Cyclones Sneak By Staten Island Yanks For 10th Straight Win
By Richard Kagan

Charles Honored Ed Charles, third baseman of the 1969 World Series ‘Miracle Mets’ has been honored for his achievements both on and off the field. Nicknamed The Glider for his defensive prowess, Charles has endeared himself to Mets fans for scoring the game-winning run in game two of the 1969 World Series.

That sizzle sound you hear in the air isn’t just a July firecracker, it’s the red hot Brooklyn Cyclones who are playing decidedly good baseball in the ‘A’ New York-Penn League (NYPL). The first professional baseball team to play in Brooklyn in 44 years is a bona-fide hit at the Boardwalk in Coney Island.

After a slow start, the Cyclones have caught fire and have won 10 games in a row to move to 18-8 for the season and currently hold the top spot in the McNamara Division of the NYPL.

Brooklyn faced its new rival, the Staten Island Yankees in a Sunday twilight game on July 15 at KeySpan Park in Coney Island and beat the Yanks 1-0 in a well pitched game. Luz Portobanco, a 21-year-old righthander, went seven strong innings to pick up the victory. Lefty Blake McGinley checked the Yankees in the final two innings to earn the save. First baseman Jay Caligiuri drove in the lone run in the home frame of the sixth inning on a seeing eye single down the right field line, scoring Danny Garcia.

Tauyoshi Shinjo, the New York Mets outfielder, played right field for the Cyclones while he healed from his injured hamstring. Shinjo received hearty applause from the packed crowd of 7,935 each time he came to the plate. But the real star of the game was Portobanco (2-2) who gave up zero runs and only a couple of base hits. Bobby Ojeda, former Mets pitching star and now the pitching coach for Brooklyn, was very pleased with Portobanco’s performance. "He’s working on that curveball, he’s working on that changeup and he’s got the guts to go ahead and throw it in a game. That’s pitching to me," Ojeda, said.

Bobby Wood, the talented righthander from the University of Michigan, pitched a fine game for the Yanks, but Portobanco was even better. "You have to give a lot of credit to Portobanco and to Wood," Edgar Alfonzo, the Cyclones’ manager, said. Wood matched shutout innings with Portobanco except for the sixth when the Cyclones pushed across the run that would make the difference. Speaking of Wood’s effort, Alfonzo said, "He threw great. He made one mistake and we took advantage of it and we won the game."

With runners on first and second in the bottom of the sixth, Caligiuri blooped a single between converging Staten Island players, and Garcia touched home plate to put the Cyclones ahead 1-0. The run held up because the Cyclones’ pitching has been lights-out of late. Caligiuri knows that good teams find a way to win close ballgames. "Good teams win one-run games," he said.

Having Shinjo around has helped as well. Alfonzo said that Shinjo’s professionalism has been a good influence on his young players. "He’s a very good player," Alfonzo said. Shinjo should be back at Shea Stadium in a few days, but the boys of Brooklyn 2001 are in the process of making their own summer magic.

As the Gazette was heading for press we learned that the Cyclones won their 11th straight game on Monday night, beating the Hudson Valley Renegades 2-1. The win keeps Brooklyn in first place in the McNamara Division, two games ahead of Staten Island, and two and a half games ahead of the Renegades.