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

When outfielder Angel Pagan was leading the Mets in RBI over the first handful of games this season, most of Mets country let out an explosive… huh?

However, fans in Brooklyn were happy to see the original Cyclone finally getting a real opportunity at the major league level after two so-so seasons with the Chicago Cubs.

Hitting .275 with 13 RBI in only 31 games before going down with a contusion in his left shoulder, after making an amazing catch in the stands at Dodger Stadium on May 7, things haven’t quite gone Pagan’s way this season either. Nonetheless, after a rehab assignment with his former team this past week, Pagan is that much closer to getting back to the Mets.

“I feel good,” Pagan said. “I’ve been out for two months, so I have to work hard to get back. My timing is a little off, but I’m getting there and pretty soon, I hope I can play with the Mets again. I was supposed to come here as a fan at some point in the season, but then I got hurt and now I’m playing here. It’s OK though, I love these fans and I know they love me. I love being here and I hope they keep loving me back.”

Hitting .308 in four games with his former team, having the 27-year-old in the lineup not only provided a jolt to the offense, which is hitting only a meager .241 for the season, but also put a smile on the face of one particular person on the Brooklyn coaching staff.

“He’s mature now and he takes it very seriously,” said Brooklyn manager Edgar Alfonzo, who coached Pagan in Kingsport in 2000 and Brooklyn in 2001. “He’s talking to everyone and they all appreciate him. The Angel Pagan you see now is different from the one I had a few years ago. He was a little kid. Now, he knows the game.”

Pagan too thought it was pretty cool to come back to the place where people started to believe he could play in the big leagues.

Not known as much of a speedster in the bigs, Pagan was a catcher’s worst nightmare during his days in the NYPL and believes that kind of aggressiveness is what helped him get to the big leagues and make a name for himself in Brooklyn.

That kind of aggressiveness is still something he prides himself on every day he’s on the field.

“Just because I’m rehabbing, doesn’t mean I’m going to take it easy,” Pagan said. “I came here to compete and get ready to go back to Shea Stadium.”

Stealing three bases in only four games with Brooklyn, which ironically is now tied for the team lead, the Cyclones all-time stolen base leader undoubtedly competed and proved he still has the same magic legs he had in 2001 when he led the NY-Penn League with 30 swipes.

“I remember yelling at him, but we used to joke around a lot too,” Alfonzo said on July 14, a day before his last game with Brooklyn. “We used to have this sign when he was on first base when I wanted him to steal. I’d give him the open hands. I gave it to him a few times already and it put a smile on his face. It’s been fun having him back.”

Now in St. Lucie, where he can face left-handed pitching to see how well his shoulder has healed, Pagan is that much closer to returning to the bigs.

That doesn’t mean he didn’t have a blast returning to the first place he had real success as a professional ball player though.

“The thing I remember the most about here was the fans,” Pagan said. “They were always supporting us. We played so well at home when I was here and it just felt like whoever we were playing, they were losing. I’ll always remember it as a special year and one that I’ll never forget.

“Today, the atmosphere still feels the same.”

Link:

Box Score to last night’s Cyclones 7-5 loss.

Pictures by Ron Hatcher and Patrick Hickey Jr.

In the summer of 2006, the Mets drafted Tim Haines in the 27th round, 814th overall. The odds of a player picked that late in the draft making it to the big leagues is an extremely unlikely endeavor, but Haines, with his awkward, side arm delivery, had plenty of people thinking otherwise.

After barely a month in Single-A ball that year, Haines had everything going his way, going 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA in 10 games and was quickly becoming a fan favorite. With a big Texas smile and penchant for pitching himself out of trouble in tight ball games, Haines was looking like one of the brightest prospects in the organization.

Nevertheless, the year would eventually prove to be much more than sunshine and daisies for the young right hander.

On July 20, 2006, the then 21-year old earned a 50-game suspension for using banned substances, putting a permanent blot on a baseball resume that could one day have major league experience on it.

Soon after the suspension, articles began to hit the press portraying Haines as an immature rebel, describing accounts of him shooting a bb-gun out his dormitory window at his coach’s car in college. There were also stories of how he missed morning practices with the Cyclones due to late-night escapades in Brooklyn bars.

“I had a lot of fun in college,” he said, via telephone from Fort Worth Texas. “That’s all I’m going to say about that.”

Considering how personable he was to fans and media while in Brooklyn, many were confused when the news broke and didn’t know what to believe about him.

While Haines still refuses to admit he partook in taking performance enhancing substances, he admits things didn’t go as planned for him in Brooklyn and that he’s still dealing with his mistakes today.

“I’m a totally different person than I was two years ago,” Haines said. “I’m a lot more mature now. I learned from this and I know it will never happen again.”

Never comfortable in Brooklyn, Haines tried his hardest to become an urban cowboy of sorts, but it was a transition he never fully made.

“[Being in Brooklyn] was a new experience. I’m definitely not a big city guy. To be honest, I didn’t like Brooklyn very much. I just felt so claustrophobic there,” he said. “There were so many people packed in one place all the time. I’m from South Texas, so there are probably 30,000 people in a five-mile radius, while in Brooklyn, there are probably 100,000 people in a two-mile radius. It’s something that took me some time to get used to and if I wasn’t on the field everyday, I honestly don’t think I would have made it. I couldn’t see myself living there. I’d be lying though if I said I didn’t like playing in that stadium though. It’s an amazing environment.”

While his situation in Brooklyn was far from ideal, things would prove to get even worse for him. By January 2007, the Mets had decided to part ways with the 6’2, 170 pound reliever, leaving him jobless. To make matters worse, Haines was stuck with a few games left to serve on his suspension before being eligible to play professional baseball again.

Stuck in baseball purgatory after failing to secure another contract from a professional club, Haines opted to play in the independent circuit for the Costal Bend Aviators, where he struggled through the season, amassing a 5-5 record with a 5.47 ERA in 46 games, despite leading the team with 85 strikeouts.

With the Aviators going 38-54 that season, with an attendance of only 58, 715 (the Cyclones attendance the year Haines played for them was 289,323, in 18 fewer games), it was a step backwards for the once promising prospect. Regardless, he was still happy to have an opportunity to get back into the sport.

“Before that, I thought I was done. I thought I was never going to play again. I definitely wasn’t the happiest camper,” Haines said. “The thought definitely crossed my mind as to what I was going to do with my life. It was about two days after that I started getting calls from Independent Leagues and I started to get my confidence back.”Haines originally tried going back to college after the Mets released him, but he had trouble focusing in school and yearned to get back on any diamond that would take him.

“I just didn’t have it in me to go back to school, it was such a drain, so I figured what the heck, school is always going to be there and baseball is not,” said Haines. “So I might as well just play for as long as I can now. School will always be there.”

Now in his second season in Independent baseball, Haines has settled into a role as a reliever/spot starter for the Fort Worth Cats and has reclaimed the success that captured so many eyes in Brooklyn just two short summers ago. In 14 games this season, Haines has a 2.83 ERA, with opposing hitters hitting just a lackluster .223 against him.

Despite his success this season though, Haines is still skeptical that he’ll ever accomplish his big league goals and feels many teams will think twice about taking a chance on him.

“I obviously have a big cloud over my head,” he said. “I always wonder if I was doing really well if they’d think I was on steroids again and put my name on the bottom of the list. It all depends on who has the confidence in me and knows that I’m clean and that I’ve learned from my mistakes.”

Rather than regret the mistakes he’s made however, Haines is intent on making the most of the opportunity he has with the Cats. Ironically, it’s his first time on a winning team since High School and is an experience he says he’s enjoying immensely.

Nevertheless, it isn’t a place he’d like to be in forever.

“I definitely want to get back in the league,” Haines said. “Obviously, it’s every player’s dream to play in the major leagues and I’m going to play for as long as my body allows me to. I’m only 23 years old and I think I still have something left in my tank. I definitely don’t want to be a career independent league player. No one wants to be. Everyone wants to be in affiliated ball.”

This time around, Haines doesn’t see himself making the same mistakes that cost him his first cup of coffee in professional baseball. More mature and focused, Haines believes he’s a better person than he was two years ago and feels he’s also a better ballplayer.

“The last two years, I’ve been the youngest guy on the teams I’ve played on,” he said. “Most of the guys are in their late 20s and early 30s and have a lot of experience. I’ve learned a lot about baseball from these guys and a lot about myself.”

Ultimately, time will tell how much Haines has changed and if he’ll ever be able to relight the candle of success. Until then, he knows he can only work with the cards he’s dealt himself.

“I have no regrets. If I wouldn’t have made those mistakes, I would have never have learned from them,” Haines said. “I’m never going to put myself in a situation like that ever again.”

Photos by Jim Dolan, Conroy Walker & Bob Haynes/Fort Worth Cats

In 15 appearances last season between Kingsport and Brooklyn, Brant Rustich was a combined 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA. With a fastball clocking in at 97 miles per hour and a plus-slider, Rustich is the #6 pitching prospect in the Mets minor league system, according to Baseball America. Chatting over the phone while on his way up to Savannah on Friday, Rustich talks about his time in Brooklyn last year, his rehab this offseason and what to expect from him this season.

DemBrooklynBums.com: You were just called up to Savannah yesterday. How are you feeling?

Brant Rustich: I’m happy; I think Savannah is going to be a good place for me to get my feet wet. I’ve played for Donovan Mitchell before in Kingsport last year and in Hawaii. There’s a great coaching staff down there and I’m looking forward to being a part of a team. I haven’t had a chance yet because I’ve been hurt. I’m excited too because it’s a place I’ve never been before and I’m ready to get going.

DBB: What was Hawaii like?

Rustich: I was facing Double-A hitters there and I quickly realized that these guys were very good hitters. I probably tried to over do it a little bit and it made me throw a little harder than I should have. I thought I tried to do too much.

DBB: It’s hard to know everything about minor league players because the information is so scarce. When did you get injured?

Rustich: I kind of had dead arm. I was experiencing just an all around soreness in my arm throughout spring training. That’s why I didn’t play much with the team. I was pretty much set on making St. Lucie’s roster, but because of the injury I was working with the extended group and throwing innings because they wanted to make me a starter. Right now, I’m in the bullpen, but starting isn’t out of the question. The idea is to basically get my innings up and see what happens.

DBB: Do you attribute any of that arm soreness to playing college and pro ball last season? It was a pretty long season for you.

Rustich: I went to Hawaii and I just felt that somewhere down the line, my mechanics were acting up. It just felt like I was putting too much stress on my arm. I don’t know if I was overthrowing, but it was probably a combination of things. I went to big league camp and I was trying to impress, maybe I was trying too hard. I wasn’t thinking too much about my mechanics and that’s why they were a little bit off. My arm and my body weren’t quite in sync. Lately, we’ve just been working it out and trying to get my body and arm back in sync and get both back into shape. Hopefully, I can start to get more innings and keep getting better, so I can get where I want to be.

DBB: Speaking of your first spring training, what was that like?

Rustich: It was awesome. I’ve admired so many of those guys growing up. It was great showing up everyday and getting a chance to play with those guys. It’s a shame that I was hurt and didn’t get a chance to pitch in any spring training games, but I was scared to pitch. They wanted me to, but I couldn’t do it. It was disappointing that I didn’t get to show them what I’m capable of doing, but I think I made a smart decision in letting them know that my arm was sore. We kind of worked it out and worked on my mechanics during that time, to get me to where I want to be. I’m a little behind at this point, so I really am anxious to get to Savannah and get back to where I want to be as soon as possible.

DBB: Speaking of where you want to be, where do you want to be?

Rustich: I want to be healthy and continue to work hard. This year, I want to be as consistent as possible. It’s all about repeating your delivery and working on your mechanics. Those are the things that are going to keep me healthy. I don’t want to overthrow the ball. There where times where maybe I was scared of overthrowing the ball and now I understand that it’s not all about the velocity, there’s a lot more to this. At the big league level, those guys don’t go out there and throw the ball as hard as they can. They throw it at a level where they are at their most comfortable, which is where they can throw strikes and be healthy all season long.

DBB: Given that, do you think you’ve matured as a player because of the injury? Your philosophy sounds much different from most minor leaguers.

Rustich: I think so. I think it was Tony Bernazard or one of the area scouts that told me that everyone has to make adjustments. I had to make some too because obviously, I didn’t want to keep getting hurt. I want to pitch. I guess it got to point where I said to myself that I had to make a few adjustments. I can’t try and throw the ball as hard as I can every single time. I also used to grip the ball really firm. Lately, I’ve been loosening the grip a little bit and working on my feel of the ball, rather than just ripping it and letting it go. When you do that, you’re not going to do things you shouldn’t be doing. If you’re a little out of synch, you’re not going to pay as big a price. Also, I’ve been trying to keep my head down because in the past, it’s moved around a little bit too violently.

DBB: When you were in Brooklyn, you were throwing incredibly hard. What was your approach then?

Rustich: In Brooklyn, I was throwing the ball as close to as hard as I’ve ever thrown it, but my mechanics were good enough. They were good in sense that I wasn’t falling apart and I was capable of maintaining a high velocity without putting much strain on my arm. Now, by maintaining good mechanics, I’m trying to let the velocity come naturally, rather than try to force it. That’s what I was trying to do then. Now I’m taking a step back and thinking about what I have to do to get hitters out. When I was throwing the ball in the spring, I wasn’t throwing that hard. I wasn’t feeling good. My arm was sore and my velocity was down. It seemed the harder I wanted to throw, the harder it was for me to do what I needed to. In the past few weeks though, I’ve been working with the coaches and they have a great approach. They’ve been working with me and I feel healthy and good. I threw three innings a few days ago and my velocity is good. I’m still throwing 93-94 miles per hour. It’s plenty hard enough and eventually my velocity will increase and I’ll maintain my mechanics.

DBB: Fans in Brooklyn last year saw a heck of a lot of your fastball and your slider. Is there anything else in your arsenal that we should know about or is there anything else that you are working on?

Rustich: I’ve been working on my changeup and I think it’s come a long way. It’s one of those pitches though that you have to really trust. I’m so confident in my slider, so it’s hard to rely on another pitch, especially one that’s your third best pitch. It’s just a matter of me developing confidence in it. I know I have a good fastball and a good slider, so it’s a little bit more difficult to develop that third pitch. I have a pitch to throw when I need a strikeout or a groundball, so my changeup is definitely something I need to continue to work on. It’s an important pitch for me though, especially if I’m starting. I really have to develop it. I’m going to continue throwing it more and getting more confident with it. I’m also fooling around with a curveball as well, so that’s a fourth pitch, but it’s more in the works. It’s far from something I’d use in a game right now.

DBB: Lastly, looking back at your time in Brooklyn, what was your overall experience like?

Rustich: I loved Brooklyn. I think one time in the Cape Cod championship I played in front of a bigger crowd. But on any everyday basis, I’ve never played in front of that many people. The environment was great, everyday I pitched there I felt like I was in the big leagues. It was so much fun to play there to show up to work early every day and see all the people there. It was always like you never wanted to leave because it was so much fun. I had so much fun there too with that group of guys. What made it better was that we were winning too and getting along so well. Going to the playoffs was great too.

Photo by Jim Dolan

Drafted in the fifth round of the amateur draft last season, third baseman Zach Lutz immediately became one of the most highly touted prospects in the Mets farm system. Quickly assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones, the team’s Single-A affiliate, Lutz injured his foot in the team’s first game of the season and spent the rest of the year on the disabled list. Still rehabbing from the surgery that was required to repair the hairline fracture he suffered nearly a year ago, Lutz has put on some weight and now looks like a completely different ballplayer. Chatting over the phone from Florida, Lutz spoke to Dem Brooklyn Bums about his recovery and what to expect from him in the future.

Dem Brooklyn Bums: Because of your injury, you only had two at bats all season and spent the rest of the year on the disabled list. Considering how much was expected of you, how did you feel the rest of the season?

Zach Lutz: After I got hurt, I waited around for a week before I went and had surgery. I got two screws put in my foot and I knew I was going to be out for the rest of the season. It was a tough road back, but I think I’m in better shape than I was before the injury. As of right now, I’m still doing rehab down in Florida, but I’m going to be ready to play in a few weeks.

DBB: Has the organization told you where you were going to go? Is there anywhere that you would want to go?

Lutz: They haven’t told me anything yet. I have no idea, probably Brooklyn. I’d really like to make a full-season team but it all depends on where they think I’m going to be at that time and if I’m ready.

DBB: Considering how little you played in Brooklyn, do you feel you have something to prove to the fans there?

Lutz: It was unfortunate what happened there and I do feel like I have something to prove to them, but all I can really do is concentrate on my rehab. I’ve worked really hard down here and I’m anxious to get started. I’m just really looking forward to staying healthy this season on whatever team I play on.

DBB: The Cyclones had a solid season last year, did you follow them after you officially left the team.

Lutz: Yes. I became pretty close friends with J.R. Voyles during that time. We used to talk on the phone pretty much every day and he always let me know what was going on with the team. He did a great job stepping in for me and I was happy that they had a good season.

DBB: This offseason, you’ve put on some muscle and look much bigger around your shoulders and arms. As a matter of fact, some people probably wouldn’t even recognize you. What exactly did you do this offseason, besides eating plenty of steak and potatoes?

Lutz: I was doing upper-body work four times a week and I was using the arm bike to stay in shape. When I first got injured, that was pretty much the only cardio work that I could do. I also paid very close attention to what I was eating. I wanted to make sure that I could do everything in my power to be ready this year. Over the next few weeks, we’ll see how prepared I really am and hopefully I’ll be ready to go.

DBB: Before you played your first professional game, you compared your game to David Eckstein. Considering how much you’ve changed physically over the past year, do you think that assessment still holds up?

Lutz: I don’t know. I think maybe I may be a bit of a different player now, but I still think I go out and play the game the same way as him. We both work hard and give everything we have. I just hope with everything that has happened to my foot that I can still go out there and play with that same kind of intensity. I hope everything holds up. I’m used to running wherever I go. I’m not used to being lazy.

DBB: After you were drafted, you said that you were the type of guy that would go home and hit after a game. Without a doubt, baseball seems to be a true love in your life. Being injured for as long as you were, you couldn’t do that, how did you cope?

Lutz: I still did things when I was injured. It was weird though, because I was instructed to always keep my foot elevated. I had a cast on my right foot for five months; it was really tough at times, but I had to do something. I usually went outside and put my right foot on a bucket and I would throw the ball around with my mother or father. I tried to do anything to stay active. I would go down to my old college with my father and get on my knees and take softballs. I also took four classes at school. I’m still a semester away from getting my degree. That’s very important to me, but right now my main concern is coming back healthy this season.

DBB: Did the time off take an emotional toll on you as well?

Lutz: When all of this happened, it definitely made me think about baseball and my life differently. Sometimes you wake up in the morning and you question if you have the energy to go out and perform and sometimes you take it for granted. But then, something like what happened to me can happen and it puts everything into perspective. I worked so hard and then that happened, but I’m going to let it take anything away from me. I’m dedicated to getting back to where I should be and making the most of things. This offseason I hit the gym and worked as hard as I could. I wanted to make sure that I was ready this season.

DBB: Are you confident that you can come back this season and be the player that everyone expects you to be?

Lutz: Definitely. I put on some size this offseason and my power right now is unbelievable. I’ve worked really hard on defense with the fielding instructors as well, taking grounders and working on my hand-eye coordination and all the little things I need to be sharp with. I actually feel better now than I did before the injury. I’ve put everything from last year behind me and I’m ready to see what the future holds.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr. and Jim Dolan