Look up the word "sterling" in the dictionary and here is what you'll find (after several less apropos references to British currency and thickness of silver):
ster·ling [stur-ling]: thoroughly excellent:
lɪŋ
In recognition of thoroughly excellent (as opposed to totally excellent) performances each year, the New York Mets name a Sterling Award winner -- emblematic of the team MVP -- at every level of the organization's minor league system, as well as an overall Sterling Player of the Year and Sterling Pitcher of the Year. (Click here to see all the winners.)
This year, Brooklyn's Sterling Award is none other than our record-setting centerfielder, Darrell Ceciliani! Ceciliani's .351 average was the the highest single-season mark in franchise history, and he became the first Cyclones player ever to win the New York-Penn League batting title. Darrell set a variety of offensive records this year, in addition to his .351 batting average, also establishing new franchise highs with 95 hits, 56 runs, and 12 triples. If not for a groin injury that held him out of action for a week, Darrell would have extended those records even further, and likely would have set a few more marks, as well.
And, oh, by the way, he hit a team-best .474 in the postseason, with six runs, two doubles, two RBI, and four stolen bases in five games. In Game Two of the Championship Series, Ceciliani refused to go down without a fight. The Cyclones had just five hits in the final game of the season, and Darrell had three of them.
And, oh, by the way, he hit a team-best .474 in the postseason, with six runs, two doubles, two RBI, and four stolen bases in five games. In Game Two of the Championship Series, Ceciliani refused to go down without a fight. The Cyclones had just five hits in the final game of the season, and Darrell had three of them.
If you've been to a game, you know what Darrell's like on the field...a gritty gamer with both speed and power who will do anything and everything it takes to win. He can hit a home run, he can bunt for a hit, he can go from first to third, he can lace a ball in the gap, he can move the runners over with a ground ball, he can draw a walk, he can steal a base, he can make a spectacular play in the outfield, etc., etc., etc.
What you may not know is that he's barely 20 years old from tiny little Madras, Oregon, had never been to New York before this summer, and despite being the youngest player on the team, has become one of its leaders.
Off the field, he's a fiery ball of energy -- always laughing, yelling, joking, singing, dancing, and playing pranks. He might have more fun at the "office" than just about any player I've seen wear a Brooklyn uniform.
It probably has something to do with this:
When I was a kid, baseball was just a lot of fun. I worked on my family’s ranch, so I didn’t really play on travel teams or anything like that. Baseball was a way for me to have fun and hang out with my fiends. It wasn’t until my junior or senior year (of high school) that I started to feel like it was something I could be successful at, and then I started to get pretty serious and competitive. Now that I'm a professional, I take the game very seriously, and I work as hard at it as I possibly can...but I still think of it as a game, and a fun way to hang out with my friends!
With a .351 average, 95 hits, 144 total bases, 12 triples, 21 stolen bases, and a walk-off home run, I could end this post with countless photo or video highlights, capturing DC's MVP-esque season.
I'd rather leave you with these:
And, oh, by the way...did I mention he likes to dance?
Congratulations, Darrell, on the Sterling Award and one of the best seasons in franchise history...you deserve it! A big thank you goes out to you from all of Brooklyn for making this an unforgettable summer!
-- Dave
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