Streaks were the order of the evening as the Brooklyn Cyclones began their third season on Tuesday, June 17, with a game at Aberdeen, Md.
When the soggy evening had ended, Brooklyn and the Aberdeen Ironbirds were tied at 2 after six innings, and the game was suspended because of rain. The contest resumed on Wednesday before the regularly scheduled game at Aberdeen, when the Clones fell 3-2.
(As The Papers went to press Wednesday night, the Cyclones won their second game of the season, 6-0, in Aberdeen. Clones hurler Bob Keppel, on a rehab assignment, threw five perfect innings before giving way to Brian Bannister, who gave up just one hit over four innings. Both pitchers struck out six batters. Seth Pietsch hit a solo home run in the third inning to lead the Brooklyns offensive attack.)
The Ironbirds’ 2002 inaugural season streak of fully-played games was broken in the season opener, as the suspension marked the first time an Ironbirds’ contest was either rained out or suspended.
Of course, thoughts of streaks easily come to mind at Aberdeen’s Ripken Stadium — because the club’s owner is Cal Ripken Jr., holder of the Major League Baseball record of consecutive games played at 2,632.
The record topped Lou Gehrig’s streak of 2,130 consecutive games. Ripken was present at the game Tuesday, and he spent about an hour signing autographs for kids.
Another streak entering the game was the Cyclones’ record of having won each of their home and away openers in their first two seasons.
The Cyclones finished at 38-38 last season, a letdown after their co-championship season (with Williamsport) in 2001.
Up in the radio booth, announcer Warner Fusselle was working on his own consecutive game streak; he’s seen, coming into the opening game, 156 straight regular season Cyclones’ games — every Cyclones game ever played.
The Cyclones first hitter of the evening, Rashad Parker, doubled. Parker moved to third on a groundout by David Reaver and then Bladergroen doubled in Parker for the game’s first run.
Aberdeen’s Jim Tiller didn’t give up another until the top of the fourth when Brooklyn’s Ryan Harvey singled, stole second, and then, after a Watts’ strikeout, Yunir Garcia singled in Harvey for a 2-0 Cyclone lead.
Aberdeen’s Bryan Bass started off the bottom of the fourth by reaching second on a throwing error by second baseman Housel. Bass reached third after a passed ball and scored when catcher Thomas Arko powered an Osberg pitch over the left-centerfield fence to tie the game at 2.
Lefty reliever Anthony Boughner pitched two and one-third innings of scoreless relief for Aberdeen, and Brooklyn’s Javier Ochoa, a converted catcher, pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Osberg.
When the game picked up on Wednesday, Martin Berube took the mound for Aberdeen, and threw two scoreless innings, before giving way to Brandan Spillers in the ninth.
But in the seventh, IronBird Mike Russell hit a 2-0 fastball from Clone reliever Taylor George over the left field fence, past the bullpen, before landing some 400 feet away atop the visitors clubhouse.
The loss ended yet another streak: in their two-year history, the Cyclones had never lost an Opening Day game — at home or away.
In 2001, they were victorious in their first-ever game in Jamestown, N.Y. before defeating Mahoning Valley at home.
Last season, the Clones opened with a home-and-home series against the Staten Island Yankees, winning both contests.
NOTES
•Brooklyn started three Canadians, something that’s highly unusual: pitcher Tanner Osberg, third baseman Shawn Bowman and outfielder Derran Watts. The winning pitcher for Aberdeen in the rain-postponed opener was Martin Berube, also a Canadian.
•Peggy O’Neill’s on Surf Avenue in Coney Island is running a bus trip to Saturday’s game at New Jersey. The bus will leave Our Lady of Solace School, 2865 W. 19th St., at 2 pm sharp. The cost, $25, includes the roundtrip bus trip and a box seat behind the Cyclones dugout. Call Patrick Witt at 917-815-1392.
•The Cyclones home opener at Keyspan Park will be Monday, June 23, at 7 pm against Staten Island.
•Brooklyn fans watching games in Aberdeen included Patrick Witt, Alec Daitsman and, from Sheepshead Bay, and father and son tandem Ken and Seth Poch.
June 23 , 2003 issue
