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.

Baseball may be the great American pastime, but in New York, it is a religion. Names like Ruth, Mays, Gehrig, Wright and Robinson live in the hearts and minds of New York fans like apostles. From the street corner to the subway car, debates about which Yankee, Giant, Dodger or Met is better than another have raged on for more than one hundred years. Now, the best of the best are chosen for each position as New York's all-time greatest team is imagined. Shoo-ins like the Babe and Jackie have their stories told with a fresh perspective. The compelling case for Mike Piazza, not Yogi Berra, as catcher is sure to spark arguments. Sportswriter Mark Healey crafts the Gotham baseball team through captivating tales of the legends of the New York game.

Major league baseball has a long, rich history in Brooklyn. From the time Brooklyn started play in 1884 until their move west to Los Angeles following the 1957 season, the Dodgers and their predecessors were the emotional center of the borough's diverse population. But Brooklyn would be without a professional team until June of 2001, when the Cyclones took the field in Coney Island as the Mets' affiliate for the New York-Penn League. This work follows the rookie-level club from its formation through it first season. Brooklyn Dodgers Carl Erskine, Duke Snider, Clem Labine, Johnny Podres, Ralph Branca, Joe Pignatano and Clyde King comment on their own minor league days, and their days in Brooklyn. Also included are interviews of Cyclones players and fans of both teams.

Riding the Cyclone, the world famous Coney Island rollercoaster was supposed to be the highlight of twelve-year-old Nora's summer, but right after they disembark, Nora's thirteen-year-old cousin Riley falls to the ground and into a coma that Nora thinks is her fault.

A memoir from one of the most admired players in baseball, the captain of the New York Mets, David Wright David Wright played his entire Major League Baseball career for one team, the team he dreamed of playing for as a kid: the New York Mets. A quick fan favorite from Virginia who then earned his stripes in New York, Wright came back time and again from injury and demonstrated the power of hard work, total commitment, and an infinite love of the game. Wright’s stats are one thing. He was a seven-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He holds many Mets franchise records and was nicknamed "Captain America" after his performance in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. But there is more: The walk-offs. The Barehand. The Subway Series and World Series home runs. And the electricity that swept through Shea Stadium then Citi Field whenever number 5, “the Captain,” was in the game.

With hundreds of insider tips, this budget-minded guide explores America's top 25 theme parks, including Six Flags, Busch Gardens, Coney Island, and Cedar Point. Photos & maps.

Grab a Zweigle's White Hot at Dwyer Stadium (built in 1939) and cheer on the Batavia Muckdogs. Join B.B. the Bluefish as he warms up the crowd at Bridgeport's Ballpark at Harbor Yard. Take in the view of Coney Island from the upper deck of MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones. Watch from a box seat in Pawtucket as top Red Sox prospects try to make it to the bigs. . . . It's all part of minor league baseball in the Northeast. This book conveys the essence of the sport--from the sublime (summer nights under the lights cheering for a hometown team) to the ridiculous (racing bagels, cowboy monkeys, garish "alternate" uniforms--by visiting 27 minor league ballparks through the Northeast. It offers both a visitor's guide and an appealing narrative, covering the particulars of each venue--who plays there and when, how to get there, where to sit and what to eat--and describing what makes each park, and each team and town, special. It also offers a bit of history of the parks--the legends who played there and the great games they hosted. From Portland, Maine (home of the Sea Dogs) to Altoona, Pennsylvania (home of the Curve), this book features Triple-A, Double-A, and Single-A action from every part of the region.

Every New York Mets fan has a bucket list of activities to take part in at some point in their lives. But even the most die-hard fans haven't done everything there is to experience in and around New York. From singing "Meet the Mets" to running the old Shea Stadium bases, author Matthew Cerrone provides ideas, recommendations, and insider tips for must-see places and can't-miss activities near Citi Field. But not every experience requires a trip to Queens; long-distance Mets fans can cross some items off their list from the comfort of their own homes. Whether you're attending every home game or supporting the Mets from afar, there's something for every fan to do in The New York Mets Fans' Bucket List.

Batter up! It's an NYC-themed Super Special! Ballpark Mysteries are fun, accessible early chapter books that cross baseball action with puzzling whodunits! Catch a baseball mystery--in New York City! Mike and Kate are in for an extra special treat! Two hometown baseball teams in one city! A Subway Series is when the New York Mets play the New York Yankees, and Mike and Kate can't wait to watch all the action! But someone is playing pranks at both ballparks! And when Mike and Kate hear mysterious mumblings at the famous Whispering Gallery at Grand Central Terminal, they just might be able to catch the culprit before the series ends. A longer story, plus bonus backmatter and NYC trivia, makes Subway Series Surprise a truly Super Special addition to the Ballpark Mysteries.

The Wizard of Oz meets America's favorite pastime! Alex Metcalf must be dreaming. What else would explain why he's playing baseball for the Oz Cyclones, with Dorothy as his captain, in the Ever After Baseball Tournament? But Alex isn't dreaming; he's just from the real world. And winning the tournament might be his only chance to get back there, because the champions get a wish granted by the Wizard. Too bad Ever After's most notorious criminal, the Big Bad Wolf, is also after the wishes. And anyone who gets in his way gets eaten! From beloved baseball author Alan Gratz comes a novel in which classic literary characters are baseball crazy, and one real-world boy must face his fears and discover the surprising truth about himself.