Binghamton Baseball Shrine welcomes 2 players, 3 politicians

Jose Reyes, a former Binghamton Met and 16-year major-leaguer, will be among five inductees to the Binghamton Baseball Shrine Sept. 17 preceding the Rumble Ponies' Eastern League game against Hartford.

Inductees also include former B-Met Josh Thole, and three politicians —Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York State Sen. Fred Akshar and former Binghamton Mayor Richard David.

Reyes spent the first nine years of his 16-year major league career with the Mets, and 12 in total (2003-2011, ’16-’18). The four-time all-star won the 2011 National League Batting Title hitting .337, finished first in stolen bases in the NL each year from ’05-’07, and won the Silver Slugger award in 2006. The shortstop also led the NL in triples four times.

Signed by the Mets at age 16 in 1999, Reyes played 65 games for the Binghamton Mets in 2002, batting .287 with eight triples, 24 RBI and 27 stolen bases. He was named the Futures Game MVP that season.

Reyes was suspended by Major League Baseball in 2016 following an arrest on domestic abuse charges. The Colorado Rockies waived him after his suspension, but the Mets signed him after he agreed to continue counseling.

Thole is most prominently known for catching the first no-hitter in New York Mets history, thrown by Johan Santana on June 1, 2012. He was with the Mets from 2009-2012 as part of an eight-year major league career. The catcher played 103 games with the B-Mets in 2009 slashing .328/.395/.422 with 46 RBI. He played four seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays from 2013-2016.

Thole resides in Owego.

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The three politicians are being recognized primarily for their roles in negotiating an agreement to help keep the Binghamton Rumble Ponies and affiliated baseball in the city. All three are on the ballot this November.

In November 2021, the team announced the sale of the team to David Sobotka, as well as a 23-year lease agreement between the city and ballclub, and $3.1 million in public funds to pay for improvements to Mirabito Stadium.

Since 2014, more than $10 million in public funding has been used for stadium improvements and upkeep.

Schumer has served as a U.S. Senator since 1999, New York’s Senior Senator since 2000, and the Democratic Senate Majority Leader since January 2021.

Akshar has served as a New York State Senator since 2015. A Republican, he is a candidate for Broome County Sheriff and will oppose Kathleen Newcomb, a captain with the sheriff’s office.

Davidwas Mayor of Binghamton from 2014 to 2021. He will oppose Lea Webb in the Nov. 8 election for the 52nd state Senate District seat.

In 2017, former mayor Juanita Crabb was inducted into the Shrine. Crabb was instrumental in bringing professional baseball back to Binghamton.

As part of the Sept. 17 ceremony, the Binghamton Baseball Shrine Committee will also remember 2011 inductee and shrine committee member John W. Fox. For decades an editor and columnist for the Press & Sun-Bulletin and its predecessors, Fox was a member of the shrine committee in its 1993 formation. He died in June at age 96.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Binghamton Baseball Shrine adds Jose Reyes, Josh Thole, 3 more