Baseball and Brooklyn have always shared a unique connection - one that is as historical as it is mythical.  For nearly half a century that bond was made even more legendary by its absence, and the collective longing of millions to fill a void that had been left in their  hearts.

The 2009 season marks the ninth year in the rebirth of Brooklyn baseball.  Since 2001 the Cyclones have been one of New York’s hottest attractions - winning championships, setting attendance records, and creating countless memories.  Its roster - both coaches and players - has been made up of former and future stars.  Through it all, there has been one constant...the loyalty and passion of the Brooklyn fans.

2001
44 years after the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, a new professional team was born in baseball’s favorite borough.  Discussions between former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and an ownership group led by Fred and Jeff Wilpon, and Saul Katz led to a chain of events that brought the national pastime back to the hometown of all the men involved - Brooklyn.  Ground was broken at the site of the former Steeplechase Park in August of 2000, and construction began immediately, in preparation for Opening Day less than a year away.

A few months later, a “Name the Team” contest produced more than 8,000 entries, and while names like “The Sweat Hogs,” “The Hot Dogs,” “The Honeymooners,” and “Da Bums” were among the most entertaining, there was one name that was the most popular and most perfect entry - “The Cyclones.”   

The Cyclones played their first home game on June 25th of 2001. The thousands of fans and hundreds of media members on hand for the event did not leave disappointed. With the team down by two runs, and down to their last out, third baseman Edgar Rodriguez drilled a two-run home run over the left field wall, and sent the sellout crowd into a frenzy.  In the tenth inning, a sacrifice fly by Mike Jacobs won the game, and the legend of Brooklyn baseball had been reborn for a new generation.

The Cyclones went on to dominate the regular season, going 52-24. The team was 30-8 at home, with Brooklyn fans rarely ever seeing a loss. They also set a new league attendance record, with 289,381 fans entering the gates at KeySpan Park.  The team had a potent mix of offense, defense, and pitching that simply could not be matched that year.  Brooklyn led the league in team batting average (.279), home runs (58), and ERA (2.37) and had individual players sprinkled throughout the league’s leaderboard.

The postseason became a foregone conclusion, and in the first round of the playoffs, the fans got the match-up they wanted most, as Brooklyn faced the rival Staten Island Yankees. The Cyclones lost the first game of the best-of-three-series, but the series shifted back to KeySpan Park for the final two games.

The Cyclones fell behind again early, and looked as if they might be swept out of the first round. The team roared back, though, thanks to pitching performances by Mike Cox and Harold Eckert, and the bats of John Toner, Brett Kay, Angel Pagan, and Frank Corr.

In an electric Game Three atmosphere, Brooklyn kept its momentum, thanks to an exceptional performance by lefty Ross Peeples, defensive gems by Kay and Toner, and more clutch hitting by Kay and Pagan. Blake McGinley sent the Yankees home 1-2-3 in the ninth to set off a raucous celebration in Brooklyn.

The Cyclones faced the Williamsport Crosscutters in the League Championship Series, one which was cut short by tragedy. Brooklyn won the first game of the best-of-three series 7-4, but the next day, the terrorist attacks of September 11th ended the series and the magical summer. Brooklyn and Williamsport were declared co-champions.

2002
Brooklyn's sophomore season was marred by injuries, and losses in 12 of the final 15 games knocked them from the playoff hunt. The excitement of Brooklyn baseball was growing, though, and the team became the first Short-Season club ever to draw more than 300,000 fans with a record-setting 317,124 fans in 38 openings.

Those fans were treated to some special performances throughout the summer, as righthander Kevin Deaton went 7-1 with a 3.07 ERA and 93 strikeouts, one shy of the league lead. Blake Whealy was a super-utility-man, pacing the team in nearly every offensive category, and ranking third in the league in home runs, with 10.

RHP Miguel Pinango gave the fans a thrill on August 23rd, when he hurled a one-hit 5-0 shutout. Pinango took a no-hitter into the last inning, and had two strikes and two outs, before surrendering a flare into right field. He got the next batter to pop out on the next pitch.

Much of the buzz of 2002 focused on the first first-round pick to play for the Cyclones, Scott Kazmir. The lefty had been touted as one of the top prospects in the country, and named the nation's best high-schooler by Baseball America. The 18-year-old from Texas soon showed Brooklyn why. Armed with a 96-MPH fastball, and electric movement, Kazmir dominated the league. Having signed late, and after a long layoff, he was used sparingly and cautiously, throwing just 18.0 innings over five games. In that time, though, he struck out an amazing 34 batters, and held opponents to an .089 average against him. He had passed his first test in the professional ranks with flying colors.

2003
Brooklyn returned to the playoffs in 2003, but fell short of the ring, losing in two games to Williamsport. The team again hit the elite 300,000 mark in attendance (307,383), and came close to one million fans in the three-year history.

In 2003, the Cyclones' pitching was their strength throughout much of the season. Starters Matthew Lindstrom and Brian Bannister occupied spots on the league leaderboards all summer, and propelled the Cyclones to the top of the division. If the Cyclones held a lead late in the game, they handed the ball to co-closers Carlos Muniz and Robert Paulk, who finished third and first, respectively in saves in the NYPL. Brooklyn finished with a 2.97 team ERA, third-best in the league.

1B Ian Bladergroen and OF Rashad Parker led the offense. Bladergroen led the team in nearly every category, and set a team record with 74 consecutive games played. Parker showed a blend of power and speed, mixed with aggressive defense.   After besting the Oneonta Tigers two games to one, Brooklyn moved to the Championship Series, where they again faced Williamsport. The Cyclones could not pull off another comeback, though, and lost in two games, including the decisive one-run, 4-3, 11-inning Game Two thriller at KeySpan Park.

2003 also saw the Cyclones filter into the big leagues. Danny Garcia, who played second base for the team in 2001, was called up to Shea in September, after blazing his way through the farm system. Garcia cemented his place in team history, as the first former Cyclone to make it to the major leagues. He got a hit in his first major league at-bat, off former Met Mike Hampton. Later in the year, he hit his first major league home run during a day game - and then drove across town to KeySpan Park, where he was scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the night game.

2004
The 2004 Cyclones were an exciting, hard-nosed group that blended speed, power, and pitching to win the division. The team fell to Tri-City in the playoffs, thanks in part to a series of rain delays and cancellations that led to them facing the league's best starting pitcher twice in a three-game series. The Cyclones once again led the league in attendance, with 294,229 fans. In addition, the 1,000,000th fan in Cyclones history walked through the gates at KeySpan Park - reaching the mark faster than any team in Short-Season history.

Outfielders Corey Coles, Dante Brinkley, and Ambiorix Concepcion, along with first baseman Tyler Davidson, were the offensive stars. Brinkley, Concepcion, and Davidson ranked in the league's top ten in average, while Coles was a spark at the top of the lineup, and led the league in triples. Concepcion proved to be one of, if not the most exciting players in the league, and he led the Cyclones in both home runs and stolen bases, along with outfield assists.
The pitching staff was anchored by lefties Evan MacLane, and Joe Williams, and righthanders Michael Devaney and Mike Swindell. Carlos Muniz was the stopper early in the season, and then Celso Rondon took over the duties and closed the door just as effectively. A number of young arms also made their debuts, including Scott Hyde, Gabriel Hernandez, and Blake Eager. And Eddie Camacho - "Everyday Eddie" - who became a stalwart in the middle-to-late innings.

2005
2005 marked the fifth year of Brooklyn baseball's renaissance on Coney Island. Mookie Wilson -- a fan favorite and franchise icon for the New York Mets -- was at the helm for the Cyclones, and the borough once again buzzed for the new boys of summer. The '05 Cyclones were a streaky team -- they won three or more games in a row five times, and lost three games in a row six times -- who stayed in the playoff hunt through the last days of the season, eventually falling short of a Wild Card berth.

Brooklyn did, however, lead the league in attendance again, as 285,818 fans filled the ballpark in 36 openings, for an average of 7,939 fans per night. Never was that support more visible than on Opening Day, when the Cyclones set a single-game attendance record, with 9,303 fans on hand to see a 10-7 win over Staten Island.  (The Cyclones have broken that record again several times since, and set an all-time high of 10,073 on September 7th, 2007.)

2005 also marked another special anniversary for Brooklyn baseball, as the borough - and the world - celebrated the Brooklyn Dodgers’ magical 1955 World Championship.  The Cyclones added to the celebration by honoring some of the Dodgers in a special pre-game ceremony.  Pitchers Carl Erskine, Clem Labine, and Ed Roebuck reunited with outfielder George “Shotgun” Shuba and Joan Hodges - widow of the legendary Gil - to bring the memories of the past back to life at KeySpan Park and in the Brooklyn Baseball Gallery.  The honorees circled the field in ‘55 convertibles before throwing the ceremonial first pitches, and Erskine even kicked off the game with a rendition of the National Anthem on his harmonica.  

Throughout the season, a number of players took center stage for the Cyclones, particularly Joe Holden, Bobby Parnell, and Josh Petersen, who were named to the NYPL's All-Star Team. Parnell finished the year with a league-leading 1.73 ERA in 73 innings, and was named the NL All-Star Team's starting pitcher. Holden was a catalyst atop the Brooklyn lineup, leading the team in average (.291) and placing third in the league in stolen bases (22). Petersen was a force early on, but a back injury slowed him, and stopped him from participating in the All Star Game.

The All-Star Game itself -- the first in the league's history -- was hosted by Brooklyn on August 23rd, and was the first pro baseball All-Star game in the borough since 1949. The pre-game festivities included a home run derby, a gala event at the NY Aquarium, firebreathers, sword swallowers, and a celebration that made the ASG a once-in-a-lifetime experience. With Brooklyn playing host, the National League fittingly won the game, by a score of 5-4. 

Not all of Brooklyn's stars were All-Stars, though.  Caleb Stewart - "Big Stew" - was the team's most productive hitter in 2005, leading the Cyclones in virtually every offensive statistic, including games (74), at-bats (265), runs (39), hits (72), doubles (23), home runs (10), RBI (45), extra-base hits (35),walks (47), and intentional walks (5).

2006
The 2006 season was filled with ups and downs befitting the team’s namesake roller coaster.  The Cyclones had two seven-game losing streaks, but reeled off winning streaks of four, seven, and 13 games in between!  In one amazing stretch of the season, Brooklyn won 30 out of 41 games.  Buoyed by that July performance, and thanks to wins in six of the team’s final eight games, the Cyclones fought their way into the playoffs, edging out the Aberdeen IronBirds by half a game.  In the first round of the playoffs, though, Brooklyn was derailed by eventual champion Staten Island, two games to none.

Throughout the season, the Cyclones staged stunning comebacks, and showcased some of the league’s brightest prospects.  In a season of memorable moments, however, perhaps the longest-lasting one was created by the longest-lasting game. 

On July 20th, the Cyclones and the Oneonta Tigers made history when they played the longest game in the NYPL’s nearly-seventy-year history.  The teams waged battle for 26 innings, over nearly seven hours, before Oneonta broke through against an outfielder called in to pitch for the first time since high school, Mark Wright.  The Tigers scored five runs in the top of the 26th (after Wright pitched a scoreless frame in the 25th) to win the game 6-1.  The marathon garnered national attention, and, according to manager George Greer, was a rallying point for a team that went on to win 16 of its next 18 games. 

In 2006, the Cyclones’ pitching staff was the team’s most consistent asset, with Brooklyn pitchers placing third in the NYPL, with a 3.41 team ERA.  Two starters in particular racked up the lion’s share of wins and strikeouts for the staff -- Eric Brown and Tobi Stoner.  Brown went 7-1 to lead the team in victories, and ranked second in the league with a 1.16 ERA.  The 6’6” righthander also showcased pinpoint control, as he fanned 55 batters, and walked just four.

Stoner nearly matched Brown step for step, going 6-2 with a 2.15 ERA that ranked fourth in the NYPL.  In his first professional season, Stoner also led the team in K’s, striking out 62 batters, while walking just 17.

Jake Ruckle -- using his unorthodox, high leg kick windup, dubbed the “Ruckle Shuffle” -- battled a back injury to round out the pitching staff’s Big Three, going 5-3 with a 3.38 ERA and 51 strikeouts.  In the bullpen, the Cyclones were just as tough on opposing hitters, thanks to relievers like Jeremy Mizell, Rip Warren, and Jose De La Torre.  The star of the ‘pen, however, was a 22-year old whose dominance in the NYPL was a sign of even bigger things to come -- closer Joe Smith.

Smith, a third-round selection by the Mets in June of ‘06 out of Wright State University, had the team’s most eye-popping numbers.  He allowed a run in his first appearance, and then went unscored upon for more than a month.  In 17 appearances for the Cyclones, Smith racked up nine saves, and sported a miniscule 0.45 ERA, with 28 strikeouts in 20 innings.  He was as automatic a closer as the team - and the league - had ever seen, as opponents rarely even reached base against the flamethrowing sidearmer with the nasty slider.  NYPL teams hit just .141 against Smith, and he issued only three walks (one intentional).  In late July, he was promoted to Binghamton, becoming the first Cyclone to jump straight to Double-A.  His meteoric rise continued the following spring, as Smith was named to the Mets’ 2007 Opening Day roster -- making the jump to the big leagues faster than any Cyclone in history. 

Among the hitters, outfielder Dustin Martin was the star of the lineup, leading the team in virtually every offensive category.  Known to his teammates as “Sunshine,” Martin shined brightly throughout the entire year.  He hit .315 (79-for-251) -- fourth-best in the NYPL -- with 22 runs, 15 doubles, seven triples, two home runs, and 35 RBI.  He also led the team with seven stolen bases, and made spectaculer defensive plays with regularity, manning the high left-field wall at KeySpan Park.

At the 2006 NYPL All-Star game, the Brooklyn contingent was the largest in the league, with six Cyclones playing in the mid-summer classic.  Martin, Brown, Ruckle, and Mizell were joined by shortstop Luis Rivera and catcher Jason Jacobs.   Mizell was a bullpen stalwart, tossing 33.2 innings, and going 2-0, with a 1.34 ERA.  Rivera was a consisent contributor on offense with a smooth set of hands in the field.  Jacobs was a gritty leader behind the plate, who handled the Cyclones pitching staff with aplomb.  Together, the six represented Brooklyn for the NL stars in the league’s second-annual All-Star Game, in Aberdeen, MD. 

2007
2007 was one of the most successful years ever for the Cyclones. On the field, Brooklyn stormed to the best record in the New York-Penn League (49-25), the team's fourth McNamara Division title in seven seasons, and its third appearance in the NYPL Championship Series. The Brooklyn squad featured superb pitching (the team's 2.93 ERA was far and away the best in the NYPL), clutch hitting, and the league's best defense (.977 fielding percentage). The Cyclones led the McNamara Division from wire to wire -- from Opening Day through the end of the season.

Several individual performances stood out, as well. Six Cyclones were named to the NYPL All-Star Team: SS Matt Bouchard, 3B Jake Eigsti, C Jason Jacobs, OF Brandon Kawal, RHP Will Morgan, and RHP Dylan Owen. Bouchard captained the infield with spectacular defense; Eigsti carried the club for a month driving in runs and reaching base at a record pace; Jacobs led the team in home runs and tied the club record for RBI; Kawal hit .302 and was a solid contributor in the field as well; Morgan was nearly untouchable out of the bullpen; and Owen was simply the league's most dominant pitcher, leading the NYPL in wins (9) and ERA (1.49).

Lucas Duda also had a standout year, showcasing power and contact ability, and setting a new club record with a 17-game hitting streak. Dillon Gee was another outstanding pitcher, ranking sixth in the league with a 2.49 ERA, striking out 56 and walking just nine. Raul Reyes made eye-popping catches in centerfield, and clubbed nine home runs. J.R. Voyles became a cult hero for his clutch-hitting ability, and his comebacks from two separate injuries. Micah Schilling was almost always on base and scoring, setting franchise records for walks and runs.

Every single member of the team made an impact on the 2007 season, from the offense to the defense, to the starters, to the bullpen, and everything in between. Manager Edgar Alfonzo notched his 100th win in a Brooklyn uniform, and finished two wins away from his second league championship.

The 2007 season, though, was about more than just great baseball. Fans were treated to a giveaway, special appearance, or fireworks show at every single game. Brooklyn legends like Don Newcombe, Lee Mazzilli, Larry King, Rachel Robinson, Dan McDevitt & Joe Pignatano, and others joined the festivities at KeySpan Park. Collectible giveaways like bobbleheads, bobblebridges, ballpark models, jerseys, caps, and bats were among the hottest items of the summer. Superheroes, knights on horseback, performing dogs, roaring Harleys, Rock Paper Scissors combatants, a Stallone tribute, heritage nights, and much more, created once-in-a-lifetime memories all summer long.

And the fans responded, in record numbers. Brooklyn drew the franchise's two millionth fan in 2007, faster than any Short-Season team ever. The team set a new single-game attendance record, with 10,073 fans on September 7th, and led the NYPL in attendance for the seventh consecutive season.

2007 was indeed a magical season. Packed with thrilling baseball, exciting entertainment, and the unmatchable atmosphere provided by the Coney Island seashore, KeySpan Park was the place to be.

2008
In 2008, Brooklyn was a home to some of the organization’s top prospects, with 11 of the Mets’ first 15 draft picks playing for the Cyclones – including, for the first time, New York's top three picks.