I Don't Like Mondays...

Nobody likes Mondays...except when they're Mailbag Mondays! Let's see what Karl Malone and Cliff Claven have brought us today!

Q: It is raining outside my apartment right now, but I heard a rumor that it never rains in Coney Island. Is that true?
- Pat T., Sunset Park

Unfortunately, that rumor is not true. It did rain on Coney Island once -- once -- in the summer of 1937. Other than that, the weather is, has been, and will always be, perfect. At least that's what Steve keeps telling me.

Q: When is the draft this year and when will you guys know what your roster is?
- John H., Bay Ridge

Great question. The assembling of the team is one of the most interesting, confusing, complicated, and little-known aspects of the Cyclones operations. Here's a very abbreviated version of how it works:

Our coaching staff (and the staffs of the other short-season teams) and about 60 players have been working out together in Port St. Lucie, FL at what is called Extended Spring Training.

The 2009 First-Year Player Draft will take place from June 9th-11th, and will be televised this year on MLB Network and mlb.com.

Immediately following the draft, the Mets will begin the process of signing the players they've drafted. As they are signed, they will then be assigned to one of the Mets' seven minor league affiliates.

The Cyclones roster, along with that of the Kingsport Mets and the Gulf Coast Mets, will be made up of players from the draft, players from Extended Spring Training, and players who are currently playing for a long-season team.

With the draft concluding on June 11th, and Opening Day taking place on June 19th, those eight days in between are obviously pretty hectic (especially for those of us trying to put together game programs, media guides, dorm room assignments, uniforms, etc.) . And as you probably know, the roster continues to change throughout the season, sometimes every day!

Q: If you and Steve were stuck on a deserted island, who would survive longer and why?
- Joyce H., Ticket Office

Hmmm. Interesting. My initial reaction would be to say me, since I'm younger, stronger, faster, more agile, more devious, way better looking, know how to start a fire with my bare hands (or feet), and can talk to animals. (Not marmosets...they're just too stubborn, and quite frankly, a bit too strange-looking. They freak me out.) But I don't think the answer is that easy.

Steve has an alarming lack of directional abilities, as evidenced by his foray into the wilderness of Prospect Park. So that's something in my favor. However, he takes no prisoners when it comes to sustenance. He once distracted me at an awards dinner by pointing something out in the opposite corner of the room, and when I turned my head, he speared my steak right off my plate and ate the whole thing. I don't know how long I'd last with him stealing all my food. Also, since he's in such great shape these days, if we were ever attacked by a mountain lion, grizzly bear, or ominous smoke-monster, Steve would no doubt be the lone survivor. (I am contractually obligated to compliment Steve on his physique at least once a day. Consider today's obligation filled.)

All in all, though, I'd have to say that I'd be the last one standing. Patience isn't exactly one of Steve's foremost strengths, and I think that after an hour or so of waiting to be rescued, he'd basically lose his mind, wander off into the woods with a few boxes of pocket schedules, and never be heard from again.

Q: I got my opening day tickets in the mail but did not receive my mini plan tickets. Did you guys forget about me? Did my order make the cut?
- Brandy B., Lowell, MA

Fear not, your Mini Plan tickets are on the way. Single game tickets have begun being mailed out, but ticket plan books -- Season Tickets and Mini Plans -- are still in the works. Between food vouchers, cap vouchers, and all the other extras you get as a Plan Holder, those packages just take a little more time to pull together. Plus those tickets and ticket books have a special design, and beauty takes a little longer...but it's worth the wait. Plan books should be arriving to your house at the end of May/beginning of June.

Q: Today I was walking by KeySpan Park and saw something strange. There were boxes and blankets and I also thought I saw a grown man crawling amongst the boxes, 30 feet in the air. But I’m sure I was mistaken. Right?
- Katie G., Nowheresville, IN

Your eyes did not deceive you. We are starting to get some of this season's goodies delivered, and when there's something for everyone at nearly every game, that means lots and lots (and lots) of deliveries. As for the crawling, some deliveries are easier than others.

Q: What’s the point of the mailbag if all the questions are made up by people who work for the Cyclones?
- John H., Water Polo Place, CT

John, the Mailbag speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. Don't think of it as "making up questions." Rather, think of your submissions as giving a voice to the legions of fans who call 718-37-BKLYN or 718-507-TIXX every day. There are those poor souls among them who do not have the courage to email the Blog, and you are helping to break down the walls of oppression to give them the answers they deserve. You are asking the tough questions. The questions that need to be answered. And together, we are giving the people those answers, fighting the good fight, and righting humanity's wrongs.

Either that, or we're just shaking off the weekend rust by stealing a Q&A format for an easy Monday blog entry.

I can't be sure.

If you have any burning questions for the Blog, send them to info@brooklyncyclones.com, and then stay tuned.

-- Dave