BROOKLYN, NY - Although the Brooklyn Cyclones’ 2007 season is just underway, the team has to be impressed with the performance of returning pitcher Josh Appell. Struggling some in his first season with the team in 2006, Appell has looked much improved so far in ’07.

A local product out of Woodmere, Long Island, who went all-conference and all-county playing for Hewlett High School, Appell has pitched two scoreless innings over the past week in games against the rival Staten Island Yankees, as well as the Hudson Valley Renegades.

The University Penn graduate who grew up a Mets fan and once had a tryout with the Buffalo Bills as a punter split time last season between the Hagerstown Suns of the South Atlantic League and the Cyclones. With ERAs of 8.76 and 5.40 for the Suns and Brooklyn, respectively, he was less than stellar.

“I got off to a real good start last year in spring training. Then, in Hagerstown, I got into a little bit of a rut and went downhill from there,” Appell said. “Then I came here and got off to a bad start and kind of rotted in the back of the bullpen.”

Appell was hoping for a different result this season. “I came into spring training this year determined to hopefully make the team.”

Despite not making a club in the organization directly out of spring training, Appell hasn’t been too disappointed. He credits his stay in extended spring training as being a great help to him, especially from a physical standpoint.

“When you’re in extended, you’re on a consistent schedule, always lifting and running. Sometimes it’s hard during the season. I was able to maintain that for the past three months,” described Appell. “Hopefully it can carry me the rest of the season.”

Appell also praised extended spring training for the stable schedule it provides pitchers.

“That was the biggest thing. Last year, I would go a week without throwing. When you are in extended the great thing about it is it’s good for development,” Appell said. “You’re guaranteed time to pitch and in different situations. I think right now, as much as I would have loved to make the club out of spring training, extended helped my development a great amount.”

One thing that has really stood out about Appell so far has been his slider, a new pitch in his repertoire that he has been developing since last season.

“Last year, I was a fastball, curveball, changeup pitcher. My curveball at times was very good, but I couldn’t throw it consistently enough. For a lot of guys, the curveball is hard to control,” Appell explained. “I started working towards the end of last year, in the bullpen, on a new pitch. I started throwing my slider and now I feel I can throw it as my best pitch. I feel like the slider has really changed my career.”

However, the lefty is confident about his other pitches and hasn’t given up on his curveball.

“Right now, I’m a fastball, slider, changeup guy. I have a good changeup. Coming out of the bullpen you need at least two pitches,” said Appell. “But sometimes if I feel like I can bury the pitch, in the right situation, I could use the curveball.”

As for his take on the Cyclones this year, Appell is excited to be back and feels strongly that the team will do well.

“From being here last year, guys come here and everyone wants to do well here for themselves, but when you’re in a winning environment, it’s a larger sense of accomplishment. Everyone’s pulling for each other. When you’re competing, you want to win, no matter what.

“Right now, I think this team is overall a better team than we had last year. From guy A to guy Z, we have a lot of depth.”

Appell also looks forward to working again with pitching coach Hector Berrios, whom he credits for helping him throughout his young professional career.

“Hector has been with me for a while, the Gulf Coast league my first year, Brooklyn last year and Brooklyn this year. He knows how to handle my success and my failure. That’s very helpful.”

Though his role on the team is not yet set, Appell is not concerned.

“Right now, from what they told me, I could be anything,” explained Appell. “I can be used early in the game, or late in the game.

“I just want to pitch, that’s the bottom line. I don’t care what inning it is.”

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