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Familiar Faces Returning To Lead B-Mets in 2008
1/3/2008

The New York Mets have announced that Mako Oliveras (pronounced MA-ko oh-lee-VER-as) will return to manage the Binghamton Mets in 2008. Pitching coach Ricky Bones also returns for a second straight season. Luis Natera, also no stranger to NYSEG Stadium, will serve as the B-Mets’ hitting coach.

Oliveras led the B-Mets, the youngest team in the Eastern League, to a 61-81 record in 2007. Along the way, he helped develop several of the New York Mets’ top prospects, including pitcher Kevin Mulvey, first baseman Mike Carp and outfielder Fernando Martinez. Oliveras, a native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, is the first person to skipper the B-Mets in consecutive seasons since Howie Freiling in 2001 and 2002.

The 2008 season will be the 23rd consecutive campaign as a professional coach or manager for the 61-year-old Oliveras, who spent eight years in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization before joining the Mets last season. Oliveras also has four seasons of Major League coaching experience, serving as a bench and first-base coach for the Chicago Cubs (1995-1997) and California Angels (1994).

Oliveras has an 824-841 record in 12 full seasons as a minor league manager in the Mets, Devil Rays, Indians and Angels organizations, with nine of those seasons coming at the Double-A or Triple-A levels. He has also managed 23 seasons in the Puerto Rican Winter League, winning six league championships and two Caribbean Series titles.

Bones (pronounced BO-nus) will be spending his third season in the Mets’ organization. With Binghamton last season, he helped develop Mulvey, whose 3.32 ERA was the EL’s fourth-best, and Carlos Muñiz, who tied for third in the league with 23 saves and earned a September call-up to the Mets. The Guayama, Puerto Rico native was the pitching coach at High-A St. Lucie in 2006. Bones, who turns 39 four days after the B-Mets open the season, has also served as a pitching coach in the Washington/Montreal organization, working at High-A Potomac in 2005 and Low-A Savannah in 2004. A righthanded pitcher, Bones compiled a 63-82 record and 4.85 ERA in 11 Major League seasons with the Padres, Brewers, Yankees, Reds, Royals, Orioles and Marlins from 1991-2001. He was named to the 1994 American League All-Star team while with the Brewers.

2008 will be Natera’s 11th season in the Mets’ organization as a coach or coordinator, including the 2000 season, when he served as Binghamton’s hitting coach under Doug Davis. Natera, a native of the Dominican Republic, spent last season as the hitting coach at High-A St. Lucie after serving in the same capacity for Low-A Hagerstown (2005-2006), Rookie Kingsport (2003-2004) and Low-A Capital City (1999). He was also a coach for the Rookie Gulf Coast League Mets in 1998. Natera was the coordinator of the Mets’ Dominican Academy in 2001 and 2002. An infielder, Natera played in the Mets’ organization from 1984-1988.

The B-Mets open the 2008 campaign at home against the New York Yankees’ double-A club and defending Eastern League Champions, the Trenton Thunder, on April 3 at 6:35. Tickets are on sale now at the NYSEG Stadium Box Office, B-Mets’ store at the Oakdale Mall or online.

Notes: In addition to Oliveras and Freiling, Steve Swisher (1992-1993), John Tamargo (1994-1996) and Davis (1999-2000) have also managed the B-Mets in multiple seasons…trainer Joe Golia and strength coach Clayton Wilson will also re-join Binghamton this season. Both have been with the B-Mets since 2006.

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