By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT was probably the “most emotional” eight months that he’s had in his life was how Antoan Richardson described his past Major League Baseball season with the New York Mets as their first base coach.

The 41-year-old former MLB player with the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees was making his transition from a coach with the San Francisco Giants to the Mets.

Their season came to an end when they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championships Series. The Dodgers won 4-2 and went on to win the World Series with a 4-1 over the Yankees, the AL champions.

“We started the season with probably one of the worst records, but one of our star players called an infamous team meeting and after that, we rode it right to the playoffs,” Richardson remembered.

“It was really emotional, but really fun to be with. Those guys worked hard and I learned so much from them. I couldn’t ask for a better first year in New York.”

What has Richardson even more excited about next season is the fact that the Mets acquired 26-year-old outfielder Juan Soto from the Yankees on a record breaking 15-year contract worth $765 million after the World Series.

“To have him on our team now is going to be a lot of fun as we try to get to the next round, which is the World Series,” Richardson said. “He now gives us a chance to bring the title to New York for the Mets.

“But he came from the Yankees and we know both teams have been trying to win the World Series. The Yankees came close, but we got Soto and we are trying to build our own thing with the Mets.” While he was the sixth of eight Bahamians to crack a Major League line-up, Richardson broke ground as the first to coach at that level and he hoped that he could become only the second Bahamian to win a World Series title, joining Ed Armbrister, who did it with the Cincinnati Reds.

“For me, I fe3l very humbled and honored to have the opportunity, but the goal for me right now is to be an inspiration to those following me,” he said.

“I want to make sure that we continue to make those opportunities accessible for more Bahamians to not only get the chance to play in the Major’s, but hopefully get to coach and even manage a team.”

With so many players in the pipeline, as evident once again at the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby on Saturday on Montagu Beach, Richardfson said he’s still looking forward to the day when the Bahamas will field its own team for the World Baseball Classic.

As it stands now, the Bahamas is not ranked high enough to field its own teams, so players will continue to team up with Great Britain when the fourth edition of the tournament takes place in 2026.

“You just have to keep pushing. We have the Olympics after that and then it’s the fifth World Classic, so once the Bahamas Baseball Association does their job, we can get closer to securing our spot in these major international competitions.

“I will be there to do my part, if they seek my assistance. I want to be there to help because I feel I have so much to offer, but it’s up to the association to give me the opportunity to do so. We just have to continue to make the big steps towards it.”

And with Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm as the leading figure as a player in MLB with the Yankees, Richardson said the future looks bright for the Bahamas.

“It’s no excuse now. We have the players coming up. We just have to find a way to get the best out of them so that we can take our rightful place as a nation on the playing field,” he said.

“We have to find a way to utilize the talent that we have out there. We have the Jazz Chisholms and give them an opportunity to perform. We have to figure it out. We have to do what is better for all of us to come together and make it happen.”

Richardson said he was quite impressed with the way Chisholm made his transition from the Miami Marlins during the season where he was the centerpiece to becoming a future star for the Yankees.

“He had an exceptional season between the two teams,” Richardson said. “But I was really impressed with how he went to New York and fitted right in with the Mets.

“Now that we have acquired Soto, this could be an opportunity for him to step it up even more and become more of a factor for the Yankees. But I think if they want to win the title, they will have to come through the Mets. We feel we are a much better team with Soto in the line-up.”

Richardson, who indicated that he doesn’t miss playing because he now enjoys coaching, said it will be another exciting season to watch in New York when the 2025 MLB season gets underway in March.

Richardson is currently at home conducting a clinic for baseball players at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium. The week-long clinic, being held in conjunction with the Batter’s Box and LDK, will wrap on Saturday.

It runs from 9 am to noon.