Cyclones’ Gil follows in father’s footsteps

According to Cyclones manager Gilbert Gomez, one of the three components of winning a ballgame is timely hitting.

Even though the Cyclones were down 8-0 against the Jersey Shore Blue Claws, it would be the timely hitting of Mateo Gil that salvaged the team’s festive Margaritaville celebration game during the team’s last June homestand. Of all his 35 hits and four home runs thus far this season, Gil’s infield single proved to be a face-saver for the affiliate as one of the season’s memorable moments to avert a no-hitter.

It wasn’t until the seventh inning that Cyclones fans fully realized that the Blue Claws were a few innings away from a possible Jersey Shore combined no-hitter, a feat that the Cyclones pulled off against Aberdeen just two weeks ago.

Coming to the plate with one out in the seventh, a determined Gil was very aware of the impending no-hitter.

“They were giving me up the middle and were covering the holes,” Gil said. “So when I hit the ball up the middle and the shortstop knocked it down, I just had to beat it out.”

When Gil reached first base safely, the fans sighed in relief and rose to applaud.

“That was one of the loudest ovations that I ever got for just beating out a single,” said Gil, who mistakenly viewed the applause as sarcasm instead of a true display of appreciation. Subsequently, he was left stranded on first as his teammates failed to reach base for the rest of the game.

Despite the outcome, resigned fans were just glad to leave Maimonides Park escaping the Blue Claws’ no-hit bid with the consolation of just a one-hitter.  

As the son of former major leaguer Benji Gil (Texas and Anaheim), the 23-year-old from Fort Worth, Texas, said, “I was not one of those kids who was pushed into baseball by his father.”

In fact, Gil was initially disinterested in baseball since his father was away so much. But by age 7, baseball just came naturally to him as he developed a love for the game.

That love of the game turned into a commitment for a 17-year-old teenager who was drafted in the third round out of high school by the Cardinals in 2018.  From St. Louis, Gil was traded to Colorado and was later acquired by the Mets via the 2023 MiLB Rule V Draft.

Coincidentally, Gil’s father Benji also played in the Mets’ minor league origination at the Triple-A level in Norfolk in 2005, the last season of his career. The senior Gil was teammates with 2001 inaugural Brooklyn Cyclones outfielder Angel Pagan and pitcher Blake McGinley and 2002 standout pitcher Brian Bannister. 

Lately, Gil upped his offense with his fourth home run and with a 3-for-4 night during a mid-series game against the Hudson Valley Renegades.

“It’s been a pleasure to be around Mateo for parts of the last two years,” said Cyclones radio broadcaster Justin Rocke. “Taking after his father, he’s been an incredibly versatile infielder, spending time at all four positions.  He’s a tireless worker and is a great mentor to the younger players.”