A park befitting Brooklyn

by Marc Viquez
Published on August 8, 2001 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)

by Marc Viquez

When you step inside Keyspan Park in Brooklyn, New York, you will probably be hooked on what has to be one of the most beautiful parks I have seen on the single-A level. It has to be one of the more interesting parks in all of minor league baseball as well. Parks in Lakewood, New Jersey and Dayton, Ohio are unique themselves, but those cities do not have the rich baseball history that Brooklyn does.

The return of baseball to the borough this season ended a 44-year drought that started when the Dodgers headed west for Los Angeles. The New York Mets now operate the Cyclones in the New York-Penn League and there is nothing bad to be said about this park. The ocean view, Coney Island, neon lights, outfield bleacher seats, boardwalk flooring, and city setting makes this sleek and modern ballpark a delight to visit. "I have been to the new park in Staten Island, but it feels a little bit warmer here," said Brooklyn native Sharon DeLeone. The 7,000-plus in attendance will make any park feel a whole lot friendlier and livelier to all those who catch a Cyclines game.

The exterior of the park is decorated in light and medium brown tiling with an iron gate entrance. Visitors walk up the staircase and pass by a full-size color billboard of special nights coming up. For instance, August 31st is John Franco night at the park. The ticket counter is glittered up in retro neon Broadway lighting, and the team store is two stories tall with a shiny glass finish. "It is so easy to come to a game here being so close to the ocean and Coney Island," said Met fan Dan Arsdale. The Coney Island section is predominately Mets fans from what I was told.

The feel and view from the concourse level will just grab your eyelids and hold them open for a long time. This is just an amazing place to be in as a fan of minor league baseball. The seats are stamped with an old-time NY-B, from the Giants and Dodgers days in New York City and the boardwalk concourse down the far first base line is another treat of the park. "You could walk right off the ocean and into the park," DeLeone added as the boardwalk entrance extended onto the shore and the amusement park. The seats are all close to the field with no middle concourse in between. This gives the fan a closer view of the field of play.

There is also an incredibly clear scoreboard and monitor, like at Staten Island, with a miniature Cyclone rollercoaster for decoration on top. A walk underneath the skyboxes and pressbox gives you a sense of walking on the street. It is an amazing array of lights flickering in neon blue, red, green and yellow. "There is a city-like feel in that area, sort of like being underneath the train tracks in Brooklyn. It is a very warm and friendly feel," said Brooklyn native Gina Florio. The concession stands resemble street shops and serve Brooklyn Lager. The food here is basic and so are the prices. There is such an incredible aura one feels while walking around Keyspan. You get the sense that baseball has finally returned home to its roots.

The bleachers located behind the rightfield wall were jam-packed with fans, along with the boardwalk entrance that sloped up towards the concourse. In the background of these surroundings is the old parachute drop tower that lays dormant but still manages to give off some Brooklyn charm. Another staple of the area is Coney Island, which can be found lighting up the night sky behind the rightfield wall. The ferris wheel, rollercoaster, and other rides are a welcome sight to the eye. The original Nathan's Hot Dog Stand can also be seen from the park. "Look out there and tell me that is not something great to see? I mean what a great feeling to have at a baseball game," added Florio. There is also the aroma of saltwater in the air, and to hear Brooklyn accents from the crowd is another treat.

The field dimensions are interesting, as its irregular contour is a nice touch, from the standard even dimensions of other nearby stadiums. The most peculiar part of the facility is probably the lights that loom high into the sky. Each light is engulfed in a large circular neon light that glows and spin when the Cyclones hit a home run. The lights range from blue, red, green and red. I have not seen anything like this before, and no matter where you look on the field the neon lights seem to grab your attention for a just a bit. "The lights give this place a feel all of its own," said Cyclone fan Matt Perone.

The other odd feature of the park, but a nice one, are the two wavy shaped roofs down each base line. The two yellow zigzag shaped objects give off a space age feel or a look that is straight from a Jetson's cartoon. The interesting design of the roof, along with the neon lights makes this one colorful park to visit. The two skyboxes are stacked on top of each other and the press box is above as well to give fans more closeness down below.

Keyspan Park is one remarkable single-A stadium, and it seems to be a perfect fit for the people of Brooklyn who have been starving for baseball since 1958. The modern ballpark is in a class and style of its own with its 21st century and Brooklyn-esque look that is hard to compare to other parks. The assortment of neon lights, colors, and presence all comfortably blend together beautifully. The reality of watching a professional game in Brooklyn is another astonishing fact all in itself. The Cyclones play at home has been amazing with 19 straight home victories in one of the best new parks I have seen this summer. Keyspan Park is one great place to be if you are a true fan of baseball.

New York-Penn League Stories from August 8, 2001

• A park befitting Brooklyn - OSC Original by Marc Viquez

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