Mets minor league report

Sean Ratliff watched the College World Series as a spectator for two years, while playing in a high school tournament in Omaha, Neb., that coincided with the annual spectacle. Ratliff achieved his dream of participating last month, after the Mets drafted the center fielder in the fourth round (134th overall) out of Stanford. “They treated you like royalty out there,” said Ratliff, who is hitting .267 with four RBI through eight games at Brooklyn. Ratliff’s first professional homer came Sunday – a game-tying solo shot in the seventh inning off lefthander Wilfredo Ramirez that helped rally the Cyclones to a 4-2 win over Mahoning Valley. The lefty-hitting, lefty-throwing Ratliff played center field with the Cardinal, but he’s settled into left field with the Cyclones. Kirk Nieuwenhuis , the team’s third-round pick from Azusa Pacific University in California, has been manning center field in Coney Island. Both are Coloradans, and are rooming together in the ... [link]