Get those fans and those roller coasters out of your kitchen!
That’s the gospel Cyclones’ manager Tom Gamboa has been preaching since the start of the season, when he warned the boys about the so-called “sphincter factor,” a gut-check scale that some say — and readers of this column know that when we say “some,” we mean skipper Tom Gamboa — separates the men from the boys.
“If you don’t have the mental part of the game down, this game will defeat you,” he told me. “You’ll hit a wall.”
So how have his players — our beloved Boys of Summer — responded?
Well, we all know starter Kevin Canelon’s sphincter factor was off the charts in his first start, when he failed to get past the third inning. But in his second trip to the hill on Tuesday, things were different. He got through five, giving up just two runs.
That’s progress.
Then there’s Christian Montgomery, the 22-year-old righty from Indianapolis who has underperformed during his first three years in the system.
Last year in Kingsport, Montgomery had an earned-run average of 6.48 in 12 appearances.
Brought up to the Cyclones, Gamboa’s advice was simple: focus on baseball and nothing else, and trust your stuff.
“It’s one thing for us to tell him that he can do it,” Gamboa said. “But he has to believe it.”
So far, it looks like he does.
In four relief outings in Brooklyn, Montgomery has thrown four-and-a-third shutout innings, allowing only one hit and striking out six.
Gamboa readily admits that staying focused at MCU Park, with its packed houses, bright lights, and roller-coasters in the background, isn’t an easy task, especially for guys who haven’t had a taste of that atmosphere before.
“In extended spring training, you’re practicing in the morning and playing a game at noon in front of three girlfriends and maybe somebody’s parents,” Gamboa said. “That’s it.”
So the skipper reminds his players that while the surroundings around the ballpark might be different, the rules of the game haven’t changed.
“The size of the plate is still the same,” he said. “There’s nothing different except what you’re allowing your mind to focus on.”
Of course, Gamboa can speak from experience. Sure, he never played in the majors, but when he was the first-base coach for the Cubs just before the turn of the century, he would sometimes wear a microphone for Fox’s “Sounds of the Game.” Back then, producers had to censor him because of his salty language.
“The problem was that the moment the game starts, I’m so focused on the game, I’m totally unaware that I’m miked.”
Now that’s f—— dedication.
Ups and downs
Brooklyn has hit six homers through 11 games. Michael Bernal leads the Cyclones with three and Michael Katz has two. Bernal and Katz are tied for the team-high in runs batted in with 10. Nobody else has more than five.
