Hitting .240 as a team for most of the season and coughing up a handful of leads over the past week on the mound, the Brooklyn Cyclones knew something had to be done to get their season back on track.

In a move more expected of a veteran hockey team, the Baby Bums, a team full of clean-shaved and fresh faced 21-year-olds, decided that the only way to change their fortunes this season was by growing mustaches.

Coming off of a 7-4 win on Monday, the move seems to be working in their favor.

“A few days ago, the whole team came to the conclusion that we needed to change something,” said outfielder John Servidio, who had a hit and two RBI with a few sprinkles of blossoming black upper-lip hair on Monday. “So all of us decided to grow mustaches.”

While the young and now more mature-looking Clones believe they are be setting new ground in their current cosmetic endeavor, using facial hair as a way to induce victories at Keyspan Park has been done in Brooklyn before.

In 2006, Brooklyn hitting coach Scott Hunter held a “best porno-star mustache” competition that alongside “clucky” a rubber chicken [Don't Ask], brought the team together in time for a surprise playoff run after a miserable start. French Canadian third baseman Ivan “Oppo Pop” Naccarata took the crown in the competition that season in a landslide that turned the Keanu Reeves lookalike into a young Captain Jack Sparrow.

Like the team of two years ago, these Baby Bums have also gotten off on the right foot with their new looks. With their bristled upper lips, these Brooklyn Cyclones are 1-0 since they threw out their razors.

As a result, the team’s confidence has seemingly gone through the roof.

However, while players like Servidio, Ike Davis and Jimmy Johnson currently have the seedlings of what may eventually turn out to be mustaches of Ron Burgundy-esque proportions, backup first baseman Jeffries Tatford is setting the bar pretty high with what looks to be the beginning of a killer ’stache.

“I’m enjoying this,” said Tatford, who already looked like a young Ringo Star with his flowing jet black locks and now looks like he’s on the CD cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band with the rest of the ‘fab four.’ “The first couple of days have been good, but I think it’ll show better in a few days. I’m prepared to take this as far as I have to. My girlfriend isn’t here and I’m not out to impress anyone.”

Tatford isn’t the only one on the team that has met this new challenge with some resistance however.

“I called my girlfriend up and told her I was growing a mustache,” said lefty reliever Jimmy Johnson with a smirk on his face not seen since the first week of the season when the Cyclones were challenging for first place. “She said, ‘No you’re not.’ I then told her that I was because she’s not here and it’s staying, so we’ll see how long it lasts. I’m going to keep it until we start going bad. When we do, it’ll be off before I get here.”

Cyclones manager Edgar Alfonzo, while admitting he knew nothing about the team’s scheme, was elated with the team’s performance on Monday and sees it as a new beginning for his team.

If it was because of the added weight to their upper-lips, that’s of no difference to him.

“Hey, what ever works for them,” said Alfonzo with a laugh. “I didn’t know anything about this.”

Link:

Box Score to Last Night’s 4-1 Cyclones win

Breaking News:  5:00 P.M.

On my way to Keyspan Park today, I stumbled across one Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, who was on his way out and into a nearby car. When I got into the press box, I checked today’s roster and he wasn’t on it. I’ll try and find out anything I can, as soon as I can.

Breaking News: 7:00 P.M.

Chatting with DemBrooklynBums.com before tonight’s game with the Vermont Lake Monsters, Zach Lutz told the media that he will be out for at least a week, recovering from a hematoma on his right quad he had drained in Manhattan today.

“I’m kind of in the dumps,” he said. “But I’m trying to stay positive.”

Update 8:30 P.M.

New Podcast is up. A special thanks goes out to Daily News Writer and Wave of Long Island Sports Editor Elio Velez for lending a helping hand this week.

Click Here to Listen!

Photos by Ron Hatcher