Agbayani sees Rockie future in Colorado

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i's Benny Agbayani says he does not expect to remain in the Colorado Rockies organization next year and might not be a part of it as early as Major League Baseball's July 31 trading deadline.

"My agent told me they've pretty much given up on me," Agbayani told The Advertiser in a telephone interview from his Denver residence.

Agbayani, who starred at St. Louis School and Hawai'i Pacific University, was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs last Friday. Instead of moving there, he said he makes the 1 1/2-hour commute each way from Denver for home games.

Agbayani, 30, was part of a three-team, 11-player trade that sent him from the New York Mets to Colorado in January. He was dealt about a month after signing a one-year deal with the Mets for $600,000.

After Buddy Bell was fired as manager, hitting coach Clint Hurdle was promoted to manager. Agbayani said Hurdle did not give him ample opportunity to prove himself. He had 117 at-bats before being sent down. He was hitting .205 with five doubles, four home runs and 19 RBI. Compounding matters was that a strained left hamstring placed him on the disabled list from May 14; he was activated on June 6.

"After Buddy Bell got fired and changed managers, I didn't get my fair share of opportunities," he said. "My manager doesn't like me. It will be a tough time getting back up. It's business and I just gotta deal with it."

Agbayani said he hopes for a trade, but that it might be hard since he has had few plate appearances. He said he banking on teams remembering how he performed during the playoffs and World Series in 2000. He had a game-winning home run a National League Divisional Series game against San Francisco and doubled home the go-ahead run in the Mets' only win against the New York Yankees in the World Series.

If a trade cannot be done by the end of the month, Agbayani is considering playing in Japan next year. He said the Rockies did ask him if he would play there and he said he would. Agbayani said he enjoyed his trip to Tokyo when the Mets opened the 2000 season there at Tokyo Dome. He had a pinch-hit grand slam to beat the Chicago Cubs, 5-1, in the 11th inning.

Agbayani said there is a possibility of a work stoppage. He knows that the fans will be upset if that happens.

"The fans won't come back," he said.