Heels On The Field: A Baseball Blog

Brooklyn Cyclones Cruise With Luis Mateo, Solid Relief

The Brooklyn Cyclones [NYPL Mets] began a four-game series against the Hudson Valley Renegades on Monday. Brooklyn got the victory due almost entirely to a stellar performance from starting pitcher Luis Mateo, and relievers Paul Sewald and Tyler Vanderheiden. Mateo two-hit the Renegades and the Cyclones went on to win 1-0.

Rich Donnelly on Brandon Nimmo

We really like him. He's doing just great. He's straight out of high school, which is incredible. He's got good on base percentage, he's walking, and he's learning fast. He's going to face some difficult experiences, like he did tonight. We expect that. The game is very fast for him right now. Each day he's improving.

Reliever Paul Sewald on his professional debut

It was my pro debut so of course my adrenaline was going more. Kevin [Plawecki] was calling the right pitches. It was a good first outing.

[The coaches and manager] talked to me before the game. They just tried to calm me down. When I was out there I had to remember it's the same game, whether

I was in command of all my pitches, going forward I need to just focus on command of all three of my pitches and stay with that everytime.

Sewald's line: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 SO

Mark Valdes on Luis Mateo

This is his second start here and playing here in the states. He's a kid that's got a good arm. He's got a 92-95 mile per hour fastball, he has a changeup, and he throws a slider. He throws strikes. He likes to get guys out quick.

The game, early on, may speed up on him. Sometimes young kids show frustration when things don't go their way on the field or they're struggling with their mechanics. Once he learns his body and mechanics a little better he'll be fine.

He went a good five, six innings last time, so it could be six or seven. We just wait to see if he's got long innings. So we just gotta use our judgement and keep him within 85 pitches [per game].

I try to prepare them as if they were going to pitch in higher A or double A. We want them to use their fastball primarily on both sides of the plate and then get the changeup going. There's going to be times where these guys struggle, because the changeup's not their best pitch or it's their fourth best. But we force them to throw it so they can use that when they get to the higher levels.

His slider is his second best pitch. But he feels very confident using his changeup. He's buying into the way we want things done. And so he'll throw a lot of changeups.

HHOTF notes on Mateo: He was highly impressive in his second outing of the season, with seven strikeouts in the six innings the Cyclones were looking for from him. The very athletic righty, has a quick move to first and looks halfway to home plate when he pitches. His extension is excellent. But, as Valdes mentioned, he's still growing into his body. He didn't overthrow a lot, but that was the only issue that crept up. Otherwise, he was hitting the corners, using his curve wisely, and commanding the ball on both sides of the plate, mixing all of his pitches with veteran-like ease.

He's now 2-0 with 0.77 ERA.

 Look for coverage of the Brooklyn Cyclones and Staten Island Yankees for Gotham Baseball Magazine

Staten Island Yankees Manager Justin Pope Talks On The Job Training, Tony Franklin

Coney Island - Justin Pope is just months removed from being a hitting coach for the Double-A Trenton Thunder. And a bench coach. And a stand-in manager.

He might have worn a few hats in his wild 2011 debut on the Thunder coaching staff, but 2012 marks his first full season as the manager of his own team. The Staten Island Yankees of the New York Penn League are under his watch and he spoke before the season opener against the Brooklyn Cyclones at MCU Park, home of the Cyclones.

On opening day jitters: A little nervousness, a little anxious. I think more anxious than anything. To see if I'm ready and what it's going to be like once the game starts. Extended is over. It counts now, you know? The decisions I make have to be right. Are they all going to be right? I don't know. But I'm just anxious to get going.

On (very) young roster: I'm going to try and help them slow the game down. When you're young you have a tendency to try and speed everything up. They think faster is better, but that's not necessarily the case. A lot of times you take a step and see going slower is better. When you're going faster, that's when mistakes start happening. So at a young age, you're just trying to minimize the mistakes. Learning how to be consistent every night. And teaching the guys how to come to the ballpark everyday and have a plan of what to do and what to work at.

On his own youth: I'd like to think [it helps me relate to them better]. It's not too long ago I was playing. So I try to remind myself that it's a hard game and so when these kids mess up, they might mess up something easy, but I've got to remind myself that these are nineteen-year old kids. The game is going 100 miles per hour for them. And instead of jumping on them and being impatient, have patience and show that. Because mistakes are going to happen. They've just got to learn from them.

On what he learned from Trenton Thunder manager Tony Franklin: Let the guys play. As a manager don't try to make the outcome of the game, because those guys on the field are going to decide the game. Just try to make the right decisions and let them play.

On what kind of temparement he might have: [laughs] I hope I'm pretty even keel. Take the good with the bad...I don't know, you know, when I first started coaching, [being around] guys like Tony Dungy are what I want to be like. I don't want to be yelling and screaming and throwing curse words out there. For me, when you start doing that you lose the team. There's a certain way to talk to them. If something does happen that I am mad, hopefully I can talk to them the next day when I'm calm.

On the responsibility the Yankees have given him: Oh my gosh, there's so much for me to learn. So much. Everyday it's something new coming up. Managing in extended was good because something happened everyday that I didn't know could happen. It opens your eyes and prepares you for the season and for the future. These guys are going through a process and I'm going through a process as well.

Look for a full story on the SI Yankees and Cyclones for Gotham Baseball later this week. Coverage of both teams will run all season here & for Gotham.

 

Mark Appel Could Benefit With Pirates

Mark Appel might not have seen this coming. Many didn't, though the writing was on the wall for a lot of us paying attention to scouts reports.

Expected to go first, second, even third in the 2012 MLB Draft, Appel found himself in the eight slot, selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates. It's a turn of events that could've cost him a few million dollars. And, based on his anti-press move post-selection, he might have been dissapointed, stressed out, or just plain overwhelmed.

While the money and team might not have been what he'd hoped (he publicly stated how much he'd like to be with the Houston Astros), the Pirates system is one ripe with possibility. The strengths are plenty. Ranked 11th by Baseball America, the Pirates have gone to work the past few years under GM Neal Huntington, commited to deepening their pitching and drafting and developing major league-quality talent.

The Pirates willingness to take risks and spend in record amounts has led to smart drafting. Appel is in the company of top pitching prospects Jameson Tallion and Gerrit Cole, not to mention Luis Heredia and Kyle McPherson.

Appel has a lot of questions to ask himself going forward. He has to feel that this is his best chance. He has to have reason to want to be part of the Pirates organization, the same way he had reasons to want to be with the Astros. Obviously, being drafted first is the preference. Sure. But he had personal feelings about the prospect of playing for Houston. In the days and weeks that stretched before him, what did he sense or even know was possible? If he was prepared to see his slot drop (as was widely reported), it's possible he asked himself some crucial questions already.

There is the option of returning to play his senior year and not sign with the Pirates. But it's hard to imagine he would pass. Afterall, he went on record with this blog in 2011, saying, "So many things can change from now until the draft, so I don't want to get ahead of myself." He seemed levelheaded about the chatter.

On the other hand, in that same interview he had this to say, "I was born in Houston, Texas and lived there until I was 12 years old, so my favorite team is the Houston Astros (although we have had some tough years of late). But my favorite memory as both a player and a fan comes from when I was living and playing in California. I was invited to attend the Houston Astros pre-draft workout. My whole family and a few of my childhood friends got to come out and watch me pitch a few innings in Minute Maid Park. I also got to meet one of my all-time favorite Astros, Craig Biggio. As both a fan and a player, it was a dream come true and really a great experience." Note the 'We' in that first sentence.

It's safe to say he was likely let down by not being chosen by Houston. And, to boot, just turned out a 10-2 season for Stanford. The results were not enough. Whatever caused Houston to not select him, six other teams thought the same thing or had other issues with him.

Appel is wanted and needed in Pittsburgh. He'd be wise to sign on the dotted line.