Hitting home runs and collecting RBIs is nothing new for Mike Hessman. Although maybe not

at the pace he's shown this year for the Buffalo Bisons. And certainly not against the team

wearing his old hat.

In the first game against the club he spent the last five years leading, Hessman reminded

the Toledo Mud Hens what they've been missing. He belted two more longballs Thursday,

including a leadoff shot in the bottom of the 10th inning that gave the Bisons a thrilling 8-7

win over Toledo.

A Coca-Cola Field Kids Day crowd of 15,080, the largest of the season, saw Hessman power

the second pitch he saw from Toledo reliever Josh Rainwater well over the fence in deep

right-center. It was the first walkoff shot of Hessman's career, a fact made even more

incredible by the fact he's the minors' active home run leader with 327.

"I put a good swing on it," Hessman said of Rainwater's second straight sinker. "I didn't

know if it quite had enough but I lucked out and it got over the wall."

Hessman's teammates pounded on him as he reached the plate and he told them in the

clubhouse afterward about the career milestone.

"I didn't know if I thought it was going to be different," a smiling Hessman said of the

tour around the bases. "Obviously it's fun to celebrate and win a ballgame but it was kind of

the same old stuff."

Hessman blasted a solo shot to left leading off the second and has 16 home runs, the most

in Triple-A. His 51 RBIs in 46 games lead all of professional baseball.

That's just two shy of Mike Lamb's team-leading total of 53 from the entire 2009 season and

he's virtually halfway to Alex Ramirez's franchise records of 34 homers and 103 RBIs (1998).

And we're still not at Memorial Day.

Hessman added a double and scored in the eighth to finish with a 3-for-5 day. Bisons

manager Ken Oberkfell didn't even need a question to start heaping praise upon Hessman.

"He's amazing," Oberkfell said. "The thing that amazes me was that the pitch was away and

he hits it to right field. The pitch is in, he hits it to left field. He is locked in and he

has been locked in from day one."

The Bisons rallied from a 7-4 deficit in the seventh in a game that saw nine of their 11

hits go for extra bases. International League batting leader (.366) Jesus Feliciano had two

hits and two RBIs and center fielder Emmanuel Garcia had his first three-hit day in Triple-A.

Hessman is to Toledo what Jeff Manto is to Buffalo, a free-agent slugger who became the fan

favorite. He hit 140 home runs there from 2005-2009 — more than double any other Mud Hen

— and helped the team to Governors' Cups in 2006 and 2007. He was IL MVP in '07.

When the Bisons play at Toledo's Fifth Third Field in late July, Hessman figures to get a

huge welcome.

"I wouldn't be surprised for him to get a standing ovation when he comes back there," said

Toledo manager Larry Parrish. "I'm sure the fans are going to acknowledge what he's done."

"I'm definitely looking forward to it," Hessman said. "I had five years there and the fans

were awesome."

While in the field at third base, Hessman spent much of Thursday's game chatting with

Parrish, who was manning the coach's box. He also caught up Wednesday with hitting coach Leon "Bull" Durham, the former Chicago Cubs

star.

"It was like a little family over there for five years," Hessman said. "I really enjoyed hanging out and talking to "LP' [Parrish] all game catching up on

everything. Talked to Bull on the phone too. It's good to see the old troops and stuff but

it's nice to beat them too."

Parrish was asked if he was surprised Hessman chose to move on last winter, when he left

the Detroit chain to sign with the Mets. Without answering, the skipper pointed out the thinking of front-office types in Toledo and

Detroit during March.

"We were looking at the waiver wire in the spring, I'll tell you that." Parrish said. "Just

to see if he would become available."