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Eddie Kunz called up to Mets

DARLENE VINSON
THE MID-COUNTY MEMO
Former Parkrose High hurler Eddie Kunz, foreground, at pre-game warm-ups in Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets.
Photo by Raymond Kunz, Sr.
As our readers know, we here at the Memo are unabashed Eddie Kunz fans and have been for years. Kunz was named Athlete of the Year at the Mid-county Memo Community Awards in 2000 while an eighth-grader. We shared the news in December of 2003 when he announced that he had chosen to attend Oregon State University on a baseball scholarship.

We told you when Kunz and Kevin Gunderson, another Parkrose native, shared the experience of playing in the College World Series in 2005 and made the return trip in 2006 that brought the national title to Corvallis. Last summer we wrote about the excitement of a second national collegiate title and the buzz that Kunz had been drafted in the first round of the major league baseball draft by the New York Mets. (“Parkrose produces pro,” Mid-county MEMO Aug. 2007)

Now word comes that Kunz has had his debut in the majors, the big leagues, the Show. He began the season in Binghamton, N.Y., as the closer for the Binghamton Mets, a double A farm club in the New York Mets organization. According to his dad, Raymond Kunz Sr., Eddie got the call on Saturday, Aug. 2. He flew to Houston to join the team on Sunday, Aug. 3 and pitched one scoreless inning against the Houston Astros. As the senior Kunz said, “Wow, wow, wow. The dream keeps getting better. Go Eddie.”

When the Mets returned to New York a couple days later, the Kunz family — Ray Sr., mom Sue, sister Kerry, brother Raymond Jr. and nephew Bradley — were flown to the Big Apple to share in the experience. Sue said, “It (the major leagues) is truly a different world. It was very exciting being in New York with Eddie and our immediate family. The Mets treated us like royalty.”

After four major league appearances, Kunz was assigned to the Triple A New Orleans Zephyrs to make room for a reliever acquired from the Washington Nationals. According to Ray Sr., the manager of the Zephyrs plans to use Eddie extensively so he will be ready to go when called back up by the Mets, probably in September.

Understandably disappointed, Kunz said, “I’m going to do whatever it takes to get where I want to be.” He said he told Mets Manager Jerry Manuel, “I deserve to be here. I guarantee I’ll be back.”

We believe him.
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