Aug 28 2008 07:43 AM
Pack up the family wagon and head to the beach. Chuck D is at Coney Island.
What’s up? Dock!
By Ed Shakespeare
for The Brooklyn Paper
The Cyclones have called up catcher fifth-round draft pick Dock Doyle from Kingsport.
The six-foot, 195-pounder was drafted out of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina), where the lefty hit.370 with 18 homers and 72 RBIs in 61 games.
He was a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award, honoring college baseball’s best catcher, and was ranked as the third best catcher in the country by Rivals.com.
In 41 games at Kingsport (one step below the Cyclones) Doyle hit .308 with 27 runs, 20 RBI, 11 doubles, one triple, but did not homer.
He said his toughest challenge since going pro was the consistent, high-speed pitching.
“The biggest thing for me was just adjusting to the velocity, of seeing 90 to 92 [MPH] every day,” said Doyle. “You see that speed in college, but just not as much, and here you see it every day.”
In college players use metal bats, so Doyle is also getting used to using wooden bats in professional baseball.
“It was a little bit of an adjustment,” he said. “But I had used them in summer ball.”
On top of that, Doyle also has to get used to the pressured environment at Keyspan Park.
“Kingsport was really laid back,” said the new Cyclone. “Brooklyn is a lot different atmosphere; they want to win here.”
Growing up in Conway, South Carolina hardly made Doyle into a Mets’ rooter. Instead, he was cheering on their big rivals at that time.
“I was a big Atlanta Braves fan,” said the candid catcher. “A Chipper Jones fan.”
Doyle played in his first game for Brooklyn on Aug. 23 and went 0-for-4 as a DH against Lowell.
He’ll have more chances to hit, but readers first have to know about the origins of Dock, his nickname. After some friendly prodding, Dock ’fessed up.
“It will come out sooner or later,” he admitted.
“Actually, my middle name is Zodock, and my father and grandfather have the same nickname.
“I am really Charles Zoduck Doyle III.”
