
2003	Modesto	Calif	23	A+	.375
2004	Midland	Tex	24	AA	.369
2004	Sacramento	PCL	24	AAA	.375
2005	Midland	Tex	25	AA	.360
2006	Midland	Tex	26	AA	.379
2006	Sacramento	PCL	26	AAA	.348

He still needs to hit more, but that adds up to a career rate of .365 as a pro, interesting enough to see if it translates into something of a righthanded Wally Backman.

But the intangible fun factor goes a long way. (Trivia: What has Mark already accomplished on the pro baseball scene that hadn't been previously accomplished since 1885?) See, he's got some serious Wifey Watch material, as the three-year older Ms. Kiger is an internet spitfire, posting under the name Bedhead Barbie:



Vancouver Canadians blogger vs. Mark 'n' Barbie.

[Vic Sage]

what is he... 26? At AA? yeah, that'll cause me to rest more comfortably...

[Farmer Ted]

Did Oakland drop Jeremy (Moneyball) Brown from its 40, too?

[Guest Edgy DC]

You'll have to find that one out on your own.

The funny thing about Kiger is that --- with Oakland's injuries --- he'd be a big-leaguer today (on a team five games out of first) if he hadn't asked for his release.

[metirish]

Brown not on the 40,he's at AAA Sacramento River Cats .

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Jeremy%2520Brown&pos=C&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=425851

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Fantastic blog-fighting there.

Barbie's myspace page requires an invitation but more googling led me to Kiger's AA Bingo teammate Mike Nickeas' wife's page. Meet Becca!

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=77851771

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's some good linkin', boy.

[Farmer Ted]

You're only as good as the company you keep and Becca's wedding party is good quality.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I started a poll in the NBF but never hit submit. Oh, f it.

[Willets Point]

Can someone explain the appeal of Myspace to me? It's supposed to be this great, big thing but it hurts my eyes just as much as those crappy Geocities pages of ten years ago.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Maybe Nymr can explain it, along with some allusion to how old and stupid we are.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Willets Point wrote: Can someone explain the appeal of Myspace to me? It's supposed to be this great, big thing but it hurts my eyes just as much as those crappy Geocities pages of ten years ago.

I'd chalk it up to a combo of herd mentality and fascination with tacky, glittery GIFs.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Vic Sage wrote: what is he... 26? At AA? yeah, that'll cause me to rest more comfortably...

Maybe the 27-year-old recently activated at AAA will help.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Big All-Star News!: Binghamton Mets infielders Mark Kiger and Brett Harper, outfielder Caleb Stewart and pitcher Kevin Mulvey have been chosen to play for the Northern Division in the Eastern League All-Star Game.

Nobody guessed at the trivia question, so I'll pretend you missed --- rather than ignored --- it. Trivia: What has Mark already accomplished on the pro baseball scene that hadn't been previously accomplished since 1885?

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

="Edgy DC"]Big All-Star News!: Binghamton Mets infielders Mark Kiger and Brett Harper, outfielder Caleb Stewart and pitcher Kevin Mulvey have been chosen to play for the Northern Division in the Eastern League All-Star Game. Nobody guessed at the trivia question, so I'll pretend you missed --- rather than ignored --- it. Trivia: What has Mark already accomplished on the pro baseball scene that hadn't been previously accomplished since 1885?

He voted for Squinty?

[Guest Edgy DC]

I voted for Squinty. Seo voted for the Squint also.

Long live the Squint!

[MFS62]

Those high minor league OBP numbers make me believe he could become the next Jeff Keppinger.

BTW- Edgy - nice thread title.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

You all lack the courage to guess. My stars, what a buncha wimps.

Last season Mark Kiger became the first professional US baseball player since 1885 to make his Major League debut in the post-season.

Thank you for playing. Wait a minute, nobody played. Forget it.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Kiger is a crazy hybrid sterotype. He's Jeter 'n' Rose all in one.

This profile has it all, except some references to Bedhead Barbie.

Mr. Clutch: Kiger delivers big plays for B-Mets

By Brian Moritz

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- It happened again Sunday.

The Binghamton Mets erased a two-run deficit to the Connecticut Defenders, scoring four runs in the eighth inning.

The key hit was a two-run go-ahead triple by Mark Kiger.

It seems like it has been that way all season. When there's a big play involving the B-Mets, whether it's in the field or at the plate, chances are Kiger has been involved.

"It's just the game," Kiger said. "If you're prepared, if you're able to kind of foreshadow and see what could happen, the game just shows up."

Today, Kiger is one of four B-Mets playing on the Eastern League Northern Division's All-Star team, along with Caleb Stewart, Brett Harper and Kevin Mulvey. The game is set to start at 7:30 tonight at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Conn.

Other players have better numbers than Kiger. Other players are considered higher profile prospects. But nobody has made more big plays for the B-Mets this season than the 26-year-old third baseman, including when he started a triple play against Connecticut on May 23.

Kiger has four game-winning hits on the season, including a pair of game-winning home runs. In a remarkable show of his consistency, he has reached base in all but five of the games in which he has recorded a plate appearance.

"He's the one guy, and we all had that one guy on our team in high school or college who everyday, his uniform got dirty and he will do anything to win," said Tim McNab, who spent the first two months of the season with the B-Mets before being promoted to Triple-A New Orleans. "He'll walk through a wall for the team."

Kiger's no stranger to the big stage. Last season, Kiger became the first player in the game's modern era to make his major league debut in postseason.

Kiger has been one of the B-Mets most valuable players over the season's first half. It's not just his .308 batting average that's among the team's best. It's not just the seven home runs and 35 RBI.

"His value is what he brings to the entire team as a leader -- he's like an extra coach," B-Mets manager Mako Oliveras said. "The way he gives himself to the game is so big. You get to the point where the ball is hit to third, you're expecting Kiger to make a play. He finds a way to get in the middle of it."

Kiger traces his ability to make big plays at big times to his big-time baseball pedigree.

He played three seasons at the University of Florida and spent his first five years as a pro in Oakland's system. After hitting .280 last season (including .307 at Double-A), he went home to San Diego and started working with a travel team of 14-year-olds. After the first practice, he got a call. Mark Ellis had broken his finger, and the A's were calling him up to fill out their roster.

Kiger made his big-league debut on Oct. 13 as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series against Detroit. He also played in Game 4 as a defensive replacement and was on the field when Magglio Ordonez hit a three-run, game-winning home run for the Tigers.

He's the first player to make his big league debut in the playoffs since Bug Holliday did it in 1885 for Cincinnati.

"I think once you're put in that situation, everything else is easy," Kiger said. "After you're up there at a time when it's win or go home and playing in front of 65,000 people, playing in Binghamton is not too stressful."

Kiger signed with the Mets as a free agent in the offseason, figuring a National League team would be a better fit for his utility player skills.

He's been a perfect fit for the B-Mets. He's a voice of experience on a young team.

"Before I talk to the team, I ask for his input," Oliveras said. "The way he talks and the way the other players react around him, I know they're listening."

Plus, Kiger has been that guy. The one who always makes the right play at the right time.

"He's been very clutch," second baseman J.E. Cruz said. "When the time comes, he's the one you want at the plate."

Take the triple play. Remember the situation -- bases full of Connecticut Defenders, nobody out in a 0-0 game. Steve Holm bounces a ground ball to Kiger at third.

Almost every time the third baseman would throw home for the force out, preventing the run and starting a potential double play. Kiger admitted that's not the typical play. But this ball was hit to his left, right in front of the bag, giving him a chance. He quickly stepped on third and threw to second to start the triple play, with Wilson Batista making a spectacular relay throw to first to complete it.

"If you're unprepared, things don't happen that are good," Kiger said. "If you're prepared, good things happen. If you're mentally strong, you'll be in situations where you can produce and know you've been there before and done it, and you continue to do it."

[MFS62]

Are you going to adopt him?

Later