Life in the Minors: Chapter 12- Brooklyn Goes Home, Hudson Valley Lives On
Here is the last regular season edition of Life in the Minors with Brooklyn Cyclones' beat reporter Charlie Maisano and Hudson Valley Renegades' beat reporter Chris Calamari.
Episode 12: Brooklyn Goes Home, Hudson Valley Lives On
Brooklyn Cyclones
By Charlie Maisano
The New York Penn League regular season is officially in the books. Unfortunately for Brooklyn, the playoffs were out of reach this season finishing 24-52, last in their division. Although this was not the way the Cyclones envisioned their season to end, the players learned a lot. Outfielder Jeremy Wolfe had some positive takeaways following the conclusion of their final game on Thursday. Wolfe learned how to “be successful at this level because it’s grueling.” Moreover, he believes he needs to trust in his game more and just know that he is playing professional baseball for a reason- he put in the work to get there.
For starting pitcher Ryan McAuliffe, he learned a valuable lesson while spending his summer in Coney Island. He said failure is apart of the game of baseball and it’s the way you bounce back from your failure that makes you a good ball player. McAuliffe also took away the progression of the amount of games played as you move up in the ranks. “They don’t care if you have a bad outing here, they just want to see that you are progressing and getting better,” McAuliffe said before one of his outings this summer.
During the offseason, the Brooklyn players will have a lot of time to work on their game and get ready for next season, wherever they wind up. For Jeremy Wolfe, getting healthy is his first priority considering he ended the season on the Inactive List. Once he is healthy, Wolfe wants to work on one major aspect of his game- speed. “Speed for sure and strength. Those are two things I need to work physically and my swing needs to be more consistent.” Wolfe is also excited to get back on the field and improve his skills.
A major part of the offseason for the Cyclones after a long 76 game schedule in 80 days is rest. Southpaw Kurtis Horne said he would take a couple of weeks off to recover. But after those two weeks, he will be back in the gym getting ready for next season. As for Ryan McAuliffe, he is looking to get back in a routine of running and lifting once the playoffs begin in Major League Baseball. “Once October comes around, after a couple of weeks off, get back into working, going on runs…”
Winning in the minor leagues isn’t everything. This is the time for players to get their feet wet and experience what it is like to be a professional baseball player. The offseason will be tough for the Cyclones to forget the poor season they had, but by putting in the work over the offseason, next year will be a whole new ball game.
Hudson Valley Renegades
By Chris Calamari
As the season comes to a close these minor leaguers have learned a lot either as a veteran or a rookie. The most difficult and the most enjoyable times all help each player learn and prepare for next season. This preparation is done in the offseason one of the most important times for a baseball player. While their season may almost be over their work on the diamond is not.
After each season one of the main parts of a player’s offseason is to take what they learned in the regular season and build upon it. While a coach can give you many points of advice, it is really your own personal experiences that you learn from. For Hudson Valley catcher Zac Law, he felt that the in game experience he had throughout the season allowed him to learn about how to stay composed and calm in bigger situations. As a newly converted catcher, Law needed to remain under control even when it was difficult behind the plate. While players may have takeaways on the field, Renegade pitcher Tobias Myers was able to take in the entire New York area, enjoying traveling around for games.
With so much time off and without games to play, the offseason is the perfect time to rest and strengthen yourself for next year. Renegade pitcher Nick Padilla looks to rest and recuperate before lifting and getting stronger for next season. Zac Law believes that he needs to especially work on his hitting and improve defensively behind the plate to become a more well rounded player.
While the offseason is full of baseball, it is not the only thing on these players’ minds. For catcher Zac Law he will be taking a big step in his life suiting up to get married. Even though this time comes with relaxation and great new experiences for these players, it is not the end of their work on the ball field as they will try to improve to further their career as a professional baseball player. As the regular season comes to a close the Hudson Valley Renegades will look to make a playoff run before entering a much-needed offseason
