In 2006, the Cyclones ace was Eric Brown and as I’ve mentioned in previous postings, the guy was simply amazing. He had a two-seam fastball that he kept low and considering how good the Cyclones defense was that year, he got ground ball after ground ball and powered his way to a most impressive season.

However, there was another starter on that team that was consistently solid all season and his name was Tobi Stoner. Going 6-2 with a 2.15 ERA in 14 starts, Stoner proved he was much more dependable than most people thought he was going to be. Originally drafted in the 16^th round from Davis and Elkins, a college I had never heard of before and that has only produced five minor leaguers in their history, many people weren’t too high on the kid. Nevertheless, every chance he had to prove people wrong, he was there with a smile on his face.

One thing Stoner had going for him was an extremely outgoing personality. I’ve said before that alongside Jason Jacobs and Dustin Martin, Stoner was probably the other leader on the team and always went out there and gave everything he had. I remember a few times during the season talking to him and he reminded me of the guy from that episode of “Seinfeld” who consistently mentioned himself in the third-person, saying things like “All I can is be the best Tobi Stoner can be,” or “Tobi Stoner is going to go out there and pitch his heart out.” However, on the mound, he ended up looking like another person who converses in the third person, “The Incredible Hulk.”

He also had a little bit of luck on his side as well. About four or five times a season, SNY comes to Keyspan and aside from clogging up the entire press box and pushing us scribes to the corners, they give a lot of these guys the exposure they’ve never had before. In 2006, Stoner pitched three times on SNY if I remember correctly and put him on the radar as someone Mets fans needed to keep an eye out for.

Last season, Stoner went 7-10 with a combined ERA over four, but looked solid at various stages of the season. For a guy like Stoner, who was a fireballer in college and depended on the strikeout to get out of jams, it’s just a matter of him finding other ways of getting players out. With only 59 walks in 223 professional innings pitched as well, Stoner’s control may be too good. He may have to learn to pitch around guys instead of going after everyone all the time.

As the season goes on, we’ll keep an eye out on how he progresses.

All pictures for this article were taken by Conroy Walker. 

Rather than reminisce this blog, I thought I’d go around the Mets organization and show you guys how some of Keyspan’s brightest stars of yesteryear are burning. Just for fun, we’ll check up on them every month and see who’s looking to get to the show.

Savannah Sand Gnats

I remember a reporter telling me last season that Jake Eigsti’s wife told him jokingly that if he got sent to Savannah again she’d leave him. Well, he’s back. But there’s good news, if he doesn’t pull his average up soon, he may wind up in Brooklyn for a tune up once the regular season starts. Hitting .167 through 24 at bats, Savannah’s shortstop duo of Eigsti and Matt Bouchard sure can play defense, but they aren’t hitting. Watching them last season, I just think they’re slow starters though. They should eventually pick it up.

St. Lucie Mets

Lucas Duda seems to be thriving at first base, hitting .341 with two homers and 17 RBI. However, of his 30 hits, only six of them have been of the extra base variety. If this guy can start to hit for more power, we will definitely see him in Double-A before the season is over.

Aside from Duda, Jason Jacobs is hitting a solid .286 in 21 at bats behind the plate, sharing time with other former Cyclones Ezequiel Carrera and Sean McCraw. On the mound however, the success isn’t coming easy. Dylan Owen and Eric Niesen are middling right now, but other former Cyclones Dillon Gee, Tim Stronach, Steven Cheney and Nick Carr are really struggling. If they keep it up, we may see one or two of them back in Brooklyn.

Binghamton Mets

The bad news is former ‘Clones Jon Malo, Ambiorix Concepcion, Emmanuel Garcia, Eric Brown, Robert Parnell, Jake Ruckle and Eddie Kunz aren’t having much luck up there. The good news is Dan Murphy, Josh Peterson and Nick Evans are absolutely hitting the cover off the ball. All four are currently hitting over .330 and have a combined 45 RBI.

New Orleans Zephyrs

OF- Caleb Stewart- One homer, eight RBI, .221 BA.

I started covering the ‘Clones in 2006, so I missed the year of the “Big Stew” in 2005, when he led the Cyclones in every power category. Nonetheless, the word from the scribes around Keyspan is that he’s a pretty dangerous power hitter, but nothing much else. We’ll keep an eye on him as the season progresses.

Photos by Daniel Wos

Sorry for the makeshift post today guys, I’m just really busy working on a few other things. I’ve left messages with former Cyclones Chris Fournier, Jeff Tatford and Joe Holden over the past few days, so hopefully something pops up. For the time being though, enjoy this piece I wrote in 2006 on who I consider one of the best pitchers I’ve ever seen at Keyspan.

All Photographs for this article were taken by Conroy Walker

His teammates called him “Sunshine,” because of his blonde locks. The reporters thought he was cocky because he knew he could hit and wasn’t scared to tell anyone else. For those reasons, the fans, especially the women, adored him.

His name was Dustin Martin and aside from being a heck of an outfielder for the 2006 Brooklyn Cyclones, he was charismatic, convincing and extremely passionate about the game. The only five-tool player that team had that season, Martin hit .312 with 35 RBI and quickly became one of the team’s leaders in the clubhouse alongside the likes of Tobi Stoner, Joe Holden and Jason Jacobs.

On the field, Martin just did so many things right. He never looked out of place in the outfield and was always hustling. He played with his heart on his sleeve and was so emotionally charged that it rubbed off on the rest of the team. I remember being the only reporter left during the infamous game between the Clones and the Tigers that lasted 26 innings, a game where Martin went 0 for 15. Let’s just say with only a few hundred fans left in the stands that you could hear that Martin wasn’t a happy guy. It’s funny though that after that game, “Sunshine,” got hot again and combined with the clutch hitting of Jesus Gamero, the Clones wound up making the playoffs after a miserable start.

However, just saying “he was hot” doesn’t really explain how good he actually was after getting in a slump in a weird game like that. Hitting .403 in his last 72 Abs that season, Martin went on perhaps one of the best hitting runs of any other Cyclone, ever. And believe me when I say that his teammates and coaches appreciated it.

“He’s the straw that stirs the drink,” said the Cyclones manager George Greer. “He’s there when we need him. He comes through with his bat and his legs. He’s just been awesome for us.”

When that season was finished, many wondered what was going to happen to him. Obviously the best player on the team [aside from Joe Smith, who only spent the first few weeks with the team], Martin had gone from a 26^th round pick to a sleeper prospect with plenty of promise. I, among a few other guys covering the team definitely saw him as someone who would make a really solid fourth outfielder in the bigs one day, granted he develop a little more power and continue to draw walks.

Nonetheless, when the Mets said hello to Luis Castillo, fans in Brooklyn had to forget any hope of seeing “Sunshine” playing in Flushing one day. That doesn’t mean they still aren’t thankful of what he did here though. Finishing his season in Fort Meyers after a solid one with the St. Lucie Mets, Martin’s chances of making it to the show haven’t diminished at all.

Photo by Conroy Walker

In 2006, a skinny little infielder named Jake Eigsti played for the Cyclones and aside from showing great defensive skills, his poise at the plate left something to be desired. Nevertheless, the then 22-year old was quiet and tried to make the most of a really bad situation. Nothing against the coaching of then manager George Greer, but Eigsti was just one of a few solid players who just never got any playing time that year. By the end of the NY-Penn League season, Eigsti managed just 72 Abs in 25 games and hit a lackluster .192.

Despite that though, the kid had several flashes of brilliance on defense and hit well in the right spots. With that being said, many of the reporters wondered what his fate would be over the course of the 2007 season.

Customary with the start of every Cyclones Season, the media and season ticket holders get a chance to watch some of the players a few days before the season gets started. Let’s just say that from the way Eigsti looked, he wasn’t content with being a spare part anymore.

Leading the ‘Clones in RBIs for a long stretch of the season in 2007, Eigsti was one of the rocks on the team. He continued to play solid defense and proved to every one that he could hit if he got playing time. This Spring Training, he showed the Mets he could hit as well, getting an RBI hit in his only at bat in the Grapefruit league. For a guy drafted in the 29^th round, Eigsti sure has left an impression on the organization and if he continues to work on his game and develop and little more power, he could be playing AA or AAA ball very soon.

While he was fun to watch on the field, my favorite part of Jake Eigsti was the person. A down to earth kid from Peoria, Illinois, Eigsti was a lot like another former Cyclone, Nick Waechter in that he was a straight shooter and didn’t like to beat around the bush. However unlike Waechter who I mentioned scared the be-Jesus out of some of the guys because of his size and Ghost Rider-esque stare, Eigsti always had a smile on his face and was extremely polite. To my knowledge, he and Grady Hinchman were the only married guys on the team last year [Jason Jacobs was engaged and is now also married] and it really showed. He was just so comfortable in his own skin and it really came through in interviews.

When it was all said and done, Eigsti was definitely one of those guys that you hate to see leave. With guys like Eigsti, Matt Bouchard, Lucas Duda and Jason Jacobs all gone this season as well, it’ll be fun to see who the ‘Clones get to fill their shoes. It’s not going to be an easy task to see the very least.

Site news- Hey guys, just want you to know that I’m working on a few things for you over the next few weeks. I have left messages for 2007 Cyclones Michael Antonini and Chris Fournier over the past week and change and should be hearing back from them about setting up an interview. If not, I’ll have to annoy them a little bit he-he. As well, I will have a fun interview in a few weeks as well that while it isn’t directly Cyclones related, will be a fun one for all you baseball fans. Ross Bernstein, the author of “The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL,” has just written a sequel which is entitled “The Code: Baseball’s Unwritten Rules and It’s Ignore-at-Your-Own-Risk Code of Conduct.” For those of you who really want to know why managers don’t pad their scores against horrible teams or why guys get plunked, this is definitely something to check out.

Photos by Daniel Wos