This season however, Carrillo is hoping for things to be different.

Gaining velocity on his fastball, [which sat around 88 MPH last season] and junking his curveball in favor of a slider is one way to do it.

He’s worked on a few other things as well.

“I added a couple of miles to my fastball; it’s at about 91 MPH now,” said Carrillo. “I’m very happy with my stuff right now. I’ve worked a bit on my mechanics a bit too; my arm angle is a bit different; I have a higher release point.”

Even though the curveball was an effective pitch for the 22-year-old last season, he feels the slider is even better.

Only time will tell how right that decision was though.

For the time being, it’s a choice he’s more than happy with.

“I started using it in the winter and I’ve gotten a lot of outs with it,” he said. “I think it’s going to help me with my consistency and help me get to higher levels.”

Photo by Ron Hatcher.

Jimmy Johnson- Easily one of the best middle relievers in the NY-Penn League last season, Johnson, who came out of nowhere after being drafted in the 28th round, sparkled with excellent control and was able to consistently get himself out of jams. He also only gave up 20 hits and 11 walks in 36 innings of work. Without an explosive fastball however, Johnson will be tested much more at Savannah, where I see him at least starting the season due to the fact that former Cyclones skipper Edgar Alfonzo loved his game and used him a ton. There, he can gain some confidence before he heads up to St. Lucie.

Wendy Rosa- Unlike Johnson, Rosa’s biggest weakness is his control, which was a huge reason why he was demoted to Brooklyn last season. There were times when it looked like he had his problems solved, but overall, he still has serious work ahead of him before he can move up the organizational ladder. Expect a full season in Savannah, where he can earn some bumps and bruises.

Roy Merritt- Expect the same for Merritt, who will be asked to continue to develop his secondary pitches at either Savannah or St. Lucie after a marvelous season in Brooklyn last year. His slider aside however, Merritt isn’t equipped to handle the everyday pressures of Double-A and until he can either develop another pitch or find a niche in a Mike Myers-esque role, facing one hitter in the lineup and then calling it a night, he’s going to have problems at higher levels.

Yury Santana- At 26, despite an excellent season last year, time is running out for the fiery righty. He needs a big season at St. Lucie and some time in Double-A. In order for that to happen though, he’s going to have to find a way to not only be consistent on the mound, something that was a problem at times last season, but he’s also going to have to learn to take it easy on himself. Showing Carlos Zambrano-esque fits at times, Santana was usually unable to put the pieces back together on the mound after a few bad at bats. If that continues, he may find himself out of the game all together.

Edit- Santana was released earlier in the month. Sorry for the confusion guys, as I am currently swamped covering the EPHL’S Brooklyn Aces.

Eric Brown- Simply put, the guy has exhibited phenomenal control over the course of his professional career, walking only 94 hitters in 433.1 innings. Add in an excellent sinker and a solid fastball and it’s easy to see why Brown didn’t play in Savannah and right to St. Lucie in 2007. Nevertheless, his secondary pitches, his slider and seldom used changeup, were nothing special for the first few years of his career, even in his best season as a pro, in Brooklyn 2006. Nevertheless, a year or two can change things a lot and despite the fact that he went just 6-9 with a 5.05 ERA last season, a little more work on his secondary pitches could easily make him a Steve Trachsel-esque pitcher at the big league level.

Jenry Mejia- His name may have more spellings than Tommy Lee has ex-flings, but the teenager can flat out pitch. After looking like he was getting sent to Kingsport just a few weeks before the All-Star break, Mejia transformed himself into a more than solid professional pitcher. Fueled by a deceptive 12-6 curve and a 94-96 mph fastball, Mejia has the stuff to be dominant, he just has to maintain his composure. A few times during the season, Mejia lost control on the mound [both physically and emotionally] and every time, it was obvious he wasn’t going to turn things around. However, when he was on, he was one of the most dominant starters in the league. If he can keep his walk totals down, this guy will be a tour-de-force in Double A sometime next season.

Eddie Kunz- Another guy that will depend on having more than solid control if he wants to be a force. However, unlike Mejia who has a very good fastball and an excellent off-speed pitch, I see Kunz being much more versatile, working off his fastball and heavy as a lead zeppelin sinker in combination with his changeup and a slider that still needs some work. If he can throw all four of this pitches for strikes and establish his sinker as an effective out pitch, he may be hanging out in the Citi-Field bullpen this season.

Photo by Conroy Walker.

Before we get too serious, here’s a fun one.

The Foreigner started out “Hot Blooded,” but ended up “Cold as Ice” Award:

Nominees-

JR Voyles- hit .050 over his last 11 games of the season.

Jose Jimenez- hit .093 over the last 12 games of the season and hit .073 with runners in scoring position.

John Servidio- hit .117 in August before going down with a hand injury.

And the winner is… Jose Jimenez.

Voyles started out very strong, but fizzled the same way he did last season. Servidio was injured and led the team in RBI for a big chunk of the year, so he’s not right for the award either. Jimenez, however, was so unreliable at the plate that he was relegated to bench duty by the end of the season. Like I’ve said in older posts, he’s got a ton of power, so he is going to be fun to watch in the future, However, he shouldn’t be happy with the way his season ended.

OK, on to the serious stuff.

Best Off-Speed Pitch

Nominees

Brad Holt’s power curve ball

Jenrry Mejia’s 12-6 curve ball

Roy Merritt’s slider

And the Winner is… Roy Merritt’s slider.

Nothing against Holt or Mejia, but Merritt’s slider is amazing. Sweeping through the strike zone like a Frisbee, Merritt needs to add another pitch to his repertoire to compliment his fastball and changeup and I think he’ll eventually be ready to pitch in the Mets bullpen. Remember where you heard that first boys and girls, it’s something I’d feel comfortable betting on.

Best Swing

Nominees

Wilmer Flores

Kirk Nieuwenhuis

Zach Lutz

And the winner is…Wilmer Flores

In the three years I’ve covered the Cyclones, I’ve seen some very nice swings, but Flores’ is so quick through the hitting zone that I think he’s going to be a great ballplayer one day despite his relatively young age and someone to definitely watch next season.

And lastly…Team MVP.

Nominees

Kirk Nieuwenhuis

Brad Holt

Jimmy Johnson

And the winner is… Brad Holt.

Nieuwenhuis played great ball all season and Johnson was amazing out of the bullpen, but Holt was the bee’s knees. After watching guys like Joe Smith, Eric Brown, Dylan Owen and Dillon Gee in year’s past, I never thought I’d see anything better than that, but Holt surpassed all expectations.

Photos by Ron Hatcher

As well, the post proceeding this one will be the final portion of my interview with Hector Berrios, which too will discuss the Brooklyn bullpen.

Enjoy!

Jimmy Johnson- No one expected this guy to be half as good as he eventually turned out to be. A solid assortment of pitches, combined with pinpoint command made him the king of the ‘Clones bullpen. How he’ll fare at higher levels is hard to determine, but you have to like the way he’s pitched in clutch situations this season. Things like that you just can’t teach.

Final Grade-A+

Roy Merritt- Much like Johnson, Merritt exceeded expectations and showed remarkable poise out of the pen. That, combined with a slider, with movement that can only be compared to a Frisbee, Merritt figures to be a pitcher worth watching next season. Considering the fact that he was drafted by the Cardinals in 2005 as a center fielder, it’s amazing how far he’s come in such a short time.

Final Grade-A+

Stephen Clyne- The guy has a great assortment of pitches, a great makeup and had very solid numbers in Brooklyn. However, numbers can be somewhat deceiving, as he lost most of his closing duties to Yury Santana by the end of the season. Work on his mechanics can solve some of his control problems [13 walks in 22.1 innings] and with all the natural talent the guy has, I still expect him to project as a major league reliever in the next few years.

Final Grade- B

Wendy Rosa- The Mets organization was worried about Rosa’s control at the beginning of the season and considering the fact that he didn’t make a full-season team, his stock was definitely in limbo. His 23 walks in 31 innings were a bit scary, but his 48 strikeouts may be a sign of better things to come.

Final Grade- B

Yury Santana- Very similar to Clyne, Santana’s numbers don’t tell the whole story. Blazing fastball and good slider aside, Santana had serious problems at times this season and wasn’t dependable in crucial situations. His age [26] may be a hindrance as well, making him expendable come draft time when the organization is restocked with young arms. For the time being however, Santana remains an interesting guy to watch.

Final Grade- B+

Mattias Carrillo- Despite a huge lack of playing time, Carrillo was extremely solid as a middle reliever. However, like Clyne and Rosa, his control is questionable and he needs to start developing his other pitches. Otherwise, he’ll be nothing more than a decent minor league reliever.

Final Grade- B

Erik Turgeon- A converted infielder from Uconn, Turgeon made serious strides this season and began to develop his off-speed pitches. Still a long way to go in his development, Turgeon’s live fastball, excellent control, eagerness to learn and team-first mentality could play a huge part in his overall development. Much like Merritt and Johnson as well, not many expected a solid season from the youngster. Chances are however, he’ll continue to surprise people over the next few years.

Final Grade- A-

Jeff Kaplan- After losing his spot in the rotation and battling arm fatigue, Kaplan became a commodity out of the bullpen. He’s got a great repertoire and is even better at maintaining control on the mound, which in my mind, make him someone who can definitely survive at higher levels. Add in a laid back personality and a few months to rest his tired arm and I think 2009 may be the best season of his young career.

Final Grade- B+

Jim Fuller- Someone who looked very solid, had great numbers, but didn’t pitch enough to really establish himself. Because of that, he may find himself in Brooklyn next season, but considering his college numbers and how well he fared at Keyspan Park in limited duty, he’s a guy that can easily be penned into the starting rotation in Savannah next season.

Final Grade- B+

Photos by Ron Hatcher.

Brooklyn pitcher Chris Schwinden however, actually prefers to burn the midnight oil on a consistent basis.

As a matter of fact, he even believes it makes him a better pitcher.

“I don’t know why, but I do pitch much better when I don’t get a lot of sleep,” said Schwinden. “If I get too much sleep, I feel lazy on the mound and usually get hit pretty hard. When I don’t, I’m more energized out here and I win.”

So what does he do during all those late nights, you ask?

“Our catcher Ralph Henriquez has a Playstation 3 and I stay up playing MLB:08 The Show or Tiger Woods a lot of the time,” he said. “Most of the guys usually head to bed around 1 am, but I stay up a few hours longer than them.”

You’d expect a ballplayer who stays up all night exercising his thumbs and index fingers on Sony’s newest video game console to be a bit lethargic come game time, but with a 3-1 record and a 1.09 ERA in 10 appearances this season,Schwinden is one of three Cyclones appearing in the New York Penn-League All-Star game next week.

Armed with four pitches, a 92 mile-per-hour fastball, changeup, curve ball and slider, Schwinden has baffled hitters consistently this season, striking out 45 hitters in 41 innings with only six walks, indeed making it look like he’s playing a video game, rather than facing professional hitters. Allowing only 28 hits in that time as well, Schwinden hasn’t given his teammates on the field much work to do, making up for the fact that he keeps some of them awake with his late-night gaming escapades.

“He’s easy to play behind,” said Cyclones third baseman Eric Campbell. “He comes ready to play every time his name is called upon. The main thing with him is that he throws strikes. I think he has the best control of any pitcher on our staff.”

While his teammates have to deal with his late-night habits, the coaching staff only sees the 21-year-old’s successes on the mound. Starting the season as the team’s spot starter and long reliever out of the bullpen, Schwinden got an opportunity to start and hasn’t faltered yet. Pitching into the sixth inning in each of his last three starts, Schwinden has proved he belongs in a rotation consisting of hot shot prospects such as Brad Holt and Jenrry Mejia and has quickly become a cornerstone of the pitching staff.

Schwinden has been so good as of late that the coaching staff sees him in the rotation for the rest of the year, something that appeared quite unlikely for the 2008 22nd round pick when the season first began.

“He’s worked really hard to get to where he is right now and he deserves it,” said Cyclones manager Edgar Alfonzo. “He’s one of my starters now and I’m happy for him.”

The Visalia, California-native is pretty proud of his accomplishments on the field this season as well and as a result, has vowed to continue playing video games this season.

As a matter of fact, Schwinden has already been talking about picking up a new game in the near future: Madden 09.

“A bunch of us have been talking about getting it,” said Schwinden on August 11, a day before the game was released to the public. “I’m looking forward to playing it soon.”

Notes-

Got word of a few Cyclones currently nursing injuries such as John Servidio, Ike Davis and Reese Havens. However, there is no clear word on the what the actual injuries are. When th team comes back home on Friday, expect an update after the day’s article.

Link-

Box Score to last night’s 3-1 Cyclone loss.

Update-

New Podcast up!

Interview with Ralph Henriquez on 8-10.

You can download it from I-Tunes here, or stream it from the web, here. Enjoy!

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr. and Jim Dolan

When reliever Eddie Kunz is on the mound for the Cyclones, it’s easy to see the beads of sweat drip down his face while the crowd cheers his name and the hitter wonders what pitch he’s going to get.

Hell, even a small part of Kunz probably has trouble deciding.

Will it be the slider that’ll dance through the strike zone a split second after it leaves his hand, or will it be the changeup that’ll put the poor hitter into the ground like he’s attached to a screwdriver? Or worse yet, will it be the fastball that will sting his hands like a bee if he manages to make contact?

While this chess game goes on inside the hitter’s mind, Kunz doesn’t hear the sound of the crowd. All he sees is his target.

Since making his professional debut with the ‘Clones on August 4, Kunz has four saves in eight games. with his opponents hitting .222 against him, proving he hits his target more times than he misses.

“This place [Keyspan Park] is really high energy, but I don’t hear anything when I’m out on the mound, I’m just in the zone and focused,” said Kunz. “The last time I was out and I got the save, people were cheering my name and I had no idea until my parents called me up and told me they heard it on the radio.”

The Mets first pick in this year’s draft, Kunz has had some bumps in the road this season, giving up six runs in two outings against Aberdeen and Vermont, the main reason why his ERA is an unusually high 8.59. However, in his six other appearances this season, he hasn’t given up a run and has shown the confidence and unbridled determination a good closer needs in order to be successful.

“I knew I had some good stuff, but I didn’t know how good I was until I faced a couple of batters,” said Kunz, who has six strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work this season. “Now that I’ve done that and I see how much success I’ve been having, I’ve been trying to build on that success every time I go out there. By doing that, I think I’ve proven to myself and the organization that I do more than hold my own at this level and that I’ll be ready for hitters at higher levels when they decide to move me up.”

With all of the competition in the ‘Clones pen this season, Kunz was originally expected to share closing duties with Brant Rustich, Dan McDonald and Stephen Clyne, but after dominant performances against Mahoning Valley and Auburn, Kunz looks to have taken sole position of Brooklyn closers gig for the time being. Nevertheless, Kunz believes that while he would prefer to stay as the team’s main closer, he’ll do whatever it takes to help the team win.

“I was a little scared at first,” said Kunz. “There are four of us in the pen that can come out and close at any time. I’m just really happy that I’ve gotten a chance to show my ability and prove that I can hold down the closer role if they need me to. In all honesty, I don’t feel that any of us are any better than another, it just depends on what the coaches want to see.”

Feeling that the coaching staff in the end will play the biggest part in his success, Kunz, who compares himself to Eric Gagne, is grateful for getting so much playing time after taking six weeks to iron out his contract and get his professional career started.

“I’ve been pitching really well lately because the coaching staff has been giving me an opportunity to throw and I’ve been making the most of it,” said Kunz. “I’ve been handling the closing duties really well and all of my pitches are really working. I’m hitting my spots really well with my fastball, changeup and slider right now, but I’m just really happy to be here and making the most out of the opportunity the organization has given me.”

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Dem Brooklyn Bums: You were the closer in Brooklyn a good chunk of last season. How does it feel to be back in that role this season?

Stephen Clyne: It feels great to be back. They brought me back because they were having problems late in ballgames. When I was in St. Lucie, they told me they got a call from management saying they needed me here and they wanted me to be their guy so I packed my bags and headed here. I was starting to pitch much better in St. Lucie and I’m hoping I can convert that into some success over here as well.

DBB: How are you a different pitcher from last year?

Clyne: I’m smarter. I’m a lot smarter. I respond better in different situations and I know that I’m a pitcher now, not a thrower. Being able to think my way through situations on the mound has helped me a lot in St. Lucie and again, I hope I can use it to my benefit here.

DBB: Do you have any idea if you’re going to spend the rest of season here or if your assignment is temporary?

Clyne: I have no idea. Like I said, I was brought in to help this team in the late innings and that’s what I’m going to do.

DBB: How were you getting along in St. Lucie?

Clyne: Things were going great. I loved the coaches down there and I had a good relationship with them. I put in a lot of work down there. I didn’t have a very good first half. It was really bad actually, but I managed to get myself back on track and started pitching really well. I think that’s why I’m here now.

DBB: You said you started off weak this season. What do you think was the turning point?

Clyne: I started off the season with a bunch of little mechanical problems and I think it got to the point where my hard work started to pay off. They had me doing a lot of drills that made me stay back more. Before, I was trying to throw as hard as I could. Now, I’m a pitcher and I feel a lot better on the mound.

Link:

Box Score to last night’s 2-1 Cyclone win.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.