Bouchard at home with Brooklyn buds

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- As the saying goes, no amount of education can prepare you for the real world.

Playing professional baseball just happens to be some people's first real job, and for them it's no different. Everything is new: the city, the wooden bat, the pitchers, the difficulty level, the speed, the talent, teammates and coaches. It's a time of transition, and coping with the information overload and pressure to succeed can be nerve-wracking.

But, as with anything in life, you adjust and confront the challenges. At least, that's what shortstop Matt Bouchard of the Brooklyn Cyclones is doing this year.

Bouchard, in his first season of professional baseball, was the Mets' 11th-round selection in this year's draft. He's hitting .249 with 18 RBIs and 24 runs scored. Those aren't exactly jaw-dropping stats.

"You always wish you could be doing better, statistically and everything," said Bouchard. "But I've been learning every day. It's a totally different game than when I was playing in college. There's so much behind everything."

Bouchard is trying to adjust to the new game by soaking everything up.

"With Edgar Alfonzo our manager here -- he was a middle infielder himself -- he's just a wealth of knowledge. He sees all the little things, and he has made me a better player every day just learning from him."

One thing that Bouchard has come to realize is that his role in professional baseball will be different and require new tactics. With wooden bats, Bouchard can no longer just swing away. He's got to try to get on base by slapping the ball to right field or taking a walk. In the field, Bouchard has to know where to position himself for every hitter. Because of the speed and power of the players, the shortstop can no longer rely on pure talent.

"It's more of a mental game," said Bouchard. "There's a lot behind every situation, whether it's positioning yourself where to go, knowing the situation, knowing the manager and what he wants you to do -- it's a lot to know."

One of the hardest things for any rookie player is getting used to the number of games. Most universities play close to 50 games, and the Short-Season slate has 76 contests. Because Bouchard played a college schedule before coming to the New York-Penn League, he's well over the century mark in games played in 2007. Fatigue could certainly become a factor.

In June, Bouchard got off to a sizzling start, hitting .344. But the shortstop slumped to .220 in July.

"During the middle part of the season maybe I was a little [fatigued]," said Bouchard. "Now I know what it takes to be prepared every day to play at my highest level. I feel stronger now, and hopefully I'll close the season out as strong as I started it."

Hitting .461 since the All-Star break, Bouchard is well on his way to achieving that goal. He also leads all New York-Penn League shortstops with a .976 fielding percentage and was selected to the National League roster for the league's All-Star Game. Not bad for a first-year player.

"The All-Star Game was a good time," said Bouchard. "I had a lot of fun meeting all the guys from the other teams you play against. It was fun being there with my teammates, too."

Bouchard is originally from East Greenwich, R.I. He grew up a Red Sox fan, but he claims he has no problems playing in Brooklyn for the Mets organization.

"Now, I'm probably the biggest Mets fan around," laughed Bouchard. "I've always liked the Mets. I've always enjoyed watching them, especially last season when I was at school throughout the playoffs. [They are] just an exciting team. They know how to play the game, and they're fun to watch."

One thing's for sure: Bouchard loves being with the Cyclones. During a rain delay last week, the team had arranged a Ping-Pong tournament and Bouchard couldn't wait for his turn to get in on the action.

"We have a lot of fun," said Bouchard. "We have great team chemistry."

According to Bouchard, it's one of the reasons Brooklyn has the best record in the New York-Penn League. The team just gets along, and loves being together.

"I think it's that no matter where we came from, we all have the same personality," Bouchard said. "We all just enjoy the game and enjoy having fun with each other, making fun of each other, having fun on days like today, relaxing."

Bouchard admitted to getting made fun of for his age. Having left Georgetown after his junior year, he is still just a 20-year-old. In fact, Bouchard was the first player drafted out of the Hoyas baseball program since 1993.

"I knew it had been awhile," said Bouchard. "It was exciting. That was probably one of the best days of my life, seeing my name pop up on the computer, getting a call from the scout that signed me."

Bouchard's had no regrets about deciding to leave school a year early, though, despite the ribbing by his teammates.

"I knew it was an opportunity I couldn't refuse, with the Mets picking me that early," said Bouchard. "I knew I'd be going into a great situation here at Brooklyn. I've made the best of it so far."

And that's all you hope to do with your first real job.