Richard Lucas has started his stint with the Brooklyn Cyclones hitting safely in his first eight games and is currently hitting .351 this season with the Cyclones, Kingsport and the Gulf Coast Mets with four homers and 30 RBI.

Jordany Valdespin has hit safely in eight of his nine games with the team and has a homer and four RBI during that span.

In other news:

Alex Gregory bounced back from a mediocre July, where he hit .240, and is currently hitting .315 in August with 15 hits in 15 games.

With his save on the 27th, Mike Powers has surpassed Robert Paulk as the single season saves leader with 16.

An All-Ivy player during all three seasons he played at Dartmouth, Santomauro hit .372 with eight home runs, 40 RBI and 13 doubles this season, while ranking among the league’s top 10 in eight separate offensive categories to earn the Player of the Year award.

“It’s exciting,” he said while in the Cyclones dugout before the game. “I told my parents not to come tonight because I haven’t been activated yet. I can’t wait to get started.”

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Hope you enjoy it.

After being no-hit for the first two innings by Staten Island Yankees hurler Ardonis Vizcaino, the Cyclones rallied for three runs in the third. Clones center fielder Seth Williams crossed the plate after a Vizcaino balk that tied the game. Vizcaino continued to lose control in the frame and gave up RBI hits off the bat of Matt Bouchard and Nick Giarraputo.

On the other side of the mound, Brooklyn starter and birthday boy Collin McHugh gave up two runs on five hits in innings of work.

“My fastball was working, I was getting ahead of many of the hitters,” said McHugh. “I could finish some of them off though. It was a battle. My arm felt good though.”

The Baby Mets got help from their cross-bridge rivals however, as the Yankees made two errors through the first four innings.

McHugh then lost control in the fifth, hurling a wild pitch that allowed a Staten Island run to score and make it a 3-2 game. He then beaned Luke Murton to load the bases with two outs. He was lucky enough to get Kyle Higashioka to fly out to Bouchard to end the inning though, keeping the Brooklyn lead in tact.

“He was outstanding. He did it for us over in extended and in St. Lucie,” said Cyclones skipper Pedro Lopez of his starting pitchers performance. “That’s one of the reasons why he was the number one guy for us tonight.”

John Servidio launched a lead off dinger off Vizcaino in the fifth, giving Brooklyn their two-run lead back.

Leading the team in RBI for a spell last season before a season-ending arm injury, Servidio looks to be a leader this season.

“I’m looking to have the best season of my career this year,” he said. “I’m really happy to be back. I love it here.”

Just like Servidio, Bouchard too is looking to lead. His third stint as a Cyclone, he’s hoping this one won’t be for long.

In the sixth, another holdover from last season, Mattias Carrillo, came in to pitch and responded by throwing three scoreless innings.

19-year-old catcher Juan Centeno extended the lead with an RBI triple in the sixth. He also notched an RBI single later that stretched the lead to 6-2.

“People think I can run because I’m a catcher,” said Centeno. “But it’s a big part of my game.”

Mike Powers came into the game in the ninth and got the three outs needed to end the game, earning his first save and the team’s first win in the process.

“It was everything I was looking for,” said Lopez of the win. “It was a close game and I think our boys responded. You hear a lot of things about the rivalry between these two teams and tonight was a good test for both of us. It was fun for me and it was fun for the guys. A good ballgame all the way around.”

Notes-

Mark Cohoon is scheduled to start tomorrow at Staten Island, while Angel Cuan is on the slate for Sunday in Brooklyn.

Flub of the night- Cyclones shortstop Luis Nieves misjudged a fly ball that ended up landing in for a hit. After looking like he had the ball under control, he dipped away to only have the ball drop about 15 feet behind him.

“I asked him if the ball took a bad hop up in the air. I’m going to see if I can get a rake and rake the air a bit,” said Lopez. “He hasn’t played many night games, he hasn’t played under the lights very often. We didn’t have much pop up practice because of the rain and the last time the wind was blowing in. Tonight, the wind was blowing out and he forgot. Things like that are going to happen and I’m not going to second guess him. I’m not worried about him, he’s a great shortstop with good tools. He’s going to make mistakes, he just has to learn from them.”

Attendance for the game was 9,284.

Brad Holt- 4-1, 3.02 ERA in nine starts between St. Lucie and the B-Mets.

Last season, I said that I saw Holt as a starter for the foreseeable future, mainly due to the fact that not many knew what his secondary pitches were capable of. On top of that his power curve showed significant problems and came an amazingly long way in just a summer of hard work. This season is obviously still foreseeable and Holt has been excellent, averaging over a strikeout an inning and keeping opposing hitters to a measly .203 batting average. With his last start at the AA level yesterday, the future looks to be getting brighter by the way for the youngster.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis- Eight homers, 20 RBI and five steals in 47 games.

Overall, Captain Kirk is proving he can survive on the High-A level and has shown that he has more power than people gave him credit for last season. With his excellent defensive ability as well, I think a call up to AA is an inevitable one at some point this season. Nevertheless, he has to cut down on his strikeout totals and improve his ability against left-handed pitching. Otherwise, he’ll project more as a fourth outfielder than the starting outfielder many thought and still believe he can be when they watched him in Brooklyn last year.

Dylan Owen- 0-5, 6.97 in 10 starts in AA.

It seems that Owen’s start power has diminished a bit and he’s come back to earth. Maybe a stint in St. Lucie can revitalize him.

Ike Davis- .283, four dingers, 21 RBI.

Aside from an alarming amount of strikeouts, Davis is making a believer out of many who thought he jumped the shark in Brooklyn last season. On pace for a solid 15 homer, 70 RBI season, Davis projects to be more like the Lyle Overbay-type player I projected him to be everyday.

Jenrry Mejia- 4-1, 1.97 ERA in nine starts in St. Lucie.

Just called up to AA, Mejia, just like Holt is proving he may have what it takes to move up through the system at a pace not many expected. Many questioned his maturity at times last season, so it’s important to see how he handles his first rough patch with the B-Mets. Nevertheless, at 19, he’s quickly becoming one of the best prospects in the system.

Photo by Ron Hatcher.

July 3, 2007- Throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the Cyclones took on the Hudson Valley Renegades last Sunday, Danny McDevitt, the pitcher who threw the last pitch in Brooklyn Dodgers history, alongside the catcher who was behind the plate, Joe Pignatano, reminisced on their time at Ebbets Field.

“I don’t remember a whole lot, but this thing has become something special as time has gone on and it’s very important to me now,” said McDevitt, who had one of his best seasons in 1957 as a rookie, going 7-4 with a 3.25 ERA. “Back then, I was just a dumb left-hander.”

Coming back to Brooklyn, where he was born and raised after his playing days were over in 1962, Pignatano still feels that the greatest moment of his career was playing in Ebbets field during his rookie season. It may have been 50 years since he was in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform, but Pignatano’s eye shined with the exuberance of a young major leaguer when recollecting the early days of his career.

“I was happy as a pig in you know what to be here,” said Pignatano, who also played for the Athletics and the Mets during his career. “We were a family and our captain, Pee Wee [Reese] kept us together and working hard. It was just super.”

While it was obvious that both McDevitt and Pignatano loved their time in Brooklyn and despite the fact that they both would have liked to stay there, they understand why Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley moved the team to Los Angeles almost 50 years ago.

“The atmosphere was great and the fans were great. They were so knowledgeable. We were like their babies and when we left, you’d think they lost their kids,” said Pignatano. “Did I want to leave here? No, this was my home. I had friends and family here and this is where I wanted to stay, but I was a major leaguer and I was going to play with any team that game me a sweater. So in order to play, I had to go to LA.

“If I was in his [O’Malley’s] position, I probably would have done the same thing, regardless of if I lived here or not.”

Despite having similar feelings about the move to Los Angeles, McDevitt felt that the atmosphere in Brooklyn was one that thrived on baseball and brought the best out in the players.

“Making the move to LA probably took 15 years off of my career,” he said jokingly. “This was such a good baseball town and the players really got involved in the community. All the players were family men and they cared in the community. If you read Carl Erskine’s book, he mentions his grocery man, barber and butcher a lot. Those types of things just don’t happen anywhere else.”

Leaving Brooklyn was obviously tough for both of the New York natives, but their day at Keyspan is something they’ll never forget.

“I grew up a mile from here, born and raised,” said Pignatano. “And the team I played sandlot ball with was called the Cyclones, so to me it means a lot. There’s nothing better than being here today.”

Photo by George Napolitano

However, after the season was over, Schilling and the organization parted ways and Schilling hasn’t played in the pros since.

In this interview conducted over the first week of the 2007, Schilling discussed his new role and where he saw himself fitting in with his new team.

You can download the file here @

http://media.switchpod.com//users/dembrooklynbums/MicahSchilling625.wav

Photo by Daniel Wos.

However, in the early part of the 2007 season, the 6’1 righty was an unknown 21st round pick trying to get noticed.

In this exclusive interview, a timid Gee talks about how he was making the adjustment from college ball to the pros.

You can download the file @

http://media.switchpod.com//users/dembrooklynbums/DemBrooklynBumsBlastFromthePastDillonGee72007.mp3

Photo by Jim Dolan

Brad Holt- 12-6, 2.95 ERA, while averaging a strikeout an inning in St. Lucie; expect a mid to late season call up to the B-Mets as well. It’s a big assumption to make, but I do think that Holt will continue the success that he had in Brooklyn, but won’t be as dominant. His ERA last season was 1.87 and this season, I feel it’ll go up another full point. Nevertheless, the way his breaking pitches progressed last season, he’s still going to be successful and yes, he will still be a starter [well, in my crazy mind anyway]. That may change when he gets comfortable in Double-A though.

Dillon Gee- 15-9 3.50 ERA combined with B-Mets and Buffalo, while eventually making his MLB debut. Watching this guy pitch in Brooklyn in 2007 was a blast as he has some phenomenal control and pitched great in tight spots. That success has carried over into higher levels as well as he was rock solid with both St. Lucie and Binghamton last season. Unlike Owen, who relies on the strikeout more to get out of jams, Gee induces a ton of ground balls in addition to getting a decent amount of K’s. Because of that type of versatility, I expect a ton of success from him in the future. Remember, you heard it here first.

Jenry Mejia- 8-13, 4.75 ERA in Savannah, with some time in St. Lucie. Let me just say for the record that I love this kid’s off-speed pitches. His fastball also has a ton of pop at 96 MPH. He’s got a ton of talent, but he’s still extremely green. Watching him walk a half dozen hitters in a row one game in Brooklyn last season proved that more than anything. Nevertheless, he’s got so much natural talent that you can never count him out. In spite of that, I see him going through some growing pains this season as he learns to become more of a complete pitcher both on the mound and off. Reminding me a lot of a young Jose Lima or Carlos Zambrano, Mejia lets his emotions get to him at times and it will be something that he’ll have to learn to control before he can truly be successful.

Photo by Daniel Wos.

Ike Davis- .270 BA, 15 HR and 75 RBI combined with Savannah and St. Lucie. Contrary to what many think, I don’t see Davis making his major league debut until sometime in 2010, most likely in August or September. His swing still has a few kinks in it and I think spending some time in A-Ball before heading up to High-A will help him address those concerns. When I spoke to Savannah manager Edgar Alfonzo after the instructional leagues were over this past Fall, he believed Davis had come a long way. Rather than push him through the system quickly, I think the Mets, who still have Carlos Delgado at first, will make sure Davis matures into the extra base hitter and slick fielder he’s supposed to be. I see that process beginning this season.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis- .300, six HR, 60 RBI, 30 SB with St. Lucie. Notice the higher batting average than last season? That’s because Nieuwenhuis has the tools to be an excellent professional outfielder and I believe this is the season that he begins to show it. If he can cut down on his strikeout totals from last season as well, he’ll be able to produce even more and may even warrant a call up to Double-A.

Josh Satin- .285 18 HR 59 RBI with Savannah. Eventually showing the tools of a solid second baseman last season, I think Satin would have shown a lot more if the Cyclones made the playoffs. Patient at the plate with a great approach, Satin will make a full-season team out of Spring training and begin to show some promise.

Jordan Abruzzo- .295 14 HR 55 RBI with St. Lucie and B-Mets. Not only is Abruzzo a great catcher that has the skills and attitude to manage a pitching staff at any level of professional baseball, he’s an extremely clutch hitter. While he’d secure himself a spot in Double-A right now if he could hit for more power, I think that after about 30 games this season, you’ll see him in Binghamton where he’ll earn his stripes and show why the fans at Brooklyn loved him so much. Good defensive catchers that can switch hit for power don’t grow on trees and Abruzzo can do it all. This will be the season, unless injuries slow him down, that he shows what he is truly capable of.

Photo by Ron Hatcher.

Chatting with DBB on the phone from California on Feb. 4, Satin talks about his offseason, what it was like playing Brooklyn last season and what he expects from himself in the future.

You can listen to the file here:

http://www.switchpod.com/users/dembrooklynbums/DemBrooklynBumsPodcastJoshSatinInterview204.mp3

Or go to the site’s page on I-tunes and listen there:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=284456470

Doc Doyle- With Jason Jacobs and Jordan Abruzzo being the guys behind the plate to lead the team in the locker room and on the field the past few years, a guy like Doyle [who's timid nature doesn't give his hard-working attitude on the field it's due] is a bit of a weird choice as the starting catcher in Brooklyn next season. Nevertheless, his offensive prowess and business-first attitude make him someone that can and will flourish in Brooklyn if given an opportunity. A .300 hitter in Kingsport, Doyle can reproduce those numbers in Keyspan.

Kyle Suire- Spending a cup of coffee in Brooklyn last season, Suire was nursing a sore hamstring and was never capable of showing the league what he was truly capable of. A more than solid hitter, I see Suire as a dependable six hitter and someone that will not hurt the team on the field. Not an amazing fielder, Suire does have good range and a capable arm, but makes the plays he has to, very similar to one of my favorite second baseman’s in Cyclones history, Jon Schemmel. If Wilmer Flores starts the season in Brooklyn like many expect him to, the Cyclones will have a middle infield that can hit and play the field with anyone in the NY-Penn League.

Mike Powers- Leading the K-Mets in saves last season, Powers, who was close to a strikeout an inning in 21 frames of work, may be one of the only players from Kingsport’s bullpen to be a real member of the Brooklyn staff next season.

Jonathan Sanchez- The former Cyclones outfielder had a solid season with the GC Mets last season and may make his return as a middle reliever. If that is the case, you can expect a few stories on his progress throughout the season. Extremely confident in his first go round with Brooklyn despite sub-par numbers, it’s be interesting to see how the tides of time have changed the youngster.

Stefan Welch- Aside from Suire and Flores, Welch was one of the K-Mets best hitters. Able to play both corner infield positions and the outfield should make him one of Edgar Alfonzo’s favorite players and should give him the type of versatility that put former Cyclone Eric Campbell in the lineup so much last season. Should be an interesting guy to watch.

Photo by Jim Dolan.

If he’s 6’3,175 pounds and has braces, it’s Mets prospect Wilmer Flores.

Going through seven other shortstops this season, due to a combination of inconsistent play and chronic injuries, the Brooklyn Cyclones got the baby-faced middle infielder on Aug. 28 from the Mets other Single-A affiliate in Savannah, where he played just one game and collected three hits. Before being sent to Savannah, Flores was starring for the Mets Rookie league team in Kingsport, where he was hitting .310 with eight home runs and 41 RBI.

That’s a lot of traveling for anyone, nevertheless a 17-year-old.

With seven hits in his first four games in Brooklyn however, he’s already become a fixture in the starting lineup. Because of that, it looks like his traveling days are over this season.

“You watch him hit and you know it’s something you can’t teach,” said Cyclones manager Edgar Alfonzo. “He’s very young, but after you watch him in batting practice, you see that he has a routine and he sticks with it. He’s going to be a very good player.”

Because of all the praise he’s received for his play on the field and maturity off of it this season, Flores is having an absolute blast in his first year in professional baseball.

“I always dreamed to be here, but I never thought I’d be here this fast. It’s been amazing,” he said through a translator. “The traveling is part of my job. I have to do it, but it’s been fun too. I’ll play wherever they want me to. I love to do this.”

Playing with players up to nine years older than him this season, you’d expect the youngster, who still has a good four years before he can legally drink a brew after a game, to feel a bit out of place.

In spite of his age and the ages of his teammates though, Flores is looking forward to proving himself in Brooklyn and loves being around older players.

“There were a lot of younger players in Kingsport and in Brooklyn, there are more experienced guys,” he said. “It’s a tougher league and I’m learning from my surroundings. It’s good for me to be in this locker room. In Kingsport, the pitchers threw a lot of fastballs, but here, I’ve been seeing curve balls, change-ups and sliders too. It’s a good test for me.”

Considering how large Flores is and how many years he has left to grow, one would expect him to end up a first baseman or a corner outfielder by the time he makes it to the big leagues. Right now however, Flores is focusing on being the best shortstop he can be.

Already showing solid range and a more than adequate arm on the field in his short stint in Brooklyn, Flores doesn’t want to think of moving to another position right now.

“Right now I’m playing shortstop,” Flores, who models his game after Derek Jeter, said. “And that’s what I’m going to continue to do. If they want to move me later that’s fine. I just want to play baseball. This is what I love to do.”

Nevertheless, while idolizing the current Yankee shortstop, Flores doesn’t see himself becoming a playboy any time soon.

Because for him, baseball comes first.

“I’m not worried about any female fans,” Flores said. “I’m here to play baseball.”

Link-

Box score to last night’s 5-2 Cyclones win.

Photos by Ron Hatcher

There was just one problem though.

He couldn’t hit well enough to stay in the lineup everyday.

A lifetime .197 hitter through his first season in professional baseball, Santana knew that in order to make his big league dreams come true, he’d have to do something incredibly drastic. Known for his defensive skills and amazing arm, Santana and the Mets organization decided it was in his best interest to become a pitcher.

He hasn’t looked back since.

“In the beginning it was tough and all I could do was throw hard,” he said. “[Former Met] Randy Niemann worked with me a lot and showed me how to throw strikes and taught me to not focus on throwing hard. I used to get in trouble a lot because that’s all I could do. Now, I feel like a pitcher.”

Things didn’t originally start out the way the 26-year-old would have liked however, as he was lost for most of the 2006 and 2007 seasons after Tommy John surgery. Originally signed as a free agent by the Mets in 2003, Santana knew that his 2008 season would have to be a special one or his career would most likely be over.

Making the NY-Penn League All Star team after leading the team with 10 saves and striking out 28 hitters in only 20 innings this season, Santana has not only cemented his spot in Brooklyn, but he’s become a prospect worth watching.

Seeing his development throughout the season, Brooklyn pitching coach Hector Berrios has loved what he’s seen from the fiery reliever and believes that despite his age, he has a bright future ahead of him.

“He’s got three pitches he can throw for strikes, but it’s more about the mental game with him,” Berrios said. “He’s not used to being in the pitcher’s shoes yet. When he does well, he as high as a roller coaster ride, but when he does bad out there, he’s really hard on himself. That’s what we’ve worked on this season with him. He’s come a long way in a short period of time.”

Under the tutelage of Berrios, Santana has thrived out of the Brooklyn bullpen and quickly become a leader in the clubhouse. Giving Berrios credit for his swagger on the mound and the development of his slider, Santana doesn’t want to think about where he’d be without his pitching coach’s help this season.

“I’ve worked with Hector a lot,” said Santana. “With his help, I have become a much better pitcher. We’ve worked everyday on my slider and it’s made a big difference on the mound.”

With the confidence and experience of a veteran and the work ethic of a rookie with everything to prove, Santana isn’t ready to let his feel-good story come to an end just yet.

“I love having the game in my hands,” he said. “I love being a closer. I’ve worked really hard this year in Brooklyn and I think I’m ready to pitch in Double-A next season. I just have to keep throwing strikes. It’s the same ball there, nothing different.”

Link-

Box Score to last night’s 7-2 Cyclones Win.

Update- 5:45 P.M.

Second baseman Kyle Suire and center fielder Rafael Fernandez were added to the Cyclones roster from Kingsport today. Suire was hitting .297 with nine homers and 36 RBI in only 48 games. Fernandez was hitting .259 with four dingers and 31 RBI in 57 games. Neither will be in the starting lineup tonight.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr. and Ron Hatcher

That, however, is exactly what the Brooklyn Cyclones and Lowell treated the 7,341 fans in attendance at Keyspan Park to on Friday, but unlike the night before, it was the Spinners who were on the winning end, edging out the Baby Bums 2-1 in a game that produced only six hits between both clubs.

“Tonight was tough,” said Cyclones manager Edgar Alfonzo. “You have to tip your cap to the way they pitched tonight.”

After Scott Shaw and the Brooklyn bullpen limited Lowell to only one-hit on Thursday, Mets first round pick Brad Holt was more than solid against the Boston Red Sox Single-A affiliate as well, throwing two scoreless innings to start the game. Holt [4-3, 1.75 ERA] ran into trouble in the third though, giving up a pair of hits, including an RBI double by Ronald Bermudez that put the Spinners ahead by one.

Those two hits were all Holt, who had 10 strikeouts on the night, gave up, but it wasn’t enough for to come out with a victory.

“A lot of the time, they weren’t even swinging,” said Holt. “They were just watching.”

As good as Holt was, Spinners starter Kyle Weiland was that much better, limiting the Mets Single-A affiliate to only one hit in five innings of work.

Righty reliever Charle Rosario replaced Weiland in the sixth, but Brooklyn was still unable to muster any offense in the inning. The Clones did catch a break however when Mitchell Herold came into the game in the seventh for Lowell with a runner on third with two outs. The first hitter he faced, Jordan Abruzzo, hit a routine ground ball to short, which should have ended the inning, but first baseman Ricardo Burgos couldn’t stretch out far enough to grab the throw, allowing Kirk Nieuwenhuis to score and tie the game at 1-1.

“It felt good to get that run in the eighth,” said Nieuwenhuis. “But it just didn’t happen for us tonight. Their pitchers were keeping us off balance all night.”

Clones closer Yury Santana replaced Holt in the eighth and kept the game at 1-1 until he gave up a monstrous solo home run off the top of the Keyspan Park scoreboard courtesy of Luis Sumoza in the ninth, giving the Spinners their one-run lead back at 2-1.

Seth Garrison then closed the game out for Lowell and retired all three hitters he faced, putting the finishing touches on a 2-1 Cyclones loss.

“If you don’t hit, it’s hard to win,” said Alfonzo. “Tonight was the first time in a long time that we only had two hits. We have to go out tomorrow and beat these guys.”

Notes-

Ike Davis continues to struggle this season and has hit .207 in his last ten games.

There is still no timetable on the return of Reese Havens or Matt Smith, who are suffering from groin and calf injuries respectively.

Havens is however expected to run the bases in practice tomorrow and will be evaluated again.

Video-

Brad Holt strikeout.

[youtube FLPcOuEv0ac]

Photos by Ron Hatcher. Video by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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.

DemBrooklynBums.com: When you were originally drafted, did you have a conversation with your dad to talk about what to expect in pro ball?

Ike Davis: Well, I was originally drafted out of High School [19th round 2005 by the Tampa Bay Rays] and I know a lot of people at this level, so I really knew what to expect.

DBB: You have this aire about you, I wouldn’t call it cocky, but I think it revels between confident and self-assured. You seem to always know what you want to say before you say it. Considering that, do you think you were trained at any early age to become a pro ballplayer?

Davis: I wouldn’t say that, but I have been in the spotlight for a while and it’s just something that I’m used to now. I’ve done stuff like this a lot from a very young age and now I’m accustomed to it. It’s a lot easier then it used to be back in the day.

DBB: You weren’t flustered at all the first time you stepped on to the field here like many of the younger player either.

Davis: Not at all. Like I said, this is nothing new for me. I’ve played in front of 30,000 people before. But I do think there is something special here in the park and the fans though. They don’t give up on you and they’re there with you until the end of every game. Hopefully we can start playing a little better at home for them.

DBB: You started your season off very strongly and now you’ve tailed off a bit and you’ve been injured. Considering that, where do you see your season going? Any expectations?

Davis: Before I got hurt [fouling a ball off his ankle that caused him to miss a few games], I was driving the ball hard and I was really happy with that. I’m still adjusting to the strike zone in this league. The strike zone in PAC-10 is much smaller; it’s almost like the major leagues. It wasn’t helping matters that I was going out there and arguing calls every night. I just have to go out there and hit.

DBB: Despite your struggles though, you’ve remained pretty poised and have never thrown your helmet or vented on the bench. Guys in similar situations at the big league level would kill to have that kind of patience. Considering your outgoing personality, has being this calm and focused been tough for you?

Davis: I’ve wanted to [lose his cool] at times, all the time actually. But baseball is a game of failure and it’s never about what you just did. The more you hang on to that, the less successful you’ll be. I always try and focus on what I’m going to do my next at bat and that’s why I can remain calm when things don’t go my way.

Notes-

Reese Havens appeared fine on Monday, but was scratched from Tuesday night’s game. If he is injured, I’ll have an update later in the day. The same goes for Davis who was taken out of the game as well yesterday.

Links-

Box Score to last night’s 6-2 Cyclone win

Also…

For those who didn’t know, you can vote for your favorite Cyclones to play in this year’s All Star game. Click Here to cast your vote!

Update- 8:00 a.m.

According to the team’s official website, Brad Holt, Chris Schwinden and Yury Santana will represent the team at the NY-Penn League All-Star game.

Photos by Ron Hatcher.

Enjoy!

BTW, expect something similar tomorrow on Eddie Kunz!

DemBrooklynBums.com: Heading into the offseason, what do you need to work on the most to be ready for next season and what will you be doing to work on it?

Daniel Murphy: First, I’m heading down to the instructional league to heal up a little bit more and keep on working; heal my knee and arm up and put myself in a situation where I come back bigger, stronger and faster so I can come into spring training and really help the organization.

DBB: What would you say is your biggest strength as a ball player? What do you bring to the field and to your team?

Murphy: Hitting. I think I also help in the clubhouse because I’m a happy go lucky kind of guy and I keep things light. Things can get pretty tense around a baseball team, so I think my attitude helps my teammates. When it’s time to play, we play, but when it’s time to have fun, we have fun too.

DBB: What did you think of your season this year? How do you think it went for you?

Murphy: I tore my PCL and strained my hamstring three weeks after my college season ended, so there are still things that I can’t do that I usually do, like read a ball hit to third or get an extra base on a base hit. If I’m struggling, I like to lay down a bunt from time to time and I can’t do that right now either. I played a little in the Gulf Coast League and Kingsport this year, I’m just trying to prepare myself for the future at this point and help my team anyway I can.

DBB: To give our fans a better idea of the type of player you are, who would you compare your game to at the Major League level and why?

Murphy: Growing up, I was a huge Tony Gwynn fan, I loved watching him hit. Some people compare me to Pete Rose because of the way I get down at the plate and because I hustle. He hits the ball a little better than I do though [laughing]. I just try and play the game as hard as I can, but I’m a little hampered right now, so I’m doing the best I can with what I have.

Notes-

New Podcast is up on I-Tunes as well, featuring an interview I did with Murphy on June 29. I didn’t think I was going to use the audio originally, but I still wanted to talk to him considering I remembered him from 2006 and how well he’s been doing. Happy I did now. Enjoy!

Click here to listen and download the interview on I-Tunes!

or stream it on the web here!

Photo by Ron Hatcher