The Buffalo Bisons’ new parent made it official Friday, as the New York Mets named former major-league infielder Ken Oberkfell manager of the Herd for 2009.

Oberkfell, 52, was reassigned off the Mets’ staff by manager Jerry Manuel in October and immediately emerged as the only real candidate to take over as the head of the Herd. He was managing in New Orleans of the Pacific Coast League last season and was called up to join the big club as first-base coach when Willie Randolph was fired and Manuel was hired on an interim basis.

Be the first to own the new Bisons logo gear

It's already been an amazing off-season for the Buffalo Bisons and the excitement continues in Downtown Buffalo.

The Bisons will make two major announcements on Tuesday, December 16 and baseball fans can stop by the ballpark for FREE to be a part of it all. On Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., fans are welcome to Pettibones Grille restaurant to meet the Bisons new manager and see the team's new logo for the first time.

The New York Mets today announced that they have signed RHP NELSON FIGUEROA, LHP ADAM BOSTICK, INF ANDY GREEN and C RENE RIVERA to minor league contracts with non-roster invitations to spring training.

The Mets have also signed OF JESUS FELICIANO, RHP JOSE SANCHEZ, RHP JOE HIETPAS, LHP EDGAR ALFONZO and LHP ALEX MERRICKS to minor league deals.

Figueroa, 34, was 3-3 with a 4.57ERA for the Mets in 2008. He made six starts for New York and struck out 36 batters in 45.1 innings of work. He was also 4-7 with a 4.43ERA in 20 games (16 starts) for Triple-A New Orleans of the Pacific Coast League last year.

After pacing league in wins and ERA, lefty earns well-deserved honor

The American League Cy Young Award winner is again a Cleveland Indians pitcher. But Cliff Lee's rise to greatness in 2008 was far from a repeat performance.

When CC Sabathia received his award a year ago, Lee was coming off of a humbling season that included a summer at Triple-A Buffalo and no role in the Indians' postseason run. While Sabathia ascended to greatness, Lee prepared to battle for a spot in the rotation the following spring.

That's what arguably makes Lee's 2008 season so special.

Tribe star honored as one of top offensive outfielders in AL

Grady Sizemore is becoming a regular on the annual Gold Glove Award lists. Now he has a Silver Slugger Award to go along.

The offensive half of baseball's end-of-season positional honors came out on Thursday, and Sizemore became the first Indians player in four years to win a Silver Slugger Award. The honor caps a season in which Sizemore continued his rise among baseball's top all-around catalysts, regardless of position.

"It's well deserved," manager Eric Wedge said. "This kid's one of the best all-around players in the game. You talk about a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger ... playing a premium position up the middle. What more do you want?"

Murphy makes an impact while some young arms show promise

Oh no, not again.

That's undoubtedly what Mets fans said as the club failed to make the postseason at the big-league level for the second straight year.

With that disappointment in the rear-view mirror, it would be great to report that Mets fans have some big-time talent coming up from the farm to turn things around. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be true.

NL-leading fielding percentage, 78-game errorless streak highlight season

After another spectacular season in the field, Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips was named a recipient of a National League Gold Glove on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old is a first-time winner of the trophy for defensive excellence.

For the second consecutive season, Phillips led NL second basemen in fielding percentage (.990). He committed seven errors in 706 total chances and held a 78-game errorless streak from April 10-July 8, the second longest streak among second basemen behind the 82-game streak by Pittsburgh's Freddy Sanchez.

You want the feel-good story of this World Series? I know the national media is properly making a big deal about 45-year-old Jamie Moyer. This corner, however, feels totally provincial about Chris Coste.

The Phillies’ backup catcher was one of the all-time good guys to come through the Bisons’ clubhouse and everyone associated with the Herd was disappointed and outraged when Coste didn’t get a callup to Cleveland in 2001 or 2002, the latter season ending with a .318 average and a most valuable player award in Buffalo.

Former major- league third baseman Ken Oberkfell is emerging as the leading candidate to manage the Buffalo Bisons in 2009.

Oberkfell has been reassigned off the New York Mets’ staff by manager Jerry Manuel and is expected to be offered the post at the head of the Herd. Oberkfell was managing in New Orleans of the Pacific Coast League last season and was called up to join the big club as a coach when Willie Randolph was fired and Manuel was hired on an interim basis.

When the Bisons landed the Mets as their baseball partner through 2010, fans and media around Syracuse were too startled to cry “foul” on anyone but themselves.

A month ago, the Salt City seemed a lock to link with New York’s National Leaguers, sticking the Bisons with Toronto.

As it turned out, Buffalo got the Mets, Syracuse affiliated with the expansion Washington Nationals and Toronto was banished to Las Vegas.

Indians left-hander Cliff Lee has a stiff neck and he won’t start the Tribe’s finale today in Chicago. That might be the only negative sentence you could write about his entire season. Lee is 22-3 and almost certainly will be named Comeback Player of the Year. And, with apologies to Francisco Rodriguez’s 60-plus saves, Lee should hands down get the Cy Young Award as well.

So before we get all tied up in postseason talk, we have to examine this question: What fueled the incredible turnaround from demoted- to-the-Bisons lefty in 2007 to All-Star starter and Cy guy in ’08?

OMAR MINAYA: “It’s not only about being in the International League. It’s about being in New York and about the great reputation the Bisons fans and ownership have.”

The New York Mets will be moving to a new home in 2009 when Citi Field opens in what was once a parking lot for Shea Stadium. And they’ll also have a homecoming of sorts in Triple-A as their top farm team is coming to the Empire State.

After two years in New Orleans, the Mets joined forces with the Buffalo Bisons Monday by announcing a two-year player development contract. Bisons operators Bob and Mindy Rich made it official in Dunn Tire Park by giving team jerseys with the number “09” on them to Mets General Manager Omar Minaya and Jeff Wilpon, New York’s chief operating officer.

The New York Mets are in and the Cleveland Indians are out. So what players might be wearing the Buffalo Bisons’ new uniforms in 2009?

The Mets under General Manager Omar Minaya are renowned around baseball for developing Latin players (think Jose Reyes). They try to highlight the running game (Double-A Binghamton stole 109 bases this season and Class A Savannah stole 114), and they don’t sit back to wait for the home run.

When general manager Omar Minaya was asked by COO Jeff Wilpon to find a new home for the Mets' Triple-A franchise, he picked up the phone and called Mark Shapiro.

The Indians' GM raved about one of his Minor League affiliates, the Buffalo Bisons. Minaya listened to Shapiro's stories about owner Bob Rich, the way the players were treated and the amount of talent in upstate New York.

Herd, Mets sign 2-year player development contract

A new era of Buffalo Bisons Baseball began today as the team signed a two-year player development contract with the New York Mets.
This partnership aligns the Bisons with one of the elite franchises in all of Major League Baseball. Under this agreement, the Buffalo Bisons will be the New York Mets' Triple-A affiliate for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

"We, as an organization and as part of the Western New York baseball community, could not be happier today as we forge this new partnership with the New York Mets," said Bob Rich Jr., President and owner of the Buffalo Bisons.