According to the team’s official website, the Brooklyn Cyclones have brought back manager Edgar Alfonzo for another season, making him the first coach in team history to be behind the bench for two consecutive seasons.

“We’re thrilled to have Fonzie back with the club,” said Cyclones General Manager Steve Cohen on the team’s official website. “He has a real rapport with the Brooklyn fans and he’s a proven winner who has brought out the best in the teams he’s been with.”

Guiding the Cyclones to a 49-25 finish last season after winning the NYPL championship in his first year with the team in 2001, Alfonzo is the most successful manager in team history. His tough love approach on the field and easy going nature with fans and media during his time in Brooklyn have made him equally as popular and revered with his own players as well.

“He’s really truthful with us and let’s us know what our roles are. I really like the fact that he doesn’t try and sugarcoat anything either,” said Brooklyn reliever Edgar Ramirez during the team’s playoff run last season. “If we do something wrong out there, he lets us know about it, but he never blows his top. I think it’s easy to see why a lot of people think he’s a players coach.”

The organization also announced that pitching coach Hector Berrios and hitting coach Guadalupe Jabalera will also be returning this season. Trainer Matt Hunter rejoins the coaching staff for his third consecutive season in Brooklyn.

The Cyclones begin their season on June 17, where they will battle the Staten Island Yankees at Keyspan Park.

Now that I’ve gotten my journalistic obligation out of the way, let me share my thoughts on this:

I think it’s a great move. While I have nothing against George Greer, the manager of the Cyclones in 2006 or Donovan Mitchell, who many thought was going to coach the team this season [and may eventually wind up doing so in the next few years], it’s easy to see that Fonzie is synonymous with Brooklyn baseball and he deserved another year at the helm. The fans love him, the media appreciates his candor and ability to be fair and upfront when talking about his players; it’s just a perfect fit.

There were a few games last season where I was the only person in his office after games last season and Alfonzo would basically be like a guy that just watched the game on television and would go over the things he didn’t like and the things he thought stuck out. That kind of personality isn’t found in many professional coaches. That doesn’t mean he won’t answer the difficult questions either. I don’t remember one time last season when he didn’t answer a question I asked him. With such a media friendly coach, you wouldn’t expect him to be a player’s coach, but at the same time, he’s proven to consistently support his players and does a great job motivating them and keeping them on their toes.

There was an instance last year where Cyclones reliever Grady Hinchman walked by his office and asked the writers if Alfonzo was in a bad mood or not in typical Hinchman fashion, filled with vigor, and enough facial expression to animation your own animated series. That’s not to say Alfonzo is a loose cannon, he’s probably the complete opposite, but Hinchman, like his teammates last season, just understood that when they screwed up, they were going to be held accountable.

You can’t ask for anything more from a minor league manager.

Photo taken by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Originally drafted by the Mets in the 45^th round of the 2004 amateur draft, prospect Dan McDonald decided to go to college, rather than start his professional baseball career after High School. The Mets obviously liked what they saw from the Rockaway, New Jersey-native and drafted him again in last year’s draft, this time in eighth round. McDonald didn’t let the organization down either, striking out 30 hitters in 25.2 innings and posting a solid 3.16 ERA with their Single-A affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones.

This season however, looks to be a different one for McDonald. In his first full season with the organization, McDonald is out of college and has had to prepare himself for Spring Training. That’s pretty different from joining the team in June and having only a few weeks to get acclimated to professional baseball. Nonetheless, he’s ready for the challenge and thinks he’ll be able to adjust just fine.

“There’s a lot more free time, so you have to manage your time different,” said McDonald, who held opposing hitters to a measly .116 batting average last season in Brooklyn. “I don’t have class anymore, but that doesn’t mean that I can sleep in all day either. It’s just a completely different schedule, but I think the workouts are pretty much same though.”

Another challenge McDonald will have this season is keeping himself composed on the mound. Despite his relatively laid-back approach and demeanor, there were times last season where he looked extremely erratic. With the recent trade of Kevin Mulvey and Phil Humber to Minnesota as part of the Johan Santana trade, the totem pole of promising young pitchers Mets farm system isn’t nearly as tall as it used to be as well. A pitcher with the ability of McDonald could easily get cocky and not work as hard as he has to and still move through the organization at a decent speed. Nevertheless, McDonald believes he’s learned from his bumps and bruises last season and is focused on letting everyone know what he can do on the field.

“I really just take things one day at a time and focus on what I have to do in order to be successful,” McDonald said. “My whole goal is to stay healthy and be productive when I’m called upon and I can’t control the other things going on around me. I always try to have the kind of mindset. All I can do is try to move up the ladder at my own pace and not be focused on anyone else.”

However, despite his focused approach to moving through the organization, McDonald prides himself on being a good teammate as well. Sharing the Brooklyn closing duties for the first half of the season with Steven Clyne, McDonald never complained when his playing time diminished down the stretch. Unlike many younger players, McDonald knows that sacrifices have to be made in order to play on a winning team.

“We had such a good comradery on the team,” said McDonald. “I didn’t expect all of us to get so close so fast. At first, I thought everyone was going to be very individualistic, but we all clicked. There wasn’t a competition among us; we were all pushing each other to do our best. When someone went into a game, we supported him and rooted for him. We all wanted to get better.”

And no one wanted to get better last season than McDonald.

Featuring an electric slider, a plus fastball and a solid changeup in his arsenal of pitches, McDonald knows that he has the tools to take down hitters in any league he pitches in. However, while no one will ever second guess his talent, they will question his ability to maintain it. Walking 20 hitters in 20 appearances last season, McDonald knows he has to work on his consistency.

Above everything else, that may be his biggest challenge this season.

“My number one goal is to stay healthy and to last the season without any setbacks,” McDonald said. “It’s a grind all season, because it’s so long. You always want to stay in a gray area, never get too high or too low, so I want to try and be as consistent as possible. I’m also trying to be more consistent with my fastball, changeup and slider. I want to be able to throw them in any situation. I really want to make a long-season team this season and I know I have to be consistent to do that.”

Photos by Daniel Wos and Jim Dolan.

Last season, Will Morgan was the glue that held the Brooklyn Cyclones bullpen together. Posting an uber-im­pressive 2.02 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 22 relief appearances in 2007, Mor­gan was a NY-Penn League All-Star and one of the most dominant reliev­ers in the league.

DemBrooklynBums: What have you been up to this offseason?

Will Morgan: The Mets wanted me to gain a little weight this offsea­son. I had a skinny little upper body and big legs before and I’ve been eat­ing a lot. I think I eat about six meals a day now. At my lowest, I was 188, now I’m about 202. I think I’ve even gotten up to 206, but that was after I ate. Aside from that, I’ve been work­ing out and running a lot.

DBB: What did you eat, ex­actly?

Morgan: Basically just steak and potatoes. When I wake up, I eat bacon, eggs and some potatoes. I try to mix potatoes in with every meal. A lot of rice, too.

DBB: Now that you’ve put on the weight the Mets wanted you to, are you ready to get back out there?

Morgan: I’m really excited to get back into baseball. It’s really all I know. I got a job this offseason and I come home and I say to myself, “Why do people do this?” When I’m on the field and throwing a baseball, I just feel like I’m home. I really can’t wait to get back on the mound.

DBB: Where were you work­ing?

Morgan: I was working at this rusty, run down power plant. I spent most of the time driving a 30-foot high Caterpillar tractor, pushing saw­dust around and doing cleanup work on a Bobcat. I was making $12.00 an hour, but it just wasn’t for me. I love being outside and that was really the only good part about the job. During the baseball season, we work our ass­es off every day and there are no days off. I don’t want to come home after the season is over and go work hard all over again. I definitely wouldn’t mind pushing papers or working at an office next season. I used to come home so tired from the power plant that I didn’t even want to go to the gym and work out sometimes.

DBB: Now that you can put that experience behind you, what are you really focused on this season? Last year, it was obvious that you wanted to be the closer in Brooklyn, but that didn’t work out. Are you looking to find a spot as a closer on another team in the organization?

Morgan: I’m always going to try for that closer spot. I love having an opportunity to pitch everyday and I don’t care what inning you put me in, but I would really like to pitch in the eighth and ninth inning. Either way, I’m still going to go balls out in every inning I pitch. Just because I’m not the closer, my work ethic is still going to stay the same. My mindset is that whenever I come in, it’s the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs. I always have a job to do. In the instructional league the Mets invited me to this year, I started pitch­ing in the seventh and eighth like I did last year, but at the end, they let me pitch in the ninth and I’m really hap­py with the way I played. I did really well. I don’t know what their plans are, but they let me close a few games and we’ll see what happens.

DBB: Last season you had a fastball, slider and cutter in your arse­nal. Have you added any new weap­ons to make sure you get the chance to close games?

Morgan: I’ve been working on a changeup a lot this offseason and the organization really wanted me to work with it. I’m starting to get really comfortable with it. It’s going to help me a lot with right-handed hitters be­cause all they usually see from me is my fastball and a breaking ball. They have two pitches to choose from, one that breaks away and one that’s straight that has a little bit of a tail on it. Now, the changeup makes them think a little harder when they’re up there.

DBB: Do you usually think about what’s in the hitter’s mind when you’re on the mound?

Morgan: I was a good hitter in college and I would always look to see what a pitcher had before I got up there. I’d always pay attention to what they threw to lefties and what they threw to righties, so I would know what I should expect. In college, I would always notice how most right-handed pitchers would just throw changeups to left-handed hitters. Then they’ll throw fastballs and sliders to right­ies. If they got behind, they’d rely on the fastball. Once that fastball comes, then all you have to do is be able to hit it. I think being able to understand that makes me a better pitcher and try and put myself in their shoes and give them the pitch they don’t expect.

DBB: Well, you did that all season last year. How did that feel?

Morgan: I actually never looked at my stats last season. I mean, I had everyone talking to me about them and getting in my head about them, but I never once went online and looked at them. I just focused on getting the job done. The stats don’t mean anything if you give up the big run and let the team down.

DBB: What was it like being so successful in Brooklyn last year?

Morgan: It was so much fun to watch all these talented guys every day. Watching guys like Lucas Duda and Jason Jacobs hit the way they did last year was awesome. Jake Eigsti is the best third baseman I’ve ever played behind and watching guys like Nick Carr and Grady Hinchman was a blast. Grady has so much heart out there. I still remember Matt Boucha­rd’s walk-off home run last season, too. That was probably the single most exciting game I’ve ever been a part of. For me to play a part in that was amazing. The fans there were great and they really supported us.

DBB: Are you confident you can do it again this year?

Morgan: I think so. I just really want the opportunity to pitch every day. I really don’t want to stay in ex­tended Spring Training. I know I’m going to have to work hard, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes. If I had had to choose where I’d go, I’d love to be closing games out in St. Lucie or Savannah; I think I’m ready to play long-season ball. If that doesn’t hap­pen, I just want the opportunity pitch every day. The rest will then take care of itself.

Photo taken by Patrick Hickey Jr.

When Johan Santana was dealt to the Mets for a handful of prospects on Jan. 29, the entire team’s fan base jumped for joy. Still sour after the team’s collapse down the stretch last season, fans now believe the team has the good to get to the World Series for the first time since 2000.

However, regardless of how happy the fans are, some of the Mets youngsters are even happier about the deal and can’t wait to see him in Spring Training.

“I’m going to try and learn as much as I can from him. Just being near him, I think I’m going to be humbled,” said Mets farmhand Dan McDonald, who spent last season with the Brooklyn Cyclones as the teams set up man and closer. “I think he can help take this organization to the World Series.”

Working on a changeup to compliment a solid fastball, cutter and slider, Will Morgan, another reliever who played in Brooklyn last season, can’t wait to get tips from one of the best pitchers in the business.

“I used to watch him throw a lot on TV when I was younger and I couldn’t believe how filthy he was,” he said. “He has a 96 mile an hour fastball and an 82 mile an hour changeup. As a hitter, that’s just not fair. They don’t stand a chance up there. Santana is an amazing pitcher. I still can’t believe they got him. I’m going to miss (Kevin) Mulvey (one of the players the Mets gave up in the deal), he was a funny guy, but Santana is the real deal.”

However, there was one Cyclone who had to wait before he could enjoy the fruits of the transaction.

“I think I was one of those guys that was in the mix to be traded [for him],” said pitcher Dylan Owen, who won the Sterling Award as the Cyclones best player last season. “It would have been hard to start all over again in another organization. I had a great time here last year in this organization and I really want to prove myself here. I’m happy I still have that chance.”

Nevertheless, now that he knows he’s staying the organization that drafted him, Owen loves the deal as well.

“I think it’s great, he’s a great pitcher,” he said. “It never hurts to have someone like that in the rotation.”

Pictures for this article were taken by Patrick Hickey Jr. and Daniel Wos.

Drafted in the 11^th round of the 2007 amateur draft by the Mets after three solid years at Georgetown, shortstop Matt Bouchard was sent to the team’s Single-A affiliate in Brooklyn for the summer. Known for solid defensive ability and streaky hitting in college, no one knew what to expect from the Rhode Island-native in Single-A ball though.

Once the season got started however, Bouchard proved that he was an asset with the glove and cemented his spot as the team’s starting shortstop. Nonetheless, it wasn’t until much later that he earned his stripes with the bat.

Getting a New York Penn-League All-Star nod in his first season in pro ball, particularly due to his work on defense, Bouchard was hitting a measly .231 at the break and looked out of place at times against tough pitching. However, through the last 29 games of the season, the six-foot, 185-pound infielder turned into a slugger, hitting .349 with 24 hits. Add in eight stolen bases and 27 RBI through 70 games and it’s easy to see that Bouchard carved out a pretty solid rookie campaign for himself.

“As the season went on last year, I got really comfortable with my game,” Bouchard said. “That’s what I always really intend to do. I want to leave the season a better ball player and in a better situation than I was in before. Last year, I think I did that and I was happy with what I accomplished.”

He even managed to hit his first professional home run on Aug. 25 against Vermont with is father in attendance. To make the accolade an even more memorable one, it was also his father’s birthday.

“He still talks about it in front of his friends every once in a while,” Bouchard said. “It’s still quite a conversational piece.”

As the season came to an end, it was obvious that Bouchard was extremely comfortable playing in Brooklyn. On the field, he was maintained his season-long consistency with the glove, while working longer counts and getting big hits down the stretch. In the clubhouse, he developed into one of the most media-savvy players on the team and a favorite amongst fans. Immensely enjoying his time in Brooklyn last season, Bouchard can’t wait to see his former teammates at Spring Training.

“The organization told us from day one that we were to conduct ourselves as professionals and I think we did that on and off the field,” said Bouchard. “I had so much fun playing with those guys last season. Everyone got a long and we won a lot of games. It was really special being part of a team that managed to gel together so quickly. It’s going to be fun seeing them in spring training.”

Despite the fond memories he has of his first season in Brooklyn though, Bouchard is ready to move on to the next stage of his career and is ready to prove himself as a valued commodity in the organization. Nevertheless, he did admit to being a little nervous about his first Spring Training.

“Sure, there are butterflies, but I know what’s going to be expected of me,” he said. “I just have to go out there and do my best when I’m called upon. That’s really all I can do. I’m going to try my hardest to make a team out of camp and be an everyday player. I think I get that done if I stay healthy and focused. I’ve worked really hard this offseason and I’m ready to get started.”

Pictures for this piece were taken by Daniel Wos.