In this Book

  • The Brooklyn Cyclones: Hardball Dreams and the New Coney Island
  • Book
  • Ben Osborne
  • 2004
  • Published by: NYU Press
summary

When professional baseball returned to Brooklyn in 2001, fans were jubilant and the media swarmed. After losing the Brooklyn Dodgers to California 44 years ago, Brooklyn baseball fans could once again claim a team of their own: the Cyclones, a Class A affiliate of the New York Mets.
The Brooklyn Cyclones: Hardball Dreams and the New Coney Island recounts that first season of the Cyclones. From the construction of the incredible Keyspan Park at Coney Island to their improbable successes on the field, Ben Osborne tells the story of the Cyclones' delicate first year of operation. We see the story up close and personal through the eyes of two very different young men. The first is Anthony Otero, who was raised in a Coney Island housing project and loves baseball, but has never seen a game in person until the Cyclones land in his neighborhood. The second is Brett Kay, a young man from California who has never been to New York, until he becomes the catcher for the Brooklyn Cyclones.
From the plans of politicians like Rudy Giuliani and Howard Golden, to the poverty of Coney Island's citizens, The Brooklyn Cyclones reveals the stories behind the headlines to show that the reality of creating a new sports team often involves broken promises and shattered dreams. Osborne includes chapters on the Cyclones' rivalry with the Staten Island Yankees, the Cyclones' chances of capturing the New York-Penn League title, and an epilogue updating Kay's, Otero's, and the Cyclones' progress through the 2003 season.
Ultimately, Ben Osborne shows how, for these two young men, the Brooklyn Cyclones created dreams the same way the Brooklyn Dodgers allowed the boys of Flatbush to dream about one day playing in the Big Leagues.

Table of Contents

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  1. Cover, Title and Copyright Pages
  1. Contents [Includes Preface]
  2. pp. v-x
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  1. Prologue: June 2, 2001
  2. pp. 1-3
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  1. 1. Opening Day
  2. pp. 5-28
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  1. 2. The First Few Brooklyn “Home Stands”
  2. pp. 29-52
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  1. 3. Kay and the Cyclones Become Celebrities
  2. pp. 53-75
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  1. 4. Coney Island’s Team Begins Its Own Rivalry—The “Ferry Series”
  2. pp. 76-112
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  1. 5. Kay and the Cyclones Take the New York–Penn League by Storm
  2. pp. 113-127
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  1. 6. Brett Kay Moves to the BIG City, Anthony Stays in Coney Island
  2. pp. 128-148
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  1. 7. The Last Home Game of the Regular Season
  2. pp. 149-167
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  1. 8. The Postseason
  2. pp. 168-180
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  1. 9. Epilogue: September 15, 2003
  2. pp. 181-193
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  1. 2001 Statistics and Standings
  2. pp. 194-195
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  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. 196-197
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  1. About the Author
  2. p. 198
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