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Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

bmfc1 Dec 08 2009 11:16 AM

The Mets signed Mike Hessman to a minor league deal; 31 years old, 1B-3B: http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/ ... sman.shtml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hessman I thought he was the guy who played Dr. Johnny Fever in "WKRP."

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 08 2009 11:19 AM Re: Hot Stove 2009

No, that was Les Nessman. Um, wait.

Edgy DC Dec 08 2009 11:25 AM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

Three hunnert 'leben' minor league homers is a lotta bush-league bashin'.

metirish Dec 08 2009 11:26 AM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

How good can he be if I never heard of him?...seriously

Edgy DC Dec 08 2009 11:26 AM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

Well you should have. First big league homer was a pinch hit jobbie off the Mets Mike Stanton.

Edgy DC Dec 08 2009 11:44 AM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

Wasn't able to find that game in the archives. Found two other CPF Hessmanian references. http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=n ... hessman%22

Frayed Knot Dec 08 2009 01:57 PM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

I'll give him this: he takes his walks and more than half his hits over the last few years have gone for extras. Of course that gets balanced out by a low BA and about 1/3 of ABs winding up as Ks ... but whatyougonnado? TTO!

Edgy DC Dec 08 2009 02:01 PM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

He's a three-true outcome player that should sex up the Buffalo lineup.

Vic Sage Dec 08 2009 03:03 PM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

if we wanted a TTO, we should have signed Dunn last year. Heck, i'd take Gorman Thomas. Rob Deer, anybody? Nah. Just give Kingman a ST invite.

MFS62 Dec 08 2009 05:18 PM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

[quote="Edgy DC":3uz3af2x]Three hunnert 'leben' minor league homers is a lotta bush-league bashin'.[/quote:3uz3af2x] I guess this means Jeff Manto wasn't available? Later

smg58 Dec 08 2009 05:45 PM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

He makes Mark Reynolds look like a contact hitter. He has some pop though, and could surprise people for a few weeks on a call-up before pitchers start taking him seriously. He looks like a decent guy to stash at AAA.

Ashie62 Dec 08 2009 06:06 PM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

31 Year old Career minor leaguer for the Herd

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Dec 08 2009 06:58 PM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

Good thing we didn't have to trade a couple of draft picks for this guy.

metirish Feb 01 2010 10:30 AM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

Active leader in minor-league home runs, Mike Hessman, signs with New York Mets farm system BY ANTHONY MCCARRON DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Sunday, January 31st 2010, 4:00 AM The active leader in minor-league home runs has heard all the Crash Davis comparisons. He's been asked repeatedly if it's a sore point that he's knocked 311 balls over fences from Macon to Myrtle Beach to Toledo and beyond but has only played 77 games in the majors. But Mike Hessman prefers to view it another way. "To have been around this long, I've been blessed," says the 31-year-old, who signed a minor-league contract with the Mets earlier this month. "It's not a touchy subject; it's nice that people bring it up." Hessman never aspired to hold what some might think is a dubious mark, but, he says, "it's not meaningless, either." It shows that he has kept plugging away at the game he loves since beginning a pro career at 18. Hessman and the Mets are hoping that this is the season he finally puts it all together and provides insurance with pop. Hessman has an invitation to spring training and could compete for a bench job as a backup corner infielder - his primary position is third base - pinch-hitter and sometime outfielder. Hessman will make $15,000 a month in the minors or $425,000 for the season in the majors. "We were attracted to him because he's proven he can hit home runs and we feel he can be an emergency guy off the bench," Mets GM Omar Minaya said. "If he doesn't make the team, he can help (Triple-A) Buffalo and work with younger players." "In the NL, different positions might help me," Hessman said. "David Wright is not going anywhere, I know that. They were looking for some power and that fits my game." Hessman, a product of Orange County, Calif., was picked out of high school by the Braves in the 15th round of the 1996 draft. He reached the majors in 2003 and 2004 with Atlanta, but only hit a combined.167 and struck out 30 times in 90 at-bats. "I was trying to do too much," he recalled. But he came up again with the Tigers in 2007-08 and hit nine home runs in 78 at-bats, including five homers in 27 at-bats in '08. For as many homers Hessman has hit in the minors, he's not close to the all-time record, which is held by Hector Espino, a superstar in the Mexican League beginning the 1960s. Espino, dubbed "The Babe Ruth of Mexico," hit 484 homers, said Steve Densa, the director of media relations for Minor League Baseball. Hessman may not have had sustained success at the game's highest level - one thing that has curtailed more chances are his 1,825 strikeouts in the minors, the most by an active player. But Hessman knows he's in the right profession. He won a bronze medal with the 2008 U.S. Olympic baseball team and yearns to perhaps manage one day. Last year, he got a taste when Larry Parrish, the manager of Detroit's Triple-A team, let Hessman pilot the season finale. "It's more than filling out a piece of paper," Hessman said. "Baseball is the only thing I've ever done and I'm going to stick with it as long as I can," Hessman added. "I know it doesn't last forever. I've had former teammates call me after they quit, a year after they are in a 9-to-5 job, and they say they shouldn't have left. There are times you get frustrated and think you've had enough, but this is a pretty good gig." Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseb ... z0eJ3x4rR7

MFS62 Feb 01 2010 10:44 AM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

He deserves a shot. J Feliciano does also. And they will be getting one in Spring Training. Part of me hopes they will stick after years in the minors. But part of me wonders if they would make the major league team stronger than some of the other alternatives who will be in camp. I guess that's what Spring Training is for. But in his case, I wonder what kind of numbers he would have put up playing in the old Buffalo War Memorial (football) Stadium with the 270' left field fence. Later

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 01 2010 10:47 AM Re: Mike Hessman (Split from Hot Stove 2009)

I'm not sure if the Bisons believe in comebacks, but they should. That AAA team should kick massive rear.