The Mets continued their policy of using former Cyclone stars as trade bait, obtaining three-time All-Star second baseman Luis Castillo from the Minnesota Twins on July 30 in exchange for two former Brooks: outfielder Dustin Martin, and catcher Drew Butera.
Martin was an All-Star with Brooklyn last season, batting .312 on the year. He also won the Mets’ Doubleday/Sterling Award as the MVP of the Mets’ organization at the Short-Season-A level.
This year, he hit .287 for St. Lucie.
Butera this season played for both St.Lucie, where he hit .254 and was an all-star selection earlier this year, and more recently at Double-A Binghamton, where he was hitting .188.
He’s an outstanding defensive receiver with a great arm.
Butera has some interesting Brooklyn connections.
His father, Sal Butera, played for four major league teams, including the Minnesota Twins, and he is now a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Sal Butera’s parents both left Italy to immigrate to Brooklyn, before later moving to Queens and then Long Island.
Butera’s cousin, Dana, is a Brooklyn Cyclone Beach Bum.
Former Cyclone Joe Smith, who pitched relief for the Mets this season, was sent down to minor last month.
At present there are no Cyclones on the Mets major league roster.
Cyclones: Then & Now
The 2001 Cyclones won the New York–Penn League Championship under the leadership of manager Edgar Alfonzo. Now that Fonzie is back, many fans are assuming that the 2007 Cyclones will repeat the franchise’s former glory. Here’s how this year’s team compares to that fabled squad:
2001
Record through 41 games: 29–12
Highlight of the week: The Cyclones end the week with a five-game win streak, capped by a big win over the Auburn Doubledays, which featured a stellar seven-inning outing by Awesome Aussie Matt Gahan. Jay Caliguri went 4-for-5.
2007
Record through 41 games: 28–13
Highlight of the week: Monday night’s 7–2 win over the Lowell Spinners showed off the Clones best: great starting pitching from Nick Carr, three innings of no-hit relief and the hot hitting from Jake Eigsti, Micah Schilling and Jason Jacobs.
