A 90-minute rain delay spoiled the pregame festivities on Super Hero day at Keyspan Park and just like the weather, the Brooklyn Cyclones offense couldn’t find a way to use their super powers in a 4-1 loss to the Aberdeen IronBirds.

“We couldn’t put anything together offensively,” said Cyclones skipper Edgar Alfonzo. “I had a meeting with my guys today and I told them they have to make adjustments and start hitting with runners on base. We’re taking too many fastballs with runners on base and are swinging at too many breaking balls. We’re hitting backwards right now. We had opportunities, but we struck out or hit fly balls or ground balls. We need to do a better job.”

Giving up three earned runs in 4.2 innings against Hudson Valley on June 23, Brooklyn starter Tim Stronach was looking to pitch into the sixth inning for the first time this season. Things didn’t start out the way he would have liked however, as the righty surrendered two runs on two hits in the first, giving the IronBirds an early 2-0 lead.

“I came out flat in the first,” said Stronach. “It wasn’t until after that I got mentally prepared and started to locate my pitches better.”

Despite calming down and keeping the game at 2-0 through the fifth, Stronach had barely any offensive support. Striking out six Clones in five innings of work, Aberdeen starter Chris Salberg was sharp from the get go. In his first three innings pitched, Salberg gave up only a Will Vogl bloop single, effectively keeping Mets Single-A affiliate off the scoreboard.

“They pitched well and we didn’t make adjustments,” said Vogl, who had three hits on the night. “They were hitting their spots well and using both sides of the plate.”

The Brooklyn offense did wake up a tad in the fifth though, as Vogl notched a two-out triple for his second hit of the night. The next hitter, Matt Bouchard, took Salberg to a full count and drew a walk. Following Bouchard was Daniel Murphy, in the second game of a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton, who scorched an RBI single and got the Clones within one.

After twirling four shutout innings, Stronach was replaced by in the sixth by Jeff Kaplan, who made his pro debut and responded by hurling a scoreless sixth. He wasn’t as effective in the seventh however, as another run crossed the plate, courtesy of a Paul Chmiel ground out, giving Aberdeen it’s two-run lead back.

With the score 3-1 in the eighth, Montero Cruz replaced Kaplan and gave up a lead off double off the bat of Lee Ellis. Cruz, like Kaplan, was unable to escape the power of the Aberdeen offense, as a Caleb Joseph RBI single gave the IronBirds a 4-1 lead.

Joe Esposito then came in to pitch the eighth for the IronBirds and gave up only a Zach Lutz single. Closer Fredy Deza came into the game in the ninth and kept Brooklyn’s bats off the board, despite getting in a bases loaded, two-out jam, sealing a 4-1 Aberdeen win.

“We had men in the right spot there,” said Alfonzo. “We were one double away from winning the game. I know we only had eight hits, but we battled.”

Now 6-6 through 12 games, the Cyclones have won two out the four series they’ve played and look to get more consistent. Mustering eight hits, the offense will definitely be a focal point when the Renegades come to Keyspan on Sunday for the start of a three-game series.

“I know these guys can hit,” said Alfonzo. “We just have to get a steady lineup together. Once that happens, I know these guys will produce.”

Notes:

Former big leaguer Tim Spooneybarger pitched for Aberdeen in sixth and seventh. The former Atlanta Brave and Florida Marlin hasn’t pitched in the Major Leagues since 2003 after undergoing Tommy John surgery
Mets first round pick Ike Davis collected a single tonight, putting his batting average at .250 through three games.

The team also expects fourth round pick Sean Ratliff to join the team tomorrow and barring any problems, Alfonzo sees him as the team’s new starting left fielder.

“He’s here, he’s signed and he’s ready to go,” said Alfonzo. “Tomorrow he’s going to take BP and if he’s ready to go, he’s going to play. I don’t know where he’s going to hit, but I’ll worry about that tomorrow.”

Before the game, the Cyclones participated in the Take Your Base Walk in Coney Island and helped raise over $20,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Video-

Murphy’s RBI single in the fifth

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Spooneybarger strikes out Will Vogl

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Super Heroes…cough… I mean, the staff at Keyspan pulling out the tarp on Super Hero day. How often do you see something like this?

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Update: 5:45p.m.

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Photos by  Ron Hatcher & Patrick Hickey Jr. Videos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Born in Reading Pennsylvania on June 3, 1986, it’s safe to say that Cyclones third baseman Zach Lutz was watching, but barely understanding “Sesame Street,” while drinking orange juice from a sippy cup, when Mike Schmidt was wrapping up an 18-year career in the big leagues that ended with 10 gold gloves and 548 home runs.

That doesn’t mean that Lutz doesn’t understand the impact the Hall of Famer had on the game though.

“Growing up, my dad and I were huge Mets fans, but there’s no doubt, Mike Schmidt is the greatest third baseman of all time,” said Lutz who is hitting .429 with five RBI through the Cyclones first four games this season. “He’s a Hall of Famer for a reason.”

Stoic, yet passionate on the field, Schmidt, who was at Keyspan park on June 19 in conjunction with Prostate Awareness Night, was a huge fan favorite during his playing days and someone millions of kids growing up in the suburbs of Pennsylvania and mean streets of Philly aspired to be like.

“I respected the passion of the people in Philadelphia; it’s something they grew up with,” said Schmidt. “I’ll never be remembered as a get down and dirty Lenny Dykstra type, but I think I survived the test of time. What really impresses people is how long I lasted in the big leagues and it’s something that I’m really proud of.”

Even today, Schmidt’s reputation in Philadelphia and the baseball world is still one of legend. Growing up, Lutz, too, must have heard countless people tell him that he could be the next Schmidt.

“I’ve watched a lot of tape of him,” said Lutz, who was just barely three years old when Schmidt decided to hang up his cleats. “You’d be surprised how much you could learn from watching tape of someone that good.”

Still only five games into his professional career, Lutz knows that he still has a lot to learn, but already has shown the same kind of moxy that made Schmidt a star in the game, running hard on every ground ball he’s hit so far this season and showing remarkable range from third.

“We’ve been so impressed with the way he’s played this year,” said Cyclones skipper Edgar Alfonzo. “He’s worked so hard this offseason and it really shows on the field.”

While he didn’t get a chance to pick Schmidt’s brain before or after the game like he would have liked, Schmidt had some advice for him and anyone else that wants to make it to the big leagues one day. A game that looks much different than it did when he played 25 years ago.

“There’s so much more talent at every level of baseball today,” said Schmidt, who was also an 11-time All-Star during his career. “There were probably 100 players vying for my spot when I was at this level and it narrowed out as I climbed the ladder. Today, there are probably 2,500 players trying to vie for a spot on a big league team. To surface as the number one guy out of 2,500 means you’ve developed as a player far more than I did when I was playing in the 70s. Because of that, I have a lot of respect for these kids. The talent pool today is incredibly high, but if you work hard everyday and watch the great players and try and emulate them and spend time in the offseason to perfect your craft, you’ll be headed in the right direction.”

Notes:

Ike Davis signed?- According to a source in the Mets organization, first round pick Ike Davis is expected to sign with team by the MLB All-Star break at the latest.

Church in Keyspan?- The source also confirmed that Ryan Church will be joining the Cyclones on  Thursday.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Links:

Box Score to last night’s 4-2 Cyclones win.

Despite hitting .302 with 14 RBI and playing sturdy defense with Brooklyn in 2007, Brandon Kawal seemed like the odd-man out in an outfield that consisted of prospects like Raul Reyes, Lucas Duda and Will Vogl. Getting lost in the shuffle as the Cyclones season ended, just two wins short of a championship, Kawal’s chances at future success in the organization seemed up in the air.

With an opportunity to be a leader on a Brooklyn team that features 16 players from the 2008 draft however, the former Concordia University star knows his future with the organization is much different than it was at the end of last season.

Rather than lament the roller coaster ride he had with the team last season (no pun intended), where he consistently found himself on the bench, whether it be in favor of Ender Chavez, the younger brother of Mets out fielder Endy Chavez, (who started the 2007 season with the team before being called up to St. Lucie) or Duda (who the team tried out in the outfield before becoming the team’s starting first baseman), Kawal still grateful for every second he spent in Keyspan Park.

“The first thing I said when I got home [last season] was ‘you were a much better ballplayer when you were in New York,’” said Kawal, the Mets 27^th round pick in last year’s draft. “Those fans will be with you every step of the way when you are on top of your game and they will force you to step it up when you’re not. It definitely toughened me up.”

Regardless of his paltry amount of playing time in ‘07, Kawal was still one of six Cyclones to play in the New York Penn League All-Star game. Coming off what could still be considered a more than successful season, Kawal should have gotten a chance to start with the Mets Single-A affiliate in Savannah. However, the left fielder got only 12 at bats over three games with the team, while most of his teammates from last season were getting extensive playing time there or with the Mets High-A affiliate in St.Lucie.

Kawal however, was sent to Extended Spring Training to work on his game.

“It was back and forth, it was quite an adventure,” said Kawal. “But extended isn’t always a bad thing. It’s actually very good. You go down there and you work on the things that you know you need to work on as a player, in an environment where you are still competing. There are a lot of coaches there that know what they’re doing and they have you there for a reason. Like I said, it was an adventure and getting to come up here, I was counting down the days to get out of there, but it was still a good experience that was positive.”

Looking back on last season, Kawal acknowledged that it was a learning experience and that this season will be a real test for him.

“Coming into last year from the draft, I learned as went along,” he said. “When you go to extended, you get into more of a routine and you focus on what makes you go as a player. When I was there, I get a better understanding of what my routine needed to be day in and day out and keep me consistent. I think that’s one thing that’s going to prove useful. Everyday is a grind and everyday we need to win; routine is going to be key. Production is the most important thing here. ”

With an opportunity to do just that this season in Brooklyn, Kawal knows it’s time to prove his All-Star nod last season was no fluke.

“I play hard all the time,” Kawal said. “I’m not flashy; I’m more of a grinder. I’m always in the dirt. I just try and get it done. I’m not going to try and woo anyone with my style. Hopefully, my numbers speak for themselves at the end.”

Notes: Those who were at the game last night in Staten Island were probably wondering why Brooklyn’s starting shortstop from 07, Matt Bouchard, was starting last night’s game. Aside from making one wonder if Reese Haven’s injury is more serious than the team originally let on, it raises the question as to what the Clones plan to do with the plethora of talent they currently have at the middle infield position, with guys like Brandon Richey, Havens and now Bouchard all capable of playing shortstop.

It could also just be a rehab/conditioning stint for Bouchard, who is hitting only .215 for the Savannah Sand Gnats through 63 games.

When more information is available on this, expect an update.

Links:

Box score from last night’s 9-4 Cyclone win.

Photo by Ron Hatcher

With workouts on Saturday, the 2008 Cyclones will finally take shape. After the team’s ouster from the playoffs last season, it should be really interesting to see who makes the team and what veterans come back. For me, workouts is always fun because for many of these guys, this is the first time they’ve ever been in Brooklyn. You get really candid answers to questions and you start to see who the emotional leaders on the team could be.

Last season, I had a blast talking to guys like Dylan Owen and Will Morgan, who not only turned out to be NYPL All-Stars last season, but they were easily two of the most approachable and entertaining players on the team. Getting a chance to see their wide-eyed expressions while on the field for the first time was extremely enjoyable and from that, it was easy to see how badly they wanted to get their professional careers started. The year before, talking to guys like Tobi Stoner and Jeremy Mizell was a treat and I think I’ll always remember the deadpan seriousness of Nick Waechter, who not until the next season, really learned how to laugh with us reporters.

However, the best part about workouts is batting practice. It’s there where a lot of the writers pick their players who they think are going to the team’s best players. Last season, just about everyone thought Jason Jacobs and Jake Eigsti where going to have great seasons, mainly because they came into camp in amazing shape. I nonetheless decided to go with Zach Lutz, who ironically got injured and missed the rest of the season after only two at bats. Not the smartest decision I’ve ever made, but if he comes back to Brooklyn this season, things should be interesting. For the people who missed my interview with him a few months back, check out the picture of him. He’s easily 15 pounds heavier and looks like a completely different person. Again, if this guy is in Brooklyn this season, we may see a different Cyclones team this year.

Anyway, with workouts on Saturday, I’m planning to have some video and great photos from my photographer this year, Ron Hatcher, up on the site on Sunday morning, alongside whatever I feel like writing. After that, the site will then go in full swing, with updates coming every day, making this the only daily updated Cyclones blog on the net.

I look forward to reading your comments when the season begins next week.

BTW guys, I had a phone interview with former Cyclone Tim Haines, who ironically came across my post about him a few weeks ago. Over the course of the interview, he talked about what’s he’s been up to over the past two seasons since being suspended for using banned substances. It was a pretty long phone interview, so I plan to have something beefy for you guys over the week.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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.