Nevertheless, seeing a sign commemorating Trenton's back-to-back Eastern League championships in the hallway connecting the home and visitor's clubhouses gets the seventh manager in franchise history thinking about what might have been.

"I would have loved to win a minor-league championship here, because I love Trenton," said Masse, who led the Thunder to the 2006 Eastern League Northern Division title in 2006 despite a 0-10 start. "We came close, and I think we did a good job of both winning and developing players during my two years here.

.

.and that's what it's all about. This is an awesome park with terrific fans and a great front office."

Known for his no-nonsense, unfiltered approach, Masse was cut loose by the Yankees after the big club alleged he put winning ahead of player development, particularly with his desired use of then-top prospect Phil Hughes.

Masse, 42, was not a particularly good fit in his native New Hampshire, where the perceived laid back approach of the Toronto Blue Jays' organization was in direct conflict with his fiery personality.

When the San Diego Padres failed to elevate Masse to Triple-A Portland in October, his road home to the east coast had been cleared.

"I'm happy doing what I'm doing right now, and to be honest, I needed a little bit of break from managing," said Masse, the Yankees' 1993 Minor League Player of the Year and the author of over 610 wins in the farm systems of the Expos, Yankees, Blue Jays and Padres since 1999.

Masse also guided Trenton to the postseason in 2005.

"I'm doing something I have a passion for with an organization in the Mets that does things the right way with an intensity level a lot closer to mine than some other places I've been. They are a lot like the Yankees in that it is all about the players. I'm sure I'll get back into managing at some point, but this is good for right now."

Binghamton (2-1) capitalized on an error by second baseman Reegie Corona and early wildness by right-hander Zach McAllister, the Yankees' top prospect at Double-A, to take a 3-0 lead after three innings.

Edwar Gonzalez helped get a run back with a run-scoring single in the home fourth, before James Cooper doubled and came around to score in the fifth inning on a RBI-groundout by Corona.

Chris Malec tied the game at 3-3 with a one-out single in the sixth, but Binghamton picked up the go-ahead run off left-hander Wilkins Arias in the seventh.

McAllister's anticipated Class AA debut consisted of five innings, four hits, one earned run, two walks, two strikeouts and three hit batters.

The Thunder (1-2) twice failed to get the tying run in from second base in the ninth inning and committed three more errors, giving them nine over the first three games of the season.

* Thursday's marathon, a 5-4 victory over the B-Mets in 14 innings, checked in at a mind-numbing four hours and 42 minutes.

"We went into it thinking we were only playing one, but ended up playing a doubleheader," Thunder center fielder Seth Fortenberry said. "Things became a bit monotonous out there at times, but all things considered, it was a good win for us. It went a little longer than we wanted it to, but we kind of came together as a team at the end."

Featuring 31 men left on base, a combined 14 walks by 11 pitchers and seven errors, the second game of the 2009 season did not come close to challenging the longest game in Waterfront Park history.

Binghamton, however, remains the common denominator.

On June 3, 1995, the Thunder and B-Mets toiled for 5:30.

The longest game in franchise history was an epic, two-day battle at Reading on June 14, 1998 at what then was known as Municipal Memorial Stadium, which clocked in at 5:35.

Contact John Nalbone at jnalbone@njtimes.com