David Pecoraro remembers the day the Brooklyn Cyclones changed their name.
He had arrived for the Cyclones’ 2025 home opener against the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Friday 40 minutes before first pitch, sporting a jersey that swapped the club’s plain white sleeves for the sublimated stars and stripes of the United States flag. The front of his jersey read “BARACKLYN CYCLONES.”
In June 2009, five months after Barack Obama assumed office and when the Cyclones were still a Class A Short-Season affiliate of the New York Mets, the club held a bobblehead giveaway of the former president. The first 2,500 fans into the ballpark received an Obama bobblehead, who was depicted wearing a number 44 “BARACKLYN” jersey.
“The line started at the gate,” said Pecoraro, “worked all the way up Surf, worked all the way along the side of the ballpark, went up and wrapped around the boardwalk.”
The recorded attendance that evening was 8,760 — well above the Cyclones’ recent average attendance of 2,115 in 2024 and 2,532 in 2023, and higher than their home park’s capacity of 7,000.
Pecoraro has been attending Cyclones games since their first season in 2001. Everyone at Maimonides Park knows him as “Wolf.” He doesn’t know where the nickname originated from. He suggested that it could be his tendency to howl at the umpires — which he can get away with because he’s in the stands.
“I keep it PG,” he said. “I’m not going to cuss the umps. You don’t do that. There are kids at this ballpark, but I will let them know if they have erred in their ways.”
On Friday, as the early April gray afternoon faded to blue over Coney Island, the south Brooklyn breeze off the water cooled the open concourse. Temperatures remained in the unseasonably high low-60s, but you’d be better off in a sweater.
Maimonides Park, which opened as KeySpan Park in 2001 on Coney Island’s Riegelmann Boardwalk at the former site of Steeplechase Park, was never meant to be a full season stadium, Pecoraro said.
“This place is amazing,” he said. “But dress warm.”
The Cyclones have been a full-season High-A affiliate of the Mets since 2021, when they moved to the South Atlantic League from the short-season New York-Penn League. With the early season start comes frigid temperatures, which on Coney Island average 43 degrees Fahrenheit in April — 10 degrees cooler than the New York City average. You’ll freeze in a t-shirt, Pecoraro, who brought his black Mets jacket in a bag, insists.
When they came to Brooklyn in 2001, the Cyclones became the borough’s first professional sports team since the Dodgers left for Los Angeles in 1958. They are named after the iconic Coney Island Cyclone, a wooden roller coaster in nearby Luna Park.
‘Root, root, root for the CY-CLONES’
The major draw for the Cyclones is the family-friendly atmosphere synonymous with all Minor League Baseball clubs.
Justin Rocke, the Cyclones’ lead play-by-play broadcaster and media relations specialist, spends each game in the press box, perched high above home plate. Rocke has been with the club for two years. During his first season, a friend who came out to a game on a Sunday with his two-year-old daughter texted him during the game.
“I forgot how much other stuff is going on during the game in minor league ballparks,” Rocke recalled his friend texting him. “Outside of just baseball.”
The Cyclones’ game-day experience is tailored to the younger generations. At baseball games, Rocke acknowledged, younger kids are often not engaged in every single pitch of a baseball game, so the club places a heavy emphasis on its in-game entertainment. Their mascots, Sandy the Seagull and Pee-Wee, and emcee Guy Zoda — who is known as King Henry and wears a red suit at the games — are always entertaining the fans.
In the seventh inning of Friday’s home opener, King Henry speedwalked along the concourse from the first base side, where he had led a group of kids in a chant, to his usual hideout next to the visitors’ dugout on the third base side, where the Mecca Shriners — a philanthropic organization that raises money for hospitals for children and recognizable by their red hats, according to Joe McMillen, a member — were about to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”
“We’re here just to hang out with our friends, who are all members,” said McMillen. “So we got a group of members that are coming out just to build the bonds of brotherhood.”
This was McMillen’s first Cyclones game, but he had thrown a strike for the ceremonial first pitch and was about to step on the entirely-turf field for the seventh inning stretch.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” began King Henry, “it is my honor and privilege to announce, down on the field with us today, are the Mecca Shrine number one of New York City!”
“Everyone, let’s hear ya!”
The Cyclones’ rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” replaces the “root, root root for the home team” with “root, root root for the CY-CLONES.” Then, like their big league counterparts, they play “Lazy Mary,” and the fans dance.
“One of the best opening days in many years for the weather,” said King Henry.
Cyclones games have something for everyone, he added. Aside from the family activities and the variety of concessions — which include Pat LaFrieda’s sausages — the club hosts a weekly Sunday brunch promotion that comes with bottomless drinks. And yes, that includes mimosas.
“The people in general,” said Bryan Rumfelt, who was celebrating his 12th birthday at Friday’s game with his friend, Ben Sudol, and Ben’s father, Matt. “The games that they have, just the whole feeling of being here.”
“It’s our neighborhood team,” said Matt Sudol, who was wearing a white Dodgers-inspired Cyclones jersey with “Brooklyn” in the famous Dodger blue script, “CYCLONES” in the tail stripe.
Added Sudol: “What happened to the Dodgers? They left. We got the Cyclones. I’m not going out to Queens. I got the Dodgers all the way in L.A., this is what I got here in Brooklyn.”
The next generation of Major Leaguers
For the baseball enthusiast, the Cyclones offer a glimpse into the future of the Mets. Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, Francisco Álvarez, José Buttó and Tylor Megill all spent time on Coney Island.
“You get to see them grow up here,” said Pecoraro.
Seven of the Mets’ top 30 prospects are currently on the Cyclones. That list includes New York’s number three prospect, outfielder Carson Benge, and the 13th- and 14th- ranked prospects, pitcher Jonathan Santucci and infielder Boston Baro.
“I’m a lifelong Mets fan,” said Stephanie Adams, who was walking along the concourse behind home plate in the early innings of the game. “I’m very excited to hopefully see these guys playing in the Major Leagues someday.”
“She’s actually third generation,” clarified Stephanie’s mother, Patti Adams. “I’m a lifelong Mets fan. My dad is a lifelong Mets fan. I’m thrilled to be here.”
Rocke, who works with the coaches and players on a day-to-day basis, said the people in the organization are not only talented at what they do on the field, but good people off it.
“Each one of those players are extremely gifted,” said Rocke. “But also just really good people, really wonderful people.”
“There’s a lot to be excited about for the Mets organization,” he added. “What they’ve been able to do over these last couple years on the player development side, really investing in hitting and pitching and creating ways for players to both grow on and off the field. It’s a wonderful environment that they’ve cultivated.”
When summer rolls around
The peak of Cyclones baseball comes when the weather warms up, the Luna Park lights turn on and the Coney Island Beach and boardwalk come to life. This usually happens around Memorial Day, according to Rocke.
Rocke’s view from the press box for the home opener was a dark cloudy sky and the quiet structures of Luna Park’s roller coasters sitting beyond the outfield wall. The boardwalk is there, too, its few streetlights illuminating the empty wooden planks, soon to be covered by the families, couples, tourists and locals that make up Coney Island’s summertime crowd. Every Friday night, there’s fireworks.
Those details make the Cyclones’ promotions, like their own post-game fireworks after select weekend games, more memorable. Fireworks exploded in the dark sky following Brooklyn’s season-opening 8–4 win over Wilmington. But the best is yet to come.
“It’s like [you’re] calling baseball games at an amusement park,” said Rocke. “A carnival, that’s sort of the vibe we’ve got here. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
“It’s just such a wonderful, exciting atmosphere. Our fans are great. It just feels like home.”
Home for fans like Pecoraro, who you will always find keeping score in his seat down the third base line. There was no place he’d rather be than the most fun ballpark in Minor League Baseball.
