Brooklyn Boro

Gamboa, Cyclones refuse to go quietly

Fired-Up Manager Ejected Prior to Brooklyn’s Slump-Busting Victory

August 20, 2015 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
All-Star second baseman Vinny Siena ripped a two-run triple in the opening inning as Brooklyn finally won its first home game of the month Wednesday night in Coney Island. Photo courtesy of the Brooklyn Cyclones
Share this:

Tom Gamboa had seen enough.

Enough losing, enough poor defense, enough struggling at the plate with runners in scoring position, and perhaps most importantly, enough poor umpiring.

On a night the Cyclones welcomed their 4 millionth fan through the gates of MCU Park and hosted the Superstars and Divas of the WWE in advance of this weekend’s Summer Slam event at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn’s second-year skipper earned himself a pre-game ejection by base umpire David Martinez.

“I have no problems with any of the umpires in the league, but the one,” Gamboa insisted following the Cyclones’ slump-ending 3-1 victory over the Lowell Spinners in front of 6,001 thoroughly entertained Brooklyn baseball fanatics.

“It’s unconscionable for a referee or umpire to directly affect the outcome of the game,” Gamboa added, referring back to his first and only other ejection of the season at the hands of Martinez during a tough loss in West Virginia several weeks ago.

So while Gamboa settled in to watch the game on TV in his manager’s office, the Cyclones (26-30) went out and snapped a season-high six-game losing streak and franchise-record seven-game slide at home, thanks mostly to the pitching prowess of Tyler Badamo (3-6).

The hard-throwing right-hander, who has been battling a nagging groin injury over the past several weeks, limited the Spinners to a run on two hits with five strikeouts and did not issue a walk en route to his first victory of the month.

“It was a much-needed win for us,” a relieved Gamboa admitted after Brooklyn used its first game following the two-day All-Star break to sneak within three games of first-place Staten Island in the tightly packed McNamara Division.

“When you’re on a winning streak, you hate for a break to come, but when you’re on a losing streak, you pray for rain. It’s nice to get a win,” he added.

Even nicer were the three quick runs the Cyclones gave Badamo to work with in the bottom of the first inning.

All-Star second baseman Vinny Siena ripped a two-run triple off Lowell starter Kevin Steen (0-1) and later scored on a wild pitch to account for all of Brooklyn’s offense on a steamy night on Coney Island.

Brooklyn went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position following Siena’s big hit, but Badamo made sure the early offensive outburst stood up in a game Brooklyn desperately needed to remain among the living in the division race.

“Our pitching has been terrific since day one,” Gamboa re-iterated. “The three runs were enough. It was a fun game to watch on TV here. It was different being out of the fish bowl and watching it from the fan’s standpoint.”

Those fans were treated to more brilliant relief work from Brooklyn’s bullpen corps.

After Badamo was forced to the dugout with the flaring groin issue, Craig Missigman, P.J. Conlon and Carlos Valdez combined for three hitless innings, putting Brooklyn back in the win column for the first time since a 7-0 triumph at Staten Island on Aug. 10.

It was also the Cyclones’ first win at home since July 31.

Before all the pregame hysterics involving Gamboa and Martinez, Long Island native Pete Mulvey made history by becoming Mr. Four Million upon passing through the turnstiles just outside the sparkling seaside ballpark.

Mulvey received an unexpected confetti shower from Brooklyn’s Beach Bums cheer squad, and a flock of paparazzi snapping photos of him as the Cyclones became just the third short-season team ever to reach the attendance milestone.

“It’s a surprise but it feels good [to be the 4 millionth fan],” Mulvey said. “I didn’t know so I was totally surprised with glitter and everything.”

Gamboa, who hadn’t been ejected for several years during his long managerial career before the two incidents with Martinez, knows that one victory will not thrust Brooklyn back into serious playoff contention.

With 20 regular-season games remaining, including what is shaping up as a huge three-game set against Staten Island here in September, the Cyclones need more of what they showed Wednesday night — timely hitting, clutch pitching and error-free defense.

Not to mention a little extra fire from their manager.

“Tomorrow is a new day,” Gamboa said.

Hopefully, it is also a day that will feature the manager sitting in his customary seat in the dugout rather than in his office watching on TV.


This, That and the Other Thing: The team has lost OF Tucker Tharp for the season. The 23-year-old center fielder left the team to be with his ailing mother back in Colorado. “Family always comes first,” Gamboa told the media gathered in his office following the game. “So with the Mets’ permission, Tucker left the team to be with his mother in Colorado. He’s doing what he should be doing.” … Gamboa also intimated that RHP Matt Blackham, who earned NY-Penn Pitcher of the Week honors earlier this summer, was out for the season as well due to a hip injury. “Our troops are dwindling,” the skipper admitted.

Subscribe to our newsletters


Leave a Comment


Leave a Comment