Brooklyn Cyclones Pull Even With Hudson Valley

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

That's the Josh Walker We Like

• BOXSCORE

Here we go: once is an event, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend.  After four starts, Josh Walker puts forth his third stellar effort of the young season.  That leaves Walker's previous appearance against Greenville as his lone ineffective outing to date.  Friday against Hudson Valley, Walker limits the Renegades to one run on three hits and one walk with four strikeouts through six innings pitched.  Relievers Michel Otanez and Eric Orze join in, allowing just one hit and striking out six over the final three innings.  Orze earns the save.

After surrendering a run to Hudson Valley, Brooklyn third baseman Brett Baty drives in a run during a three-run first inning.  Baty drives in his second run of the game in the fifth, giving this game its 4-1 final score.  Luke Ritter and Jose Mena each drive in a run apiece.

Brooklyn Cyclones: Greenville Drives Coney Island Fans Crazy

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

OPENING DAY
Tuesday, May 18, 2021

HUDSON VALLEY RENEGADES

vs.

BROOKLYN CYCLONES

FROM

Old Steeplechase Grounds

Our Brooklyn Cyclones are finally coming home.  The 2019 New York Penn League champions have yet to play a game at Coney Island since I snapped this picture on that glorious September night twenty long months ago.  They've been promoted up in levels, and now play in the newly formed High-A East Division.  Because of MiLB realignment, many of the 2019 champions will be returning for a second season in Brooklyn.  Among them are position players Brett Baty, Antione Duplantis, Joe Genord,  Luke Ritter, Jose Mena, and Jake Mangum.  From the pitching ranks, returning hurlers include Dan Goggin,  Andrew Edwards, Mitch Ragan, Brian Metoyer, Josh Hejka, Alec Kisena, Jaison Vilera, and Josh Walker.  Hurry back, we miss you!

⚾

Greenville defeats Brooklyn; 4-2

I - BKN 6; GVL 1

II - BKN 3; GVL 2

III - GVL 8; BKN 2

IV - GVL 5; BKN 1

V - GVL 8; BKN 4

VI - GVL 10; BKN 9

Like deja vu all over again ... 

• BOXSCORE: Sunday, May 16, 2021; Game #11

Brooklyn was pushing the pace.  They held various leads in this game, some larger than others.  Meanwhile, the Drive remained just close enough to stay representative.  Then, reminiscent of Saturday's four-run eighth inning, Greenville erupts this day for five runs in the eighth to overtake the Cyclones.

After two superlative starts, Josh Walker yields four earned runs on seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts through five innings pitched.  Designated hitter Delvin Granberg connected off Walker for a two-run home run in the fourth.  In the eighth, the Drive tag reliever Michel Otanez for another five earned runs on four hits and two walks, and just like that, Brooklyn found themselves down 9-6 heading into the ninth.  

With Jose Mena and Antoine Duplantis on base, shortstop Ronny Mauricio Ronny clears the wall in left, tying the game at nine!

Leading off the bottom of the ninth, Greenville's first baseman Tyreque Reed deposits Brooklyn reliever Eric Orze's 3-2 offering over the right-field wall.

Game over.

See you TUESDAY ... 

Brooklyn Cyclones: Coney Island Plants Their Flag at Greenville

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

20th

Anniversary Season

2001 ~ 2021

TUESDAY

Cyclones   6

GREENVILLE 1

Fluor Field

FINAL

Josh Walker Impressive Again; Home Runs For Mauricio and Genord

For the first time in their now 20-year history, the Brooklyn Cyclones arrive in South Carolina for a regular-season game against the nearly 30-year old Greenville Drive.  The Cyclones entered Tuesday's action, having dropped three of five games against the Asheville Tourists.

• 5/11/2021: BOXSCORE: Game #6

Leading off the game, left fielder Antoine Duplantis singles and right fielder Matt Winaker lines a double to center field.  Next in, third sacker Brett Baty doubles home both base runners for a prompt 2-0 Brooklyn lead.  First baseman Joe Genord leading off the second connects on his second home run this season, and second baseman Luke Ritter doubles home Baty in the top of the third, giving the Cyclones a 4-0 lead.  Starter Josh Walker surrenders the lone run of his appearance in the home half of the third, but Ronny Mauricio's two-run blast in the top of the fourth gives dem Boardwalk Bums a 6-1 advantage.  Right-hander Dan Goggin pitches two scoreless innings in relief of Walker with four strikeouts.  Manager Blankmeyer then hands the ball to righty Nick MacDonald for the eighth, who faces the minimum with a strikeout.  Despite an error by Mauricio, Nick MacDonald effectively closes out the ninth just as well.  Making his second start, Josh Walker puts forth another commendable effort, yielding one run on four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts through six innings pitched.  Ritter finishes up 3 for 4 with a run batted in, and Mauricio and Baty each drive in two runs apiece.  Brooklyn achieves par with a 3-3 record.

QUICK OBSERVATION: Through six High-A level games, there have been far more home runs hit by both Brooklyn and the opposition than former New York-Penn League fans are accustomed to.  A true test awaits when games arrive at spacious MCU Park at Coney Island and hitting into the stiff Spring ocean breeze.

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.

Brooklyn Cyclones Win Season Opener at Historic McCormick Field

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

2001 ~ Twentieth Anniversary ~ 2021

BROOKLYN CYCLONES

New York-Penn League Champions

2019

It's been a long 508 days since the Brooklyn Cyclones last took the field.  On Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, they defeated the Lowell Spinners to capture their second-ever championship.  Afterwhich, baseball and society came to a grinding halt due to the COVID pandemic.  Major League Baseball then overhauled and realigned all of MiLB during the most recent off-season, completely changing the landscape.  Unless the league is restarted in the future, the Brooklyn Cyclones go down as the last New York Penn League champion.

• ROSTER: 2021 Brooklyn Cyclones

Brooklyn is now a long-season high-A affiliate.  One of the benefits, as a fan, is the higher level of competition and, of course, more games - 120 games to be exact.  Sadly, the days of Brooklyn versus Staten Island are over.  The Hudson Valley Renegades are now a New York Yankees affiliate, making the Dutchess County club Brooklyn's newest and biggest rival.  That is if you haven't already singled out as a next rival, the newly rebranded Jersey Shore Blue Claws (formerly Lakewood).  Joining Brooklyn and Hudson Valley from the former New York Penn League is the Aberdeen Ironbirds. 

HIGH-A EAST North Division:

• Brooklyn Cyclones (New York-Penn League)
• Hudson Valley Renegades (New York-Penn League)
• Aberdeen Ironbirds (New York-Penn League)
• Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League)
• Jersey Shore Blue Claws (South-Atlantic League)

HIGH-A EAST South Division:

• Ashville Tourists (South-Atlantic League)
• Greensboro Grasshoppers (South-Atlantic League)
• Hickory Crawdads (South-Atlantic League)
• Rome Braves (South-Atlantic League)
• Greenville Drive (Carolina League)
• Winston-Salem Dash (Carolina League)
• Bowling Green Hot Rods (Midwest League)

Due to COVID, this year's travel schedule is being limited to Hudson Valley, Jerse Shore, Aberdeen, Asheville, Greenville, and Wilmington.

SEASON OPENER

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Brooklyn Cyclones vs. ASHEVILLE TOURISTS

McCormick Field

North Carlina

Lefty Josh Walker Hurls a Gem

With Brooklyn staked to a 6-0 lead, Asheville finally connects for its base first hit in the sixth.  

So starts the 2021 regular season at the historic near-century old McCormick Field, the third-oldest minor league ballpark in America.

Receiving the privilege of making the season-opening start, Brooklyn manager Ed Blankmeyer hands the ball to southpaw Josh Walker who yields no hits through five innings pitched while walking only one and fanning eight.  Right-hander Eric Orze throws a scoreless sixth in relief of Walker but in the seventh, yields a lead-off home run to shortstop Freudis Nova.  

Third baseman Bret Baty spearheads the charge.  His first-inning single delivers home two runs.  But it's catcher Hayden Senger who strikes the mighty blow, a second-inning home run giving Brooklyn a 3-0 lead.  Center fielder Scott Ota's base hit in the third drives home second baseman Luke Ritter; then, with Senger at the plate and Ota standing at third, a balk is called, giving the Cyclones a five-run advantage.  Bret Baty follows with a double in the fourth driving in his third run of the game.

The Ashville Tourists finally get on the board on first baseman Scott Schreiber's seventh-inning home run against reliever Mitch Ragan.  However, in the top of the eighth, Tourists' reliever Yeremi Ceballos unleashes consecutive wild pitches allowing two more Brooklyn base runners to score.  But in the bottom of the eighth, Mitch Ragan surrenders a home run to left fielder Colin Barber.  Mitch Ragan pitches himself into more trouble in the ninth by loading the bases.  But he regroups to strike out the side, the last Asheville batter being Colin Barber.

Starter Josh Walker earns the victory.  Shortstop Ronny Mauricio is 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.  Brooklyn batters amass eleven hits while three Cyclones pitchers join to strike out 15 batters.

• BOXSCORE
  
• 5/4/21 - Hudson Valley 2; JERSEY SHORE 6