BASEBALL
Bisons’ Feliciano still waiting for call
Outfielder Jesus Feliciano was named the Buffalo Bisons’ Most Valuable Player prior to Wednesday night’s game. He’s trying to hit .300 for the third straight year in Triple-A with the New York Mets and is battling for the International League lead in hits. But at age 30, he’s still waiting for that first call to the big leagues.
Odds are it’s not coming next week, when a couple Bisons will get the call after the Herd’s season mercifully ends.
“What I can control is what I’ve done the past three years,” Feliciano said after an 8-6 loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Fan Appreciation Night in Coca-Cola Field. “Keep working the way I’ve been working and put the numbers up that I’ve put up. I can’t think about who’s going up and who’s not.”
Feliciano was 1 for 4 on Wednesday, with his ninth-inning single putting his average exactly at .300 for the season. It was his 143rd hit, two shy of cracking the top 10 on the franchise’s single-season list and three shy of current IL leader Barbaro Canizares of Gwinnett. Box score
Feliciano batted .315 for the Mets’ Triple- A club in New Orleans in 2007 and .308 there last year with a career-high 157 hits. More of the same this year.
“He’s been our best player from Day One, no question about it,” said manager Ken Oberkfell. “[Getting to .300] would be awesome. I hope he does.”
Feliciano has great numbers but probably gets overlooked because of his lack of power (just one homer this year), average arm and lack of bunting skills. And he’s not on the Mets’ 40-man roster.
With Nick Evans, Jeff Francoeur, Angel Pagan and Cory Sullivan in the outfield and Carlos Beltran rehabbing at Class A Brooklyn, there’s not many at-bats for another outfielder.
“My job is to do what I can control on the field and leave it up to them,” he said.
If he doesn’t get the call, Feliciano might have to consider a new organization. That can come with pitfalls.
“I like the organization and the staff,” he said. “Obie [was] great with me the last three years. Sometimes you don’t have to look why you’re not in the big leagues. You have to look if you’re having fun where you’re at.
“I’d rather be in a place where people like me [than] go to a place where you never know what can happen. Maybe I sign with another team next year and don’t have the opportunity I’ve had here.”
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A crowd of 13,250 saw the Bisons hit three home runs in the game, two by Jason Dubois, but fall short in a contest that featured 26 hits.
Dubois pounded what appeared to be a go-ahead, two-run double with two out in the seventh but Scranton left fielder Freddy Guzman corkscrewed himself into the warning track and stabbed the ball over his shoulder to end the rally.
“The difference in the game is their left fielder makes probably the best catch I’ve seen all season,” Oberkfell said.
The home finale is today (1 p. m, Radio 1520 AM) with Jose Sanchez (0-1) making his second Buffalo start.
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Nelson Figueroa was named the team’s Pitcher of the Year after posting a 7-5 record and 2.25 ERA in 17 starts before going to New York.
In other awards, pitcher Kyle Snyder was named the Comeback Player of the Year while pitcher Tim McNab took both the Community Service and Most Inspirational Player Award. Infielder Argenis Reyes won the Hometown Hero Award for his play at home. South Buffalo native Richard “Lefty” Lewandowski was named the Fan of the Year.
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