Aug. 15, 2008

Brooklyn, NY - From Golden State Athletic Conference pitcher of the year to a starter in the Brooklyn Cyclones rotation, Chris Schwinden has continued to dazzle on the mound.

After 10 appearances for the Class A (short season) Cyclones, Schwinden has accumulated a 3-1 record, with 45 strikeouts over 41.1 innings pitched and an impressive 1.09 earn run average. His efforts have landed him on the National League All-Star roster for the New York-Penn League, which will be played Tuesday, August 19th.

Schwinden's professional career started with a few stints out of the bullpen. Some might think that from starter to a reliever would be a hard transition, but Schwinden was able to revert back to some bullpen experience in his earlier days. 

"I had been in a closing role before," stated Schwinden. "Not that it was easy to come out of the bullpen, but the transition was not much different."

While in the bullpen, Schwinden posted a 0.90 earn run average with 17 strikeouts over 20 innings pitched.

July 24th marked the first professional start for Schwinden and one that would be remembered. "My first time was very nerve-racking," said Schwinden. "There were a lot of people and the atmosphere was great, which helped me settle down."

Now taking the hill as a starter has more of an exciting feeling then a nervous one for Schwinden."It feels all downhill now," stated Schwinden. "I'm use to the increased fan base, and now I'm back to having fun on the mound." 

The spotlight shines bright on all professional athletes especially when it comes to the public relations. Signing baseballs, talking with the media and making public appearances are among the new tasks that may be thrown on a rookie's plate. Schwinden has felt honored to fill those shoes.

"It's nice to have kids wanting your autograph," said Schwinden. "It allows me to revert back to my childhood when I wanted to be that athlete giving out his signature. It puts me at a loss for words."

Outside of baseball, life on the East Coast has been a great experience as well. Schwinden has taking in everything New York has to offer. "Everyday, when I head to the ball park, I'm able to see the Statue of Liberty, and just the other day we visited the site of 9/11, which was an emotional time for me. I'm really enjoying my time out here," stated Schwinden. 

Schwinden's career may have just started, but he is able to see the big picture and is taking nothing for granted. "My pro career is learning from others about the game," said Schwinden. "It's been more then my expectations and I feel much reward in being able to play on the next level."