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MLB

Opening Day Roster Announced

2010 Herd features ideal mix of veterans, prospects
By
April 8, 2010

The Buffalo Bisons, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, today announced their 2010 Opening Day roster. The Herd will begin the 2010 season, their 125th season of professional baseball in Buffalo, TONIGHT in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against the Yankees (7:05 p.m./WWKB 1520AM).

The 2010 Bisons is an ideal mix of established veterans and some of the Mets' top organizational prospects. Three of the Mets' Top 10 prospects by Baseball America will start the season with the Herd. The list includes OF FERNANDO MARTINEZ (No. 3), INF IKE DAVIS (No. 4) and C JOSH THOLE (No. 8). Martinez led the IL in extra-base hits with the Herd in 2009 before a June promotion to New York while Davis hit 20 home runs between Single-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton a season ago. Thole hit .328 in Binghamton before averaging .321 in 17 games with the Mets in 2009.

Twenty-five year old RHP TOBI STONER gets the ball on opening day after tying for the Bisons' team lead with seven wins a season ago. He will be joined in the starting rotation by 23-year old RHP DILLON GEE.

The Herd will also feature 15 players who spent time at the major league level in 2009, including six who played with the Mets. Of the 24-man roster, 20 of the Bisons have big league experience during their career. RHP BOBBY PARNELL spent all of last season with the Mets, while C OMIR SANTOS was in New York for all but three games a season ago.

Highlighting the Bisons improved offense is two-time IL All-Star INF MIKE CERVENAK, who has averaged 146 hits in each of the last three seasons in the league. 2009 Bisons Most Valuable Player OF JESUS FELICIANO had a league-high 154 hits a season ago and has averaged .311 in the last three seasons in the Mets' system. OF CHRIS CARTER has averaged .305 with 124 home runs and 505RBI during his six-year minor league career. A former #1 draft pick of Toronto, INF RUSS ADAMS led Syracuse with 15 home runs and 63RBI in 2008. Bisons-killer OF JASON PRIDIE comes to Buffalo after clubbing 21 triples and stealing 50 bases over the past two seasons in Rochester.

INF LUIS HERNANDEZ, C MIKE NICKEAS and former Arizona Diamondback INF ALEX CINTRON round out the Herd's position players.

On the mound, knuckleballer RHP R.A. DICKEY, LHP PAT MISCH and LHP BOBBY LIVINGSTON complete the team's five-man rotation. In the bullpen, RHP ELMER DESSENS returns after leading the Bisons with 11 saves in 2009. LHP ADAM PETTYJOHN joined the Bisons in 2009 after leading the International League with 15 wins for Louisville in 2008. RHP KIKO CALERO posted a stellar 1.95ERA in 67 relief appearances with Florida in 2009 while RHP MANNY ACOSTA has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Atlanta Braves. LHP RAUL VALDES has joined the Bisons after winning the Caribbean Series this off season with manager Ken Oberkfell.