| Brooklyn, NY - KeySpan Park |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The Park Forty-four years after the Dodgers left for Los Angeles, baseball returned to Brooklyn on June 25, 2001. The Cyclones, named for the famous roller coaster just beyond the outfield wall, are the New York Mets� New York Penn League (Short Season A) franchise. The other famous landmark that is prominent is the parachute ride over the right field fence. Out past right and center is the Atlantic Ocean. The lights are big neon circles. This park rivals the Ballpark at St. George, home of the Staten Island Yankees, for its outfield beauty. |
| That Day On June 29, 2001, my two daughters, parents, brother, his friend and I headed out to KeySpan Park. Before the game, my mom took the girls down to the front row to get their new teddy bears, clothed in bear-size Brooklyn Cyclones shirts (guess who bought them for the girls) autographed by some players. This was the first game I saw in the New York Penn League. Brooklyn scored 5 in the 1st, capped by a 3 run HR by right fielder Noel Devarez. Devarez hit another homer in the 6th. Brooklyn won, 7-0. Their opponents, the New Jersey Cardinals, were limited to 2 hits. A fan favorite, former Met Howard Johnson, was the first base coach for the Cyclones. In 2002 he became the manager. |
| Entrance. |
| The stands. Notice the roof coverings, resembling the awnings on half the front stoops in Brooklyn. (The other half are white.) |
| The parachute ride. |
| The scoreboard, with the Cyclone in the background. |
 |
| Copyright 2002 Chris Trapani All photographs and text on this website and webpage are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the holder of the copyrights, Chris Trapani. Direct all e-mail inquiries to [email protected]. |
 |
| The neon lights. |