Kids enjoy free baseball clinic led by Mets great John Franco

It was quite the trip around the diamond for sluggers in training. Municipal Credit Union (MCU) and the Brooklyn Cyclones hosted the second of three baseball clinics this summer at MCU Park on July 16. Around 100 kids ages seven to 14 were able to take part in the free event, led by several Cyclones players and Mets Hall of Fame member and fan favorite, John Franco.

Kids and their parents were excited to be a part of the special evening. I’m trying to teach my son who loves baseball, so it’s great, said Harry Lauture, whose son Mathew had a blast during the clinic. “It’s a wonderful thing that MCU and the Brooklyn Cyclones are doing for the community, especially the kids.”

Nearly 100 children from all five boroughs registered for the clinic. The players were divided into five groups to learn such skills as base running, pitching, hitting stances and catching. A Cyclone player led each station with Franco overseeing them and encouraged the children as they tried their best to impress.

According to the all-time leader in saves for a left-handed pitcher, it’s always been special for him to give back to his hometown.

“It’s always great to be involved, especially here in Brooklyn where I was born and raised,” Franco said. “To come down here and give back to the community and see the kids run around and enjoy being on a minor league field, for myself and the Cyclone players out here to give back and teach them baseball is very important.

Michael Mattone, assistant vice president of public relations of MCU stressed the importance of giving kids a place to learn baseball skills free of charge. “For them to have a free clinic in general is fantastic,” he said. “Everything nowadays is so expensive such as different sporting camps.”

The kids and their families were also treated to tickets to watch the Cyclones play the same night against the Jamestown Jammers. “So it’s not only a clinic. It’s about meeting these people out on the field and a day out at the park,” Mattone added.

As the clinic came to its conclusion, Franco addressed the adoring fans on the bleacher seats. In between discussing baseball and showing his signature pitch, the circle changeup, he discussed the importance of education, stating that his son, who attended Poly Prep, had to do all his schoolwork before playing baseball. He now plays in the Atlanta Braves farm system.

“I like to talk about school and how important it is. Not everyone is going to be a big league player. But if you go to school and get a good education, you can always fall back on that, Franco said. Go to school and get great grades. Don’t waste your brain.”