When I originally started doing these types of pieces, it was supposed to be a way of recollecting on past players and to let newer fans know more about the team. However, this post is a little different. I’ve wanted to write about Tim Haines for quite some time now and even though I’d love to have his words in here, I feel I can still do an adequate job of explaining his brief stint in Brooklyn, which ironically was like a roller coaster that provided more knots in stomachs than it did thrills.

Drafted by the Mets in 27^th round in 2006 from the University of Texas Pan-American, Haines was a sleeper prospect with plenty of talent. In his last year in College, he had a 2.06 ERA, 10 saves and 52 K’s in 35 innings. However, despite those stats, 813 players were selected in the draft before him. While he was in Brooklyn, I didn’t know much about him and from what I saw, he was a charming, straight-arrow kind of guy that was surprising a lot of people with just how good he was. I never had a reason to think anything bad about the kid.

For example, before every Cyclones game, players catch ceremonial first pitches from fans and celebrities. Those players are usually fan favorites or guys that are more outgoing than some of the other players. For instance, Jason Jacobs used to do it all the time when he played here. When Haines was in Brooklyn, he too would do that and was also one of the media’s favorite players to talk to. Being my first season as a beat reporter that year, I was looking for anyone that could make my job a little easier. Haines was a down to earth guy that didn’t mind talking, so I got as much information from him as I could. When I could, I really enjoyed just shooting the breeze with him and the other outgoing players on the team. Simply put, they made my job a blast.

After a few games, it seemed like the Cyclones bullpen would be their biggest strength. Guys like Joe Smith, Grady Hinchman and Jeremy Mizell were playing great and Haines too was definitely on the same level. Going 2-0 with a 3.09 ERA in 10 games, Haines was proving he was a more than capable pitcher at the Single-A level. Add in the fact that he was a bit wild at times and his delivery was comparable to Chad Bradford’s, it seemed that with some more polish, he could definitely be a Mike Myers-type pitcher in the big leagues one day.

However, by the time people started appreciating Haines, everything started to fall apart. On July 20, 2006, about a month into the season, the Cyclones played in a 26-inning game that exhausted their entire pitching staff to the point where they had to use right fielder Mark Wright for a few innings, who ironically wound up blowing out his arm in the process and giving up the losing runs in 6-1 defeat. Haines, however, never appeared in the game and no one knew why. After the game, I spotted him by the side entrance to the clubhouse and he walked by me with his head down. A few days later, another reporter told me he was suspended 50 games for using banned substances. Words can’t describe how shocked I was when I found out that this string-beaned, six foot one, 170 pound pitcher was accused of using performance enhancers. I didn’t want to believe it at first.

Then over the next few days, a maelstrom of articles hit the papers about Haines’ rebellious activities in college, including shooting out a window with a bb-gun and other activities I never thought he’d partake in. I even heard from another reporter that the day before the marathon game, Haines had failed to make curfew and was out on the town all night with a player who was called up the same day and as a result, missed the team bus to practice the next day. Again, as a person I was completely shocked. As a reporter, I had to know more.

It just so happened that his mother read my work on my official site and commented on it a few times. In the process, we chatted on AIM a few times and I got her e-mail address and phone number, so I decided to call her and find out whatever I could.

Upon calling her, which was the hardest thing I had ever done up to that point in my journalism career, I was told that Tim had decided to stay quiet until everything calmed down. While I can’t discuss what else was said over the phone that day, I will say that I could tell that the incident had rocked the entire family and they were just trying to get through it in one piece. It was tough asking questions and not being able to get the answers I needed to write a piece, but I feel it was a great learning experience as a journalist and an even bigger one as a person.

While I’m sure Haines learnt his lesson, spending the length of his suspension in Florida, working out with team officials, the Mets released him shortly after it was over, taking away any chance he had at redeeming himself. Playing in independent ball last season, Haines had mixed success, but seemed to take a step backwards in his development. I don’t even know if he’s in baseball anymore to be quite honest. Nonetheless, I hope one day, I can talk to Tim again to see how he’s doing and find out the real truth about his brief time in pro baseball. For the time being, all I can do is look back and say he was a damn good pitcher the last time I saw him play.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr. and Conroy Walker