Brooklyn Cyclones: Early Losses Take Back Seat to Historical Context

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

20th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

COUNTDOWN TO OPENING DAY

10

Look What Asheville Did to Coney Island's Nine, Again!

The first few games of the season are leaving no room for debate.  The respective winners are going about their business with conviction.  After Brooklyn's decisive season-opening victory on Tuesday, Asheville has since more than doubled Coney Island's output, outscoring them by a 30-12 margin.  Two more weekend games remain against the Tourists.

Josh Walker pitched a gem to open the season, yielding no runs, no hits, with one walk and eight strikeouts.  However, over the next three games, Brooklyn starting pitchers have joined together for an unsightly 20.25 earned run average, allowing 18 runs on 17 hits and eight walks with eleven strikeouts over a mere 9.0 innings pitched.

• GM2: Jose Butto - 3.2 innings, three hits, four runs, three walks, five strikeouts.
• GM3: Oscar Rojas - 2.1 innings, five hits, seven runs, two walks, three strikeouts, two HR.
• GM4: Jason Vilera - 3.0 innings, nine hits, seven runs, three walks, three strikeouts, two HR.

But we must keep in mind these kids haven't played regularly in about twenty months.  That being said, welcome to an elevated level of play (for some, not all).

Asheville leads Cyclones; 3-1

I - BKN 8; ASH 2

II - ASH 6; BKN 1

III - ASH 11; BKN 4 

IV - ASH 13; BKN 7

On Friday, Asheville scored early and often.  They owned a 7-1 lead after two and a 10-3 lead after four.  By the sixth, they had amassed all 13 runs.  Brooklyn finally made things somewhat interesting with a run in the seventh and three in the eighth to no avail.

• SS - Ronny Mauricio: 3 for 5 with two doubles, home run, four runs batted in.
• 3B - Brett Baty: 2 for 4, two runs batted in.
• 1B - Joe Genord: 2 for 4, third Cyclone with multiple hits.
• LF - Matt Winaker: three runs scored.

Depending on your personal level of intensity, these are nonetheless historical games.  In ten more days, the Cyclones will become the first team to play professional baseball during May in Brooklyn since the Dodgers last played in 1957 at Ebbets Field.  Regardless of the outcomes (for now ...), embrace the return of Spring baseball in Brooklyn.  In the meantime, as we await their arrival back in Coney Island, historic McCormick Field is a very nice and rather appropriate place to start this new narrative.