Brooklyn Cyclones: Noise Complaints on Surf Avenue

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Series Finale

Tri City Valley Cats

vs.

Brooklyn Cyclones

FROM

CONEY ISLAND

Brooklyn Cyclones: It's been a long season, and we're only four games in...

Look what happened to the Cyclones ... again!

The Baby Bums engaged in yet another late night Surf Avenue disturbance that lasted 17 innings this time, and didn't end until 1:10am into the night.  At least Friday's 20 inning violation concluded by 12:34am.

And once again, the Cyclones came up just short.

• Friday - 20 inning loss to Staten Island.
• Saturday - 10 inning, no-hit loss to Staten Island
• Sunday - First victory of season over Tri City
• Monday - 17 inning loss to Tri City

The innings are already exacting a heavy early season toll on the Cyclones staff, who've combined to pitch 56 innings in just four games, or, an average of 14 innings per game.

The situation has gotten to the point where Coach Gamboa resorted to handing infielder Santo Marte the ball in the 16th and 17th innings of Monday's game.

Marte has participated in a total of 15 games over the last two seasons, much less being practiced in the art of pitching.  Nevertheless, armed with a 77 mph pitch (for loss of a better word) he very interestingly negotiated a rather efficient 16th inning despite hitting a batter.  The uniqueness of his "stuff" wore off, however, as the Valley Cats turned the 17th inning into just another batting practice session with four runs.

The Cyclones damn near accomplished the improbable, after scoring three runs, and loading the bases with two outs.  Catcher Brandon Brosher, however, looked at strike three to end the game.

Staten Island Yankees spoil Brooklyn season opener in 20-inning marathon

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Opening Day Final

S.I. Yankees    2

BK Cyclones   1

Richmond County Bombers outlasted the Cyclones, a fireworks show, Dino's, the Scream Zone attractions, and most kids under 12 years old during a nearly 6 hour long Opening Day/Late Night marathon at MCU Park.

One batter and eight minutes into the Cyclones' regular season, center fielder Enmanuel Zabala connected on a high arching, lead-off home run off the scoreboard in left field against Yankees starter Adonis Rosa.

The Richmond Nine struck back, touching Brooklyn starter Gabriel Llanes for three hits and an RBI sac-fly in the top of the 4th inning to take a 2-1 lead.  Llanes otherwise pitched 6 innings, allowed just the two earned runs on six hits, a walk, and fanned one batter before departing to a no-decision.   Gabriel Llanes benefited from Brandon Brosher's a 2-out double, and a triple off the bat of Darryl Knight in the bottom of the frame, which knotted the game at two, and got him off the hook for a potential loss.

That's the way the game remained for the next 15 innings and through many more hours of play.

Brooklyn let a golden scoring opportunity escape them in the home eighth.  Staten Island reliever Justin Kamplain issued three walks to load the bases and was naturally yanked in favor of David Sosebee.  But with two outs, Sosebee whiffed Brandon Brosher swinging to end the threat.

Moreover, the Cyclones were kept hit-less between the 8th and 14th innings.

Staten Island utilized five relievers, two of which tallied three innings each, while Michael Schaub tossed four.  Cyclones manager Tom Gamboa was more reserved in his usage, limiting six relievers to a pair of innings each, and calling on nine relievers overall.

Coach Gamboa summoned Dionis Paulino to pitch the top of the 20th frame, who promptly walked the first three Yankees batters he faced.  A sac-fly to center later by center fielder Ricardo Ferreria plated the go-ahead run.

Brooklyn went down in order during last licks, while second baseman Santo Marte fanned to end the game.

In an eerie reminder of last season's all pitch/no hit team, the Cyclones went just 1 for 12 with RISP.

The Baby Brooks will venture into Richmond County Saturday to complete their home-and-home opening series against the Yankees.

Brooklyn Cyclones Retake First Place of McNamara Division

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

McNamara Division:

1) Brooklyn           20-17

2) Aberdeen          19-18

3) Hudson Valley  19-18

4) Staten Island    19-18

BROOKLYN CYCLONES: Look Who's Number One..., Again!

On Tuesday, the Coney Island Nine and Staten Island Yankees entered that night's action tied for 1st place, with the Aberdeen Ironbirds and Hudson Valley Renegades a mere game behind in the McNamara Division standings.

By Wednesday, all four McNamara teams were tied for 1st place with identical 19-17 records.

The square dance now seems to be breaking up - maybe.

Staten Island lost their second straight to the Batavia Muckdogs, Aberdeen lost to the Auburn Doubledays, while Brooklyn defeated the Hudson Valley Renegades to recapture sole possession of the 1st place.

Moreover, with Wednesday's 6-3 victory over the Renegades, the Cyclones became the fourth team in the circuit, and first team in their division to achieve 20 victories this season.

The McNamara remains the only division with all its members still playing .500 baseball or better.  

The Pinckney Division Williamsport Crosscutters, however, lead the New York Penn League with a 25-12 record.

7/29 - Renegades @ CYCLONES: Game 2

Brooklyn's Kevin Canelon made Wednesday's start at Coney Island Grounds, and was opposed by Hudson Valley's Roel Ramirez.

The Cyclones jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first.  Tucker Tharp and Vinny Siena led-off with back-to-back singles, then scored on Michael Bernal's triple to center field.  Bernal soon scored the third Cyclones' run on David Thompson's ground out to second.

Tucker Tharp led-off the bottom of the 5th with a home run to left, giving the Cyclones a 4-0 lead.

Hudson Valley ruined the shutout in the 6th, but Brooklyn stormed right back with a pair of runs in the 8th.  After DH Brandon Brosher received a 1-out walk, Jeff Diehl connected on a home run to left.

The Renegades scored 2 runs in the top of the 9th, charged to reliever Ruben Reyes to make it a 6-3 final score.

• Starter Kevin Canelon tossed 6 innings, allowed just one earned run on 4 hits, walked one and fanned 7 batters to earn his third victory of the season.  He is now 3-2 with a 3.82 ERA over 33 innings pitched.

Closer Alex Palsha recorded his league leading 8th save of the season.  He has yet to allow a run over 13 appearances and 15.2 innings pitched.  To date, he's allowed 7 hits, issued just 4 walks, and fanned 18 batters.

Now down to .220, the Cyclones team average keeps spiraling precipitously downwards towards the infamous Mendoza Line.  On a team level, I never thought that possible.  Whether they achieve that dubious distinction remains to be seen.

On this night, they managed 9 hits, while usually averaging 7.16 hits per game.  Their 6 runs were also somewhat of an outburst when compared to their 3.75 runs per game average over 37 games played.

Despite Wednesday's output, Brooklyn's team batting average is presently .220, and spiraling precipitously downwards towards the infamous Mendoza Line.  On a team level, I never thought that possible.  Whether they achieve that dubious distinction remains to be seen.

On the bright side, a pair of home runs gave the Cyclones 18 for the season, which ranks them 4th in the league.

Brooklyn, would then be well served by getting just a few more people on base.  They presently sport a league low .297 OBP, making them the only team below the .300 mark.  The Cyclones have drawn the 4th least walks, have the league's least amount of hits, and as you might guess, they trail the league in total bases.

The Renegades and Cyclones will play the rubber game of their series Thursday evening at Dutchess Stadium.



Mike

BK Cyclones: McNamara Division Proving Difficult to Conquer

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

McNamara Division:

1) Brooklyn          19-16  .543

2) Staten Island    19-16  .543

3) Aberdeen          18-17  .514

4) Hudson Valley  18-17  .514

BROOKLYN CYCLONES: Division race following same twisting, and looping track as neighboring Thunderbolt roller coaster.

The tourniquet constricting the McNamara Division continues to tighten.  All four teams are playing above .500, while just one game separates the last place club from first.

The light hitting Brooklyn Cyclones remain locked in a tie for 1st place with Staten Island, largely due to the Yankees' current 3-game losing streak.  Meanwhile, both the Aberdeen Ironbirds and Hudson Valley Renegades are tied, just a game behind.

The Cyclones now have 35 games in the books, as the NYPL arrives at their season's mid-point this week.  At this rate of play, the 2015 Wild Card winner could very well come out of the McNamara Division.

That remains to be seen, but the Cyclones had better improve at the plate.  It's clear they're operating with little room for error.  Despite their present standing, the Surf Avenue Sluggers have failed to live up that moniker this season.

They are last in the 14-team circuit in hits, and a .220 batting average, and rank 13th in runs scored, runs batted in, OBP, and slugging.

The Yankees haven't fared much better.  They're 5th worst in the league with a .244 team average.   For the moment, however, parity rules the day.  The Aberdeen Ironbirds are last in runs scored, OBP, slugging, and 13th in hits and home runs, yet, as noted, reside just a game out of first place with a .500 record to boot.

Brooklyn's Vinny Siena leads the McNamara Division with a .313 batting average.  Power wise, Michael Bernal, Brandon Brosher, and Jeff Diehl all rank in the league's top ten with 3 home runs apiece.

Staten Island's Jhalan Jackson is 2nd in the league with a .511 slugging average, while Brooklyn's Michael Bernal is 5th with a .465 mark.

Jhalan also leads the division with 4 home runs, while team mate Drew Bridges ranks in the league's top-10 with 3 homers as well.  Both Jhalan Jackson and team mate Brad Valera additionally rate in the league's top-10 with 18 RBI apiece.

This season, the Cyclones are getting by on pitching.  They lead the league with a 2.74 ERA.  The Yankees trail in 4th place with a 3.25 mark.  The Hudson Valley Renegades are making their mark in 3rd place with a 3.14 ERA.

Brooklyn pitchers have additionally surrendered the least number of hits, home runs, posted the best WHiP, and have fanned the second most batters in the league, while Renegades and Yankees pitchers have issued the least walks.

In fact, 4 of the top 6 teams in WHiP come from the McNamara Division.  In other words, the combined mound work of each club has created a too-tough-to-gauge divisional race with roughly 40 games left in the regular season.

The Cyclones fared poorly during their most recent road trip, getting clawed by the newly minted West Virginia Black Bears, then playing pedestrian baseball against Mahoning Valley.

Brooklyn is now 4-6 in their last 10 games, as is Staten Island.

TUESDAY

BROOKLYN CYCLONES

vs.

Hudson Valley Renegades

FROM

Dutchess Stadium

FISHKILL, N.Y.

After Monday's NYPL scheduled day off, the Cyclones will open a home-and-home series in Hudson Valley against the Renegades with clear first place implications.  The Yankees will host an out of division series against the Batavia Muckdogs.

The rivalry between Brooklyn and the Renegades has intensified over the last three years.

In 2012, the Renegades edged out the Cyclones for the division flag.  Brooklyn gained a Wild Card berth, however, only to get eliminated by Hudson Valley in the first round of the post-season.  Then last season, Hudson Valley outpaced the Cyclones by 4 games en route to another division flag.

Hudson Valley recently enjoyed a brief taste of first place as well.  They're the league's 5th highest slugging team, and lead the league in stolen bases.  On the mound, the Renegades are 3rd in the league with a 3.14 ERA.  They've additionally issued the least walks and are 5th in the circuit in team WHiP.



Mike

Staten Island Yanks tie Brooklyn Cyclones for first place

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Battle of the Boroughs - II

Back over the bridge...

Yanks lead series 2-0

I - SIY 3; BKN 2

II - SIY 1; BKN 0

III - TONIGHT

BROOKLYN CYCLONES: Staten Island Yanks to Host Friday Night's Battle for First Place.

Wednesday's series opener in Staten Island ended rather ponderously for the Cyclones.

With the game tied at two, and a runner on third in the bottom of the 10th inning, Cyclones reliever Carlos Valdez intended an intentional walk to Yanks first baseman Jake Hernandez.  Instead, Valdez and catcher Brandon Brosher combined to balk home the game winning run.

That's right - a balk off victory for the Staten Island Yankees, whom reduced Brooklyn's McNamara Division first place lead to just one game.

Then came Thursday's sold out game at MCU Park in Coney Island.  Led by starter Kolton Mahoney, rival Staten Island whitewashed the Cyclones, and thus gained a 2-0 lead in the series.  More importantly, the Yankees are now tied with Brooklyn for the McNamara Division lead.

Much to the dismay of the crowd, the Surf Avenue Sluggers fell silent once again.  They managed 6 hits and just one walk against three Yankees pitchers, en route to a 1-0 defeat.  This was the second time in the last three games the Cyclones have been shut out, and falls right in line with their statistically low offensive league rankings.

Thing is, starter Matt Blackham pitched a gem for Brooklyn, but nonetheless suffered his first loss of the season.  He allowed just one earned run on 5 hits, walked one, and fanned 10 batters over 6 innings pitched.

The series now shifts back to Staten Island for a Friday night battle for first place.



Mike

BK Cyclones: Bring on the Renegades

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Brooklyn leads season series over Hudson Valley 2-1

I - BKN 7; HVR 0

II - BKN 2; HVR 1

III - HVR 4; BKN 1

TONIGHT

BROOKLYN CYCLONES

vs.

Hudson Valley Renegades

FROM

DUTCHESS STADIUM

Wappingers Falls, N.Y.

Brooklyn Cyclones: Renegades have been a thorn in Baby Bum's side over past three seasons.

After enjoying a day off, the Cyclones start a 3-game series against their Dutchess County rivals, Hudson Valley Renegades this evening.  It was Hudson Valley who stood center of the Cyclones' path in 2 of the last 3 season post-season bids.

In 2012, the Cyclones fell short in the division race to the Hudson Valley Renegades, and as Wild Card qualifiers were ultimately eliminated from the post-season by the 'Gades as well.

Last season, Coney Island finished the regular season with a fine 42-34 record, 4 games back, however, of the McNamara Division winning Hudson Valley Renegades.

After 17 games played this season, Brooklyn leads the McNamara Division with a 12-5 record, and a 2.5 game lead over the Staten Island Yanks.  Hudson Valley is in 3rd place, just 3 games out, so this is indeed an early season division showdown against the Renegades.

Brooklyn took 2 of 3 games from the 'Gades to open the month, then swept 3 games from the Williamsport Crosscutters making them 5-1 in July.

Michael Bernal and Vinny Siena have lead the Cyclones offense through the early going.  Bernal leads the circuit with 14 runs scored and is 2nd with 3 home runs.  He leads the team with 4 doubles and 10 RBI.  Siena is 2nd in the NYPL with a .390 batting mark.  He leads the team with 23 hits and is 2nd behind Bernal with 12 runs scored.

Catcher Brandon Brosher is batting .250, with a pair of home runs, and is 2nd on the team with 9 RBI.  Seven of those came during Sunday's 9-2 victory over the Crosscutters setting a new Brooklyn Cyclones record.

On the mound, right-hander Tyler Badamo was named New York-Penn League Pitcher of the Week for the period ending July 5th.  In 4 starts and 26.2 innings pitched thus far, Tyler is 1-1 with a 1.35 ERA and 0.67 WHiP.

Closer Alex Palsha has thrown 9.1 innings over 6 appearances.  He is yet to yield a run, allowed 3 hits, and has 3 saves.



Mike