Mark Cohoon- Gave up on four hits in eight innings during his last outing and currently has 73 innings of work under his belt. The team record is 83.2 by Tobi Stoner in 2006.

Jim Fuller- Gave up five earned runs in just one inning of work on Friday.

Sam Honeck- Continues his horrible August, hitting .184 with only seven hits in 38 at-bats

Mike Powers- Has four saves in his last four appearances and is just one away from tying the single season team record held by Robert Paulk.

Sam Honeck’s struggles this month continue, as he’s hitting only .180 through 50 at-bats.

With 12 saves this season, Clones closer Michael Powers is just three away from the single-season team record held by Robert Paulk in 2003.

Nicholas Santomauro is hitting .286 with five RBI in August after hitting .232 in July.

The Cyclones top four starting pitchers of Mark Cohoon, Collin McHugh, Brandon Moore and James Fuller have a record of 21-11 and have given up only 200 hits in 249.1 innings this season.

Photo by Ron Hatcher.

Above all else however, he’s focused on becoming a leader.

Called down to Brooklyn before the season started after starting the season in Savannah, Henriquez knows exactly what the organization is looking for in him.

“They told me when they sent me here that it wasn’t a demotion, that it was a promotion,” Henriquez said. “I love it here and I’m happy to be back. I learned a lot from last season and I’ll do whatever I have to do to help the team.

Showing up to camp this season in much better shape and 15 pounds heavier, the now bulkier, yet toned backstop is ready to leave his best on the field.

Despite being just 22 years old, Henriquez has been in professional baseball since 2005. The son of Atlanta Braves roving catching instructor Ralph Henriquez Sr., the youngster comes from a good pedigree and is ready to cash in on his promise after a few mediocre seasons.

“I’m here to win a championship,” Henriquez, who has a homer and three RBI in just 28 at bats so far this season, said. “The added weight has helped a lot. I feel a lot stronger. In this game, strength means a lot. I feel much better [than he did last year] and I have a lot of confidence.”

Sure, his batting average cold be a bit higher, but I’m sure the Mets are more than happy with his on-base percentage and his RBI totals, especially considering the fact that he’s sharing third base duties with another former Cyclone in Matt Bouchard. In just 125 at bats, Lutz is fourth on the team in RBI and has the highest OBP of any player with more than 100 ABS. 12 of his 32 hits have also been for extra bases, making him a more than ample extra base threat. I said it before and I still feel the same way; if Lutz can stay healthy, he’s one of the best hitting prospects in the Mets system and someone that could be another Daniel Murphy-type player for the Mets in the future.

Scott Shaw- 2-3, 3.43 ERA in 11 starts with St. Lucie.

As always, Shaw is Mr. Steady and continues to have the type of control that will get him noticed as he climbs up the ladder. In 63 innings, the southpaw has 18 walks, not too shabby. Opposing hitters are hitting .246 off him as well. Is a call-up to Double-A in his cards sometime soon? As of right now, as signs point to yes.

Nick Carr- 2.82 ERA, three saves with St. Lucie.

After a miserable season in 2008 as a starter, Carr seems to have taken to the reliever role quite nicely.

Emmanuel Garcia- .279 BA, three dingers, 24 RBI with B-Mets.

Another guy who is bouncing back from a mediocre season last year. With dynamic speed and an Ichiro-like demeanor at the plate [he gets out of the box in a hurry], Garcia has the capability to be an excellent lead-off hitter. However, his strikeout totals remain too high. He simply has to take more pitches, or else, he’ll be more of a Lance Johnson-single-machine type. His 15 extra base hits and 47 singles so far this season are a testament to that.

DJ Wabick- .306 BA, one homer, 29 RBI with B-Mets.

A good contact hitter who can play the outfield and first base, Wabick has the potential to be a useful bench player in the big leagues one day. Needs to draw more walks and hit better against left handed pitching before that happens though.

Get a few big bats- Over the three seasons that I’ve covered the team, the Cyclones have rarely had a bona fide power hitter [too bad I missed Caleb Stewart] and have relied on pitching to ensure their winning ways. Sure guys like Jason Jacobs, Dustin Martin and Kirk Nieuwenhuis have had great years, but they are far from the type of offensive seasons some other players in the NYPL have put up over the past few seasons.

I’m sure the injuries and inconsistencies of Reese Havens and Ike Davis last season played a part in that trend continuing as well. I mean, who could have predicted Davis could have had that much of a problem with NYPL pitching? No one, that’s who. The same thing goes for the array of injuries Havens was forced to deal with. Perhaps I’m looking into this too much, but I think Keyspan Park plays a huge role in this, as the wind kills a large percentage of the fly balls hit. Nonetheless, a good extra-base hitter with solid speed, in the mold of an Ambiorix Concepcion, with a bit more power, would be a perfect addition to the team.

As well, it would compliment the always strong pitching staff and perhaps give the team enough steam to win it’s first real NYPL championship.

Keep the draft pick trend alive- Last season, the Mets brought a plethora of their draft picks over to Brooklyn. For the first time in a while, fans and media alike were completely happy with the moves the team made. Over the first two years I covered the team, fans on various message boards often complained about the players either chosen to play in Brooklyn at the start of the season or the ones that eventually made their way there. Last season, the team had a chance to grow together and that in itself was something very enjoyable to watch.

If that trend continues, I’m sure the fans at Keyspan will continue to voice their happiness about it.

It would also continue to cement the team’s notion of watching the future stars of the Mets before the hit the big leagues. In the end, isn’t that why fans head out to Keyspan in the first place?

Matt Smith- Stay healthy and consistent. His first dozen games with Brooklyn this season, Smith was an on-base machine. He drew long counts and wasn’t scared to take a pitch in a hitter’s count. He was so good that after about a week, it seemed like the Clones had found their temporary replacement Reese Havens. However, after about 50 ABs, he started to swing a bit more than he was before and all of a sudden, his batting average was under .200 and his on-base percentage was average, rather than stellar. Playing through a few injuries during the time, Smith’s season was finished, leaving the Aces to look for another shortstop in what turned out to be an injury-riddled season for both Smith and Brooklyn. If healthy, he can and will be a solid middle-infielder at the Double-A level and perhaps even higher, despite being known more for his glove than his bat. It’s just a matter of him getting in the at-bats he needs to show the Mets what he’s truly capable of.

Nick Carr- Bring down those walk totals. 5-2 with 74 K’s and a respectable 3.80 ERA in 2007 with Brooklyn, Carr was starting to look like a sleeper prospect. Shedding 25 pounds before the season, the 2005 41st round pick seemed to be beginning to understood what it took to be succesful in professional baseball. That seemed to go out with window last season in Savannah and St. Lucie, where his walk totals were beginning to become a bigger problem than they were before. Never having amazing control to say the very least, Carr was averaging a K an inning in Brooklyn and less than a hit an inning as well, which made up for his mediocre at best control. Last season in St. Lucie, not only were his strikeout totals down, but his walk numbers were up as well as his hits allowed. In order for him to continue to develop into a solid power pitcher at higher levels, those numbers will obviously have to change.

Luis Rivera- Hit for more contact. Aside from hitting .318 with the B-Mets in 2007 in just 17 games, Rivera hasn’t hit over .260 since he hit .272 with the Cyclones in 2007. Already a great defensive player, all Rivera has to do is get himself over .260 and he’ll be able to get himself to stick in double- A. After that, he just has to continue to work hard at the plate and who knows what could happen. Once looked at as a more than solid contact hitter after hitting over .300 in every season he spent in college and both seasons he spent in the Cubs organization, Rivera hasn’t been the same offensive player in nearly two seasons.

Photo by Ron Hatcher.

After his first few games with the team that season, I remember the Brooklyn Papers had a story in there, where a then 17-year-old intern Nick Pauly, who’s now a good friend of mine and a damn good writer, was interning for a local paper and wrote a piece about how Gamero, as a part of his pre-at-bat ritual, wrote in the batter’s box before every at bat. Happy with the piece, Pauly then sent the article to his editor, who tinkered with it and changed the kicker, or the last few lines of the piece. What was originally a feel-good story about the struggling outfielder was morphed into some opinionated drivel about how Gamero should be writing his batting average, which was .143 at the time, in the batter’s box instead.

While Gamero never saw the piece and there was real no negative outburst from it, the piece did speak to the hearts of certain fans who wanted the guy to produce and were sick of his underachieving, which was going on for nearly a year and a half. So with that being said, expect how those fans felt when he was called back to help the team make the playoffs that season.

However, after hitting over .400 the final week of the season, Gamero became a cult hero and almost single-handedly powered the Cyclones offense over Joshua Paplebon and the Lowell Spinners. I can still remember the look on his face after a few of those games. It was almost like he finally started to understand what he had to do at the plate in order to be succesful. It was almost like you were seeing a player come into his own right before your very eyes.

Unfortunately, Gamero disappeared after that season and I haven’t heard any news about him after that. Finishing the ’06 season as strong as he did, it would have been interesting to see where he could have ended up.

Nevertheless, he’ll always remain in the team’s history as a player that for one magical week in September, shined brighter than ever before and fueled an unlikely playoff birth.

Photo by Conroy Walker.

DemBrooklynBums.com: What has this season been like for you so far?

Ralph Henriquez: It’s been a bit weird actually. At first, I thought I was going to be in Kingsport, but then I found out that I was ineligible to play there because I played a certain amount of games on a full season team last season. So then I got sent here. It was kind of a last minute thing. I really didn’t know what to expect. Since then, things have been OK I guess.

DBB: Do you feel you have certain expectations to live up to, considering you were traded for one of the Cyclones best relievers last season?

Henriquez: Not really. A bunch of my friends told me that he was a really good pitcher with some good stuff, but you can never think like that.

DBB: Considering that you were rushed here last minute, how have been getting acclimated to Brooklyn?

Henriquez: It’s really different from the Key West. It’s like a completely different world. There’s so many people driving here that it’s hard to get used to at times. Over there, I’ve never gone over 30 miles per hour. There was never any need to. I don’t think there’s a speed limit here. The park is really nice here though and even though it’s most of the same thing wherever you play this game, I’m enjoying my time here.

DBB: Tell us a little bit about your game.

Henriquez: I’m a real energetic catcher and like to take charge. I pride myself on being a leader as well. I like Victor Martinez a lot and I try and mold my game after him.

DBB: Just for the fans at home to get a better idea of what kind of player you are, what do you think your numbers would be if you played a full season?

Henriquez: I really have no idea. I just want to be behind the plate every single day. If that happens, then I’m happy.

DBB: If you got an opportunity to face Vinditte again, would you do anything different?

Henriquez: I’d go up there left-handed and see what happens.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Jordan Abruzzo- The team’s leader in the clubhouse and the calming factor behind the plate. Simply put, Abruzzo didn’t have to be in Brooklyn. He hit over .300 in St. Lucie and Savannah and is excellent at managing a staff. While it was obvious he wasn’t exactly thrilled to be in Brooklyn, he played his heart out and was a driving force in their success. Struggling at times, Abruzzo eventually proved why he was so successful at higher levels and even flashing some serious power from both sides of the plate as well. Combined with his other stops in the organization, Abruzzo hit .290 with 14 homers, 131 hits and 59 RBI in 122 games and 451 at-bats. Next season, he’s a guy that I see starting in High-A and ending up in Double-A. When it’s all said and done, he’s got the drive and tenacity to be a success wherever he plays. Now in winter ball with the Honolulu Sharks, it’s obvious this kid wants to play in the bigs.

Final Grade- A

Luis Alen- Another guy with a ton of desire, but unlike Abruzzo, his bat never materialized and was forced to deal with a variety of injuries. Making stops in New Orleans and St. Lucie by season’s end, Alen is someone that will benefit immensely from time off to heal. Nevertheless, his solid game-calling abilities aside, Alen wasn’t very impressive in Brooklyn this season.

Final Grade- D

Caesar Cordido- He was a pleasant surprise after being called up from Kingsport last season and while his defense was especially solid most of the season, his bat was often sporadic. He did hit .320 over his last 10 games to somewhat solidify his presence in the organization, but I truly believe that Cordido is someone that has to start everyday to see what he’s truly capable of. 74 at bats is just not enough for him. He’s pushing 24 and needs more playing time.

Final Grade B-

Ralph Henriquez- Another guy that needed more playing time. Much like Abruzzo though, Henriquez showed some pop from both sides of the plate, but never got enough of an opportunity. Traded for Josh Appell before the season started, many saw Henriquez, a former second round pick, as the team’s starting catcher this season. That obviously didn’t happen. However, after leaving Brooklyn, he hit .273 with Savannah, but in the end, only accumulated 95 AB’s by the end of the season. If this guy is going to move up in the organization, that’s going to have to change fast.

Final Grade- D+

Photos by Ron Hatcher

If they’re the Brooklyn Cyclones, they win.

Powered by 12 hits and a solid starting pitching performance from Jenrry Mejia, the Mets Single-A affiliate defeated the Oneonta Tigers 6-0 Thursday Night and kept their ever-shrinking playoff hopes alive.

“From now on, every win is important,” said Cyclones skipper Edgar Alfonzo. “We’re playing good baseball lately and today was crucial.”

With Mejia keeping the Tigers scoreless through the first three innings, Brooklyn grabbed a four-run lead after RBI singles by Eric Campbell, Jordan Abruzzo, Juan Legares and Ike Davis. Recent addition Wilmer Flores also got in the action, adding an RBI single of his own that capped a five-run Brooklyn third.

Pitching with a rare multi-run lead behind him, Mejia responded with another scoreless frame in the fourth and got even more support after Abruzzo singled in another run to put Brooklyn up 6-0.

Walking three and scattering five hits over five innings pitched, Mejia wasn’t at his best, but he pitched well enough to win his first game since Jul. 25.

“I had confidence and I was comfortable,” said Mejia through a translator. “I didn’t think I was that good, but I had the support I needed. I was lucky tonight. I’m happy I got the win though.”

Reliever Wendy Rosa replaced Mejia in the sixth and kept the shutout bid alive, pitching 3 2/3 shutout innings, giving up only two hits and striking out seven. Erik Turgeon then came into the game with two outs in the ninth and got the last out, cementing a convincing 6-0 Brooklyn win.

Still trailing both the Staten Island Yankees and Batavia Muckdogs for first place in the McNamara Division and the Wild Card after the win, Brooklyn isn’t ready to throw the towel in just yet.

“It’s not over,” said Alfonzo. “We have to win and see what happens. All we can do is go out there and do the best we can. I really like the way we’re playing right now.”

Notes-

Flores went three for four with an RBI in his Brooklyn debut and showed a more than adequate arm at shortstop. However, Alfonzo also stated that Flores was only filling in at shortstop for Juan Legares, who was the designated hitter on Thursday due to soreness in his throwing arm. Nevertheless, he did admit to liking what he saw from the 17-year-old Mets prospect.

“He’s still a kid, but he’s good,” said Alfonzo. “He’s not flashy and he’s still young, but he’s going to be okay here. He can catch all the routine balls and he can hit a little. Having him here gives us some flexibility.”

Update- 7:00 P.M.

Video- Wilmer Flores in BP this afternoon.

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Photos by Ron Hatcher. Video by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Winners of eight of their last 11 games, Brooklyn knows that as long as the victories keep coming, their season is far from over.

“We have the pitching staff, we just need to keep winning,” said Cyclones manager Edgar Alfonzo. “We have a good chance, if everything continues to go the right way.”

Behind solid pitching from both starters, Lowell’s Yeiper Castillo and the surreptitiously-quick Shaw, the game remained scoreless through the fourth inning.

“I was locating my fastball and that’s always the key to success,” said Shaw [5-2, 2.76 ERA]. “When I pitch well, I also work very fast and I don’t throw a lot of pitches. That’s exactly what happened tonight.”

The stalemate was finally lifted in the fifth however, after a Josh Satin solo-homer in the fifth that gave Brooklyn a 1-0 lead.

“I’m starting to swing the bat better,” said Satin, who is hitting .333 over his past ten games. “I feel more comfortable at the plate and right now, it feels like something just clicked.”

Striking out ten and allowing only one hit, Shaw was again solid for Brooklyn and kept the Lowell bats dormant through his 6.2 innings of work.

“He had a good tempo going,” said Cyclones catcher Jordan Abruzzo. “The hitter’s were uncomfortable and they didn’t have time to think tonight.”

Roy Merritt came into the game with two outs in the sixth and a runner on first base and kept the Spinners off the scoreboard in the seventh, while Satin got his second RBI of the night on a double that scored Sean Ratliff in the bottom of the inning and gave Brooklyn a 2-0 lead.

After Merritt threw a scoreless inning in the eighth, Stephen Clyne came in and pitched a scoreless ninth, earning his ninth save of the season and inducing a hard-earned 2-0 win.

Winning the first game of the three-game series with Lowell, Brooklyn knows their season is hanging in the balance, but sees their pitching staff as the key to their playoff birth.

Giving up just one-hit as a staff on Thursday, it’s safe to say the Baby Bums are confident in their post season chances.

“I don’t see us slowing down,” said Shaw. “And if we don’t make the playoffs, it’s going to take a heck of a run by the teams in front of us. We’re going to catch them. I don’t see a way we wouldn’t.”

Notes-

Satin, who hit ninth on Thursday, was surprised where he hit in the lineup, but believes it’s because of the team’s depth and not because of any struggles on his part.

“I never hit lower than fourth in my life,” he said with a laugh. “Our team is just so good from top to bottom though. It’s one of those things that it doesn’t matter where you hit, you just have to capitalize when you get the chance.”

Video-

Josh Satin RBI Double

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Update- 5:25 P.M.

Catcher Ralph Henriquez was optioned to Savannah. As a result, Dock Doyle was called up from Kingsport, where he was hitting .308 with 20 RBI in 41 games.

Photos by Ron Hatcher. Video by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Five games back of the McNamara Division leading Yanks after the split, the Clones know they still have enough time to surprise a few people before the season’s climax.

“We know that there is time left and we’re playing well,” said Cyclones skipper Edgar Alfonzo. “We’re right in the middle of everything.”

Jose Jimenez got the Cyclones on the board in the first on a RBI double off Tri-City starter Shane Wolf that scored JR Voyles and gave Brooklyn an early 1-0 lead. Recent addition Juan Lagares then added an RBI single, giving the Mets Single-A affiliate a 2-0 advantage after only one inning of play.

After giving up two hits in the first inning, Brooklyn starter Jenrry Mejia threw two scoreless innings in the second and third, but wasn’t able to get himself out of a base-loaded jam with no outs in the fourth. Giving up a run on a Jonathan Gaston RBI single, Mejia was saved by a double play that got him out of the inning with the Cyclones still ahead by a run.

The Baby Bums got the two-run lead right back after a Kirk Nieuwenhuis RBI single in the bottom of the fourth, but Mejia got himself into another bases-loaded dilemma with two outs in the fifth and walked in a run that made it a one-run ballgame once again. Yury Santana was then summoned from the Brooklyn pen and got the Clones out of the inning with the score still 3-2.

“He was very inconsistent today,” Alfonzo said of his 18-year-old starter. “He was all over the place. I think he was trying to do too much out there today.”

Santana had problems of his own as well and left in the sixth with no outs and the bases-loaded for Stephen Clyne, who gave up a sacrifice fly that tied the score at 3-3. A J.B. Shuck ground out then sent another Tri-City Valley run across the plate, giving the Valley Cats their first lead of the game at 4-3.

The Clones offense wasn’t able to come back in the sixth and after a Caesar Cordido strike out, Alfonzo was ejected for arguing the called strike three with home plate umpire Matt Jones.

“I wasn’t upset about the call,” said Alfonzo. “I was mad that he made the call before the pitch got to the catcher. The ball was halfway there when he called it a strike. I don’t think it was right. I was disappointed about it.”

Clyne continued to pitch in the seventh and hurled a scoreless inning, but it wasn’t enough, as Brooklyn left the tying run on first base, after a Jimenez strike out ended the game with Valley City victorious 4-3.

Game two of the twin bill started eerily similar to game one, as the Cyclones jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first courtesy of RBI doubles by JR Voyles and Eric Campbell. In the second, the Mets Single-A affiliate got two more runs after a Nieuwenhuis single and error by Tri-City starting pitcher Jarred Holloway, stretching the lead to 4-0.

Clones starter Pedro P. Martinez supported his teammates by allowing only one run and striking out six in 5.2 innings of work.

“He had a good sinker and breaking ball tonight,” said Alfonzo. “All season-long he’s pitched well for us.”

With Martinez baffling Tri-City, Campbell padded the Cyclones lead in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run bomb that put the Mets Single-A affiliate ahead by five runs.

U-Conn product Erik Turgeon came into the game in the sixth with two outs and gave up a run in the seventh, but pitched well enough to secure a 6-2 Brooklyn win.

Splitting the series, the Baby Bums will look to win the rubber game tomorrow before taking a three-day breather for the NYPL All-Star Break.

Still hanging around a playoff spot with 18 games remaining, Brooklyn knows how important the next stretch of games are in determining their post-season hopes.

“This is very exciting,” said Alfonzo. “We’re right in the middle of things for the wild card and I know these guys are playing hard.”

Notes-

Lagares had hits in both games of the twin bill and until Reese Havens is completely recovered from another groin injury he suffered on the road this week, Lagares figures to be the team’s starting shortstop.

“He brings a lot to the table,” said Alfonzo. “He can hit, run and he’s very smart. I hope he keeps doing what he’s doing.”

Brooklyn Dodgers legend Carl Erskine will be at Keyspan Park tomorrow and will play the National Anthem on his harmonica in addition to having his number retired by the team.

Photos by Ron Hatcher.

After seven years in the sport, six of those with the Mets organization, Malek was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers and seemed out of options.

That’s until the Mets called and gave the 27-year-old’s career a second life.

A lifetime .262 hitter through 2,286 at bats at the minor league level, Malek was far from a superstar, but was a hard-working and gritty player that never gave up on the field. Because of that desire and perseverance on the field, the Mets gave him an opportunity to help coach their affiliate in the Gulf Coast League.

“I think because of the way I handled myself on the field when I was playing, they asked me if I wanted to come back as a coach,” said Malek, who had only 57 at bats in 28 games this season with the Dodgers Double-A affiliate before rejoining the Mets organization. “I did the right thing off the field and I played the game the way it should be played. I think that’s why they called me. Before that, I didn’t even consider getting into coaching.”

With Cyclones hitting coach Guadalupe Jabalera tending to personal matters last week, an opening at Brooklyn sent Malek back to the team he started his professional career with in 2002, making him the first former player in the team’s short history to ever coach in Brooklyn. While he only played 28 games with the Baby Bums that season, the lore behind his arm in right field is one of legend. Despite only spending a week with the team before heading back to the Gulf Coast, Malek has been a positive influence on them.

Seen spending time with Cyclones outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who was on top of his defensive game while Malek was with the team, making several solid catches, it’s obvious he’s gotten through to the players.

“I knew how to play the game right and I was smart,” Malek, who had his best season in the minor leagues in 2004 when he hit 13 home runs and 58 RBI with St. Lucie, said. “I feel like I got the most out of my ability and I had some great coaches. I feel like I could have played in the big leagues defensively with my arm and because of that, I have a lot of knowledge to share with these guys.”

Quickly making the transition from player to hot-shot coaching prospect, Malek is focused on becoming the best coach he can be.

If the reputation he had on the field during his career is any indication, he’ll be just fine.

“I had a really good player career; it was an enjoyable seven years,” he said. “I put my blood, sweat and tears into getting to the big leagues, but it just didn’t happen. I feel like if I looked myself in the mirror now, I know that I gave it everything I had. Considering that, I thought it was time to move on. Now, I’m looking forward to making it to the big leagues one day as a coach. I know this is a learning experience, but I feel like I’ve gotten off to a good start.”

Link:

Box Score to last night’s 9-1 Cyclones win.

Update- 5:36 p.m.

Juan Lagares will be starting tonight’s game in place of injured the Matt Smith, who was ironically taking the place of an injured Reese Havens.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr., Jim Dolan and Ron Hatcher.