Drafted by the Mets in the 22^nd round of this year’s draft, many baseball insiders didn’t know what to expect from right-handed pitcher Chris Schwinden. Despite having great numbers in his last year at Fresno Pacific, going 6-1 with a 2.48 ERA, the Clones staff was so full of talent before the season started that it was impossible to know what the 21-year-old was capable of doing once he reached the pros. Regardless of that notion however, Schwinden has managed to thrive out of the Brooklyn bullpen so far this season, going 0-1 with a 1.88 ERA in four appearances and a start, after a college career that saw him mostly as a starter. Chatting with DemBrooklynBums.com, the youngster talks about his move to the bullpen and his mindset on the mound.

Dem Brooklyn Bums.com: Since the season is still relatively new, some fans may not have seen much of you. Knowing that, can you tell us a little bit about your game?

Chris Schwinden: When I’m out on the mound, I just go after it. I don’t go messing around with hitters. I go right after them. So far, it seems to be working out pretty good for me.

DBB: Can you tell us a little about your arsenal of pitches?

Schwinden: I throw a fastball, changeup, slider and curve ball. So far this season, I been throwing the curve ball mostly. It’s been really effective in 1-2 and 0-2 counts. Batters like to chase it, so why not continue to throw it?

DBB: Considering that you throw four pitches, do you see yourself more as a starter, or are you happy with being a long reliever?

Schwinden: What ever the organization wants to do, I’m fine with. I don’t care where they put me. As long as I get a regular opportunity to pitch, I’ll be happy.

DBB: You just finished a full college season. Knowing that, how prepared are you going down the stretch with this team? How are you feeling?

Schwinden: I feel good right now. We all take good care of our bodies and I haven’t had any wear and tear yet, so I’m pretty confident right now.

DBB: How does it feel to be a in a bullpen as deep as the one the Cyclones have this season?

Schwinden: It feels really good when you have pitching like this. There’s far less pressure than there would be otherwise. I think it’s a little tough for Fonzie [Brooklyn manager Edgar Alfonzo] at times to divvy up all the innings, but that’s baseball for you.

DBB: How are all the guys getting along?

Schwinden: Pretty good. I think we’re starting to find that camaraderie and are starting to become one as a team. We’ve been going out there every day trying to win and I think it’s made us all closer. Everyone is trying to play well for themselves, but then they want to do what they have to do for the team too. It’s working out for us right now. We’re a serious group of guys, but we have a lot of fun too. This is what we want to do for the rest of our lives.

Notes-

I am back from my two-game hiatus and refreshed! While I did relax during my break, I did attend the Future Stars All Star game at Yankee Stadium [My first time there since September 1991 mind you ha-ha] yesterday and recorded a few videos for you.

Mets Prospect Fernando Martinez’s RBI Single

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A’s prospect Henry Rodriguez throws three straight 100-mph heaters [sorry for my overt joy during the video btw]

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Box Score to last night’s 2-0 Cyclones win.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr. Videos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Mets outfielder Ryan Church has spent the past five weeks at home watching movies and helping his wife take care of their newborn after suffering his second concussion of the season on May 20. Regardless of the 40 movies Church claimed he watched and the extra time he spent at home with family during that time, he felt somewhat incomplete.

Having a career season with the Amazin’s this year, Church was hungry to get back on the field.

In order for that to happen however, Church had to return to his old stomping grounds. A NY-Penn League MVP in 2000 with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, Church would don the colors of the Mets baby brothers, the Brooklyn Cyclones, on June 26^th and 27^th before returning to the big leagues.

Despite being a proven big leaguer now, Church still remembers how important this point was in the development of his baseball career and said that he’d do whatever he could to help his young teammates.

“I’m willing to talk to all of them,” said Church, who was hitting .300 with ten homers and 35 RBI in 50 games with the Mets before getting sidelined. “I’ve met a few of the guys like [Ike] Davis and a few of the other first rounders and I’m here if they want to talk about hitting or anything else. I’m definitely approachable.”

Seen joking around with Cyclones veterans Matt Bouchard and Will Vogl before the game, it was obvious Church was an instant hit with the Mets Single-A affiliate. However, when the game started, he gave them a lesson much more powerful than words. Going 3 for 3 with an RBI and run scored, the 29-year-old showed no signs of fatigue after a month away from the sport and helped fuel a 4-2 Cyclones win.

“He’s such a class act,” said Cyclones skipper Edgar Alfonzo. “He spent a lot of time with these kids and did a great job with them. He played as hard here as he would have if he was playing with the big club. I was very impressed with how he played here.”

While the second game Church played didn’t go as well, with him going hitless in three at bats, he ran the bases and fielded the same way he would have if he was at Shea Stadium. By the end of the night, it was obvious. Church was ready to rejoin the Mets.

His teammates for the past two games would have been lying if they said they didn’t want to have him around for a few more days, but it was a lesson learned. Work as hard as Ryan Church and you’ll be in the big leagues one day too.

“It was awesome to watch him in batting practice,” said Vogl. “Anytime someone like that is here you have to pick their brain. I got a chance to talk to him and ask him about his approach to hitting. He told me to always stick to your game plan, whatever it is and you’ll be successful.”

For Church, the 48 hours he spent in Brooklyn served a purpose as well. Putting his surging career into perspective, you can bet he told his young teammates to make the most of the time they have in Brooklyn.

“This guys are really fortunate,” Church said. “I’m not sure if they know it yet, but they will once they move up and get a chance to travel around the country and see the rest of the yards. This organization really takes care of you at this level.”

Notes:

Jake Eigsti made his Brooklyn debut this season tonight. With Matt Bouchard and Josh Satin injured and Reese Havens still unable to play shortstop, the 2007 NYPL All-Star may be around for a while.

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Box score to last night’s 2-1 Cyclones loss.

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2008 Cyclones in pictures: June

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Photos by Ron Hatcher and Patrick Hickey Jr. Video by Patrick Hickey Jr.

I promise a nice update this weekend or Monday guys, but for the time being I thought it would be cool to check this out. The guys at Maple Street Press were nice enough to send me a free copy of this, so I figured I’d review it.

With the plethora of information available online about Major League Baseball nowadays, the old school baseball annuals that flooded the newsstands and stadiums have little or barely any use to the average fan anymore. However, every once in a while, a guide comes out that, despite having plenty of commonplace information in it, manages to set it self apart from the crowd.

“Meet the Mets 2008: An Annual Guide to New York Mets Baseball,” published by the Maple Street Press, is one of them. From cover to cover, this annual has stories Mets fans will love to read that are far more than just a simple precursor to the 2008 season. Most books of this type can easily get away with slapping a few mediocre articles together with some decent pictures and calling it a day. While this book isn’t exactly “The most in-depth coverage of you can get on the Mets,” (there should have been some more coverage on the minor league teams, especially the Brooklyn Cyclones, who are almost completely absent from the book), as it claims to be, it does do a great job in its coverage of the team. By the end, it really shows.

Looking at the Mets historic collapse last season as well as their complete history and even a look into 2009 and the birth of CitiField, this annual is something that fans of this team have been in dire need of for quite some time. As a matter of fact, some of the stories [The interview with Ralph Kiner featured in the book immediately comes to mind] are so interesting that you may even find yourself reading them a few times over.

While the stories themselves are all good reads, written by some of the most prolific and prominent Mets bloggers and a few fresh faces, the layout is filled with great pictures that bring the stories alive. A few of them, mainly the ones chronicling the Mets and Brooklyn Dodgers, haven’t been seen in quite some time and absolutely light up the pages they’re on. For those stories and pictures alone, this book is a must own for any hardcore Mets fan.

However, despite the easily read stories and lush layout, there are a few hiccups in the annual that dim its star a tad. For instance, there are a few typos in the book and any accomplished reader will feel at times that the book could have been edited a bit better. However, unless you’re a serious student of the English language, these small problems won’t ruin your reading experience.

Aside from that however, “Meet the Mets 2008: An Annual Guide to New York Mets Baseball” is a fun read that offers the complete smorgasbord of hardcore Mets goodness.

When Johan Santana was dealt to the Mets for a handful of prospects on Jan. 29, the entire team’s fan base jumped for joy. Still sour after the team’s collapse down the stretch last season, fans now believe the team has the good to get to the World Series for the first time since 2000.

However, regardless of how happy the fans are, some of the Mets youngsters are even happier about the deal and can’t wait to see him in Spring Training.

“I’m going to try and learn as much as I can from him. Just being near him, I think I’m going to be humbled,” said Mets farmhand Dan McDonald, who spent last season with the Brooklyn Cyclones as the teams set up man and closer. “I think he can help take this organization to the World Series.”

Working on a changeup to compliment a solid fastball, cutter and slider, Will Morgan, another reliever who played in Brooklyn last season, can’t wait to get tips from one of the best pitchers in the business.

“I used to watch him throw a lot on TV when I was younger and I couldn’t believe how filthy he was,” he said. “He has a 96 mile an hour fastball and an 82 mile an hour changeup. As a hitter, that’s just not fair. They don’t stand a chance up there. Santana is an amazing pitcher. I still can’t believe they got him. I’m going to miss (Kevin) Mulvey (one of the players the Mets gave up in the deal), he was a funny guy, but Santana is the real deal.”

However, there was one Cyclone who had to wait before he could enjoy the fruits of the transaction.

“I think I was one of those guys that was in the mix to be traded [for him],” said pitcher Dylan Owen, who won the Sterling Award as the Cyclones best player last season. “It would have been hard to start all over again in another organization. I had a great time here last year in this organization and I really want to prove myself here. I’m happy I still have that chance.”

Nevertheless, now that he knows he’s staying the organization that drafted him, Owen loves the deal as well.

“I think it’s great, he’s a great pitcher,” he said. “It never hurts to have someone like that in the rotation.”

Pictures for this article were taken by Patrick Hickey Jr. and Daniel Wos.