SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

Students from the Millennium Development/Starrett City with former pro baseball player Terry McFarlin (top row left) and Mets Hall of Fame pitcher John Franco (top row in 42 cap)

Over 200 students from an assortment of Brooklyn youth groups celebrated Jackie Robinson day Monday by meeting some ex-baseball players and getting a private screening of the new movie about Jackie Robinson, 42, at the Regal Cinemas in Sheepshead Bay, according to a press release.

The kids, who spent the day hearing stories from former ballplayers John Franco and Terry McFarlin, were culled from the Marlboro Housing Development, Millennium Development/Starrett City, and the Coney Island Communities youth groups. They learned about the groundbreaking heroism exhibited by Jackie Robinson in the face of intense hatred and bigotry as he broke baseball’s color barrier back in 1947.

Franco and McFarlin, both products of Southern Brooklyn, also shared powerful words of wisdom with the children on hand.

“Stay focused on the goals you set for yourself and never stop working to improve yourself in a effort to achieve those goals,”  said ex-Met Franco.

“The more you put into something, the more you will get out of it. Always give 100 percent in whatever you do and more often than not, you will be successful,” added McFarlin.

In honor of Jackie Robinson day Monday, every player in the major leagues wore the number 42. Jackie’s number is also ceremoniously retired by every team in baseball.

The event was sponsored by the Municipal Credit Union (MCU) and the Brooklyn Cyclones, the New York Met Class-A affiliate.

Source: Wally Gobetz via Wikimedia Commons

The Brooklyn Cyclones have announced that they will raising moneyfor various Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts, through a new program dubbed “Meaningful Mondays.”

The way it works is that $3 out of every ticket sold at MCU Park (1904 Surf Avenue) on Mondays will go to several charities involved in the recovery process. This will start in July.

According to the press release, each week the “Meaningful Monday” will focus on a different neighborhood affected by the storm. Here is a schedule the press release provided of which neighborhoods will go with which week:

•           Monday, July 1 –Coney Island Night to benefit ConeyRecovers.org.

•           Monday, July 8 – Gerritsen Beach Night to benefit Gerritsen Cares.

•           Monday, July 22 –Nassau County Night to benefit the Nassau Hurricane Recovery Fund.

•           Monday, July 29 – Red Hook Night to benefit the Red Hook Initiative.

•           Monday, August 19 –Staten Island Night to benefit The Stephen Siller Foundation.

•           Monday, August 26 – Breezy Point / Rockway Night to benefit The Graybeards.

Cyclones General Manager Steve Cohen states in the press release, “We hope that through our Meaningful Monday efforts, we can help the countless people still struggling to recover from the storm, recognize the heroes who were leaders in their communities during their time of need, and provide a night of fun and laughter at the ballpark as we all recover from Hurricane Sandy.”

Source: Alina Zienowicz via Wikimedia

Councilman Lew Fidler, the 41st Assembly Democrats and Toy Drive founder Bryan Lee are back with their 12th annual ‘Toys For Tots’ toy drive. The annual toy drive is throwing their Grand Finale Party on Thursday night, December 20 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the 41st A.D. Dems Club, 2952 Ave. R.

The toy drive is currently accepting donations, and if you wish to give in person, you can bring a new, unwrapped toy to the party. Donations are also accepted by mailing a check payable to Community First Toy Drive- 41st A.D. Dems Club c/o Bryan Lee, Executive Director 2664 Dorothy Street Bellmore, NY 11710.

Special guests include Mr. Met, famed New York Mets mascot, making his 11th straight appearance and Sandy the Seagull of the Brooklyn Cyclones flying in for his fourth straight time.

You can also attend and donate to one of the Satellite Toy Drive Sponsors such as the 4th Be Proud Foundation Toy Drive at the Cherry Hill Gourmet Market located at 1901 Emmons Avenue held on Monday, December 17, between 6 and 8 p.m., or through Community Board 15.

Councilman Mike Nelson posted information on his Facebook page concerning the availability and distribution of free dry ice by Con Edison today for customers without power due to Hurricane Sandy.

According to Nelson:

“Con Edison will distribute dry ice at five locations starting at noon today to customers who are without power due to Hurricane Sandy. Distribution will continue until 6 p.m. or until supplies run out. The company will also have personnel at the locations to answer customers’ questions.”

In our area, dry ice will be available at MCU Park (Cyclones Stadium), 1904 Surf Avenue between West 17th Street and West 19th Street, parking lot section 1B.

Instructions for the safe handling and disposal of dry ice are printed on the bag for residents who pick up dry ice.

It is important to note that dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide and should only be used in well-ventilated areas. Keep children and pets safely away.

Source: Wally Gobetz via Wikimedia Commons

The Brooklyn chapter of the Dream Factory organization has teamed up with the Brooklyn Cyclones in order to raise funds for the next dream they will grant for a child diagnosed with critical or chronic illness.

The Cyclones face off against the Jammers of Jamestown on July 8, 2012 at 5 p.m. The tickets are $10 each and 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the Brooklyn Dream Factory. Tickets are tax deductible.

Contact the Dream Factory organizers if you have questions at (917) 968-8078.

Good luck to the Cyclones and the Dream Factory Team!

Source: Newyorkbob via Wikimedia Commons

The Brooklyn Cyclones play their season opener tonight. They’re squaring off against the Staten Island Yankees at MCU Park at 1904 Surf Avenue.

This year’s team is one of the youngest in franchise history with eight teenagers on the roster.

One of the young players joining the team is 19-year-old Brandon Nimmo. He was the New York Mets’ first round selection in the 2011 MLB Draft. Nimmo hails from Cheyenne East High School in Wyoming.

On top of new team members, there are a lot of other changes the franchise has made for the 2012 season. Things to look forward to include the Brooklyn Baseball Gallery now featuring skee ball and alcohol, a chance to meet players from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. during every game, brand new flagship radio station, 89.5 FM WSOU broadcasting the games, and a social media scoreboard showcasing tweets about the game.

Good luck to the Cyclones this year, we’ll be rooting for you. 

Source: Brooklyn Cyclones

Warner Fusselle, the only man to have ever called the play-by-plays for the Brooklyn Cyclones (1904 Surf Avenue), passed away a week shy of what would have been his 12th Opening Day since the inception of the team.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of Warner’s passing,” said Cyclones General Manager Steve Cohen. “There is no one who knew more – or cared more – about baseball in Brooklyn than Warner. His distinctive voice, knowledge and endless passion for the game enriched Brooklyn Cyclones baseball for our players, staff, and fans from day one and his presence will be sorely missed.”

The sports announcer was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and raised in Gainsville, Georgia. He has had a long career in sports radio as well as television. He voiced the show “This Week In Baseball,” and called the plays for the Seton Hall Pirates; the Richmond Braves; the Spartanburg Phillies; and the ABA’s Virgina Squires.

Besides sports, his great passion was music.

The “Fuse,” as he was nicknamed, died on Sunday night from an apparent heart attack at just 68-years-old.

Borough President Marty Markowitz issued the following statement after news broke of Fusselle’s death:

For fans of our beloved Brooklyn Cyclones, the voice of Warner Fusselle has been silenced after 11 years of passionate and knowledgeable play-by-play from the ‘Catbird Seat’ at MCU Park and, before that, Keyspan Park on Coney Island. Fusselle was a native Kentuckian raised in Georgia, but Brooklynites embraced him as one of their own after he became the voice of the Cyclones at their very beginning in 2001. They call me Mr. Brooklyn, but Warner Fusselle was Mr. Baseball here in Brooklyn, and our prayers and condolences go out to the entire Cyclones organization as well as Fusselle’s sister, two nephews and all of his friends and colleagues who are mourning the passing of “The Fuse.”

As the only voice Cyclones’ fans ever knew, his will be a tough act to follow.

My girlfriend moved to a new apartment yesterday. She hired a Williamsburg-based moving company she found online. Three lanky hipsters turned up to her apartment; they were band mates who make their money moving other people’s stuff until they get an offer for a big record deal that they can then turn down because it’s too mainstream, then declare they’ve “made it” in the big N-Y-C, and move back to Pennsyltuckyville and leave inflated rents behind for the rest of us.

In the course of conversation, they asked about her boyfriend, me.

“Oh he lives in Sheepshead Bay,” she answered.

“Whoa, that’s, like, real-life Brooklyn,” one responded.

Always game, she shot back, “Like, ya, it’s all like real life, man.”

And now the Brooklyn Cyclones in Coney Island are in on the joke, too. At least we hope it’s a joke. The franchise is extending an open invitation to beardos of the flannel stripe, throwing a “Williamsburg Night” on Thursday, June 5.

The festivities include “special vouchers” for “any bearded fans” and a post-game run on the bases for those in “skinny jeans.” Oh, and let’s not forget the “Williamsburg music and art,” which we assume means a lot of vintage-filtered cell phone photos of kewl-looking people who have their faces turned away from the camera. There’s also a skeeball contest, because baseball just ain’t hip enough.

I can’t help but wonder if this is a serious offer or a joke meant to appeal to the hipster’s predictable – and exhausted – sense of irony. Or maybe it’s genuine, and the folks at the Cyclones actually think that hipsters like being described as hipsters, as if these kazoo-voiced, twig-shaped social dregs would say, “Like, yah, I’ve got skinny jeans and a beard and I totally love skeeball.”

Of course, we all know the first sign of a hipster is denial. “I’m not a hipster. I’m from Brooklyn. I moved here seven months ago and a homeless guy stole the iPad (the one my daddy bought me) when I was taking Instagram photos of graffiti in dark alleys in Williamspoint-Stuy, so I’m, like, def real Brooklyn.”

The whole thing is giving the folks over at DieHipster a kenipshit… and an idea:

Even the people who run the Cyclones are betting on a bunch of fully grown adult toddlers from Wiscofornia to show up in ball crushing, filthy, sweaty tight jeans and beards in the middle of the summer. What normal person wears such uncomfortable clothes in 80-90 degree weather? It’s all about the “look at me” factor. It always is.

… They are coming down and being exposed to Coney Island and normal Brooklyn which will give these ‘urban pioneers’ ideas to ‘help’ us and bring ‘culture’. On the bright side, what’s one thing that is plentiful in a baseball stadium? BATS! Hopefully this is just a trick to get a few hundred of them to show up and once they do the staff locks the gates, hands out bats to the normal Brooklynites and we get to pound on these bearded scumbags.

Whoa, that’s, like, real-life Brooklyn, yo.

Not really. Don’t hurt the hipsters.

Bullying and showing respect for all students will be on the agenda of Community Education Council 21’s next public meeting from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., March 21, at Public School 209 – The Margaret Mead School, 2609 East Seventh Street between Avenue Z and Manor Court, just off Coney Island Avenue.

Sara Carvajal, executive director of Strategic Leadership, will deliver the Superintendent’s Report, followed by a number of guest speakers including Frank Laghezza of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, who will discuss bullying, and Brooklyn Cyclones Marketing & Promotions Manager Dan Pecoraro, who will share some of the anti-bullying initiatives made by the Brooklyn Cyclones organization.

Additionally, City Councilman Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. will present certificates to the winners of the “Respect for All” student essay contest.

Other items on the meeting’s agenda will be the council president’s report, discussion on turnaround schools, Parent Association Quarterlies delivered by Presidents Council President Heather Fiorica, as well as a round-up of important dates and activities.

Members of the community are invited to attend, as there will also be a public speaking time. There will be door prizes and light refreshments.

To learn more about CEC 21, call (718) 333-3885, email cec21@schools.nyc.gov, go to www.cecd21.org, or find them on Facebook.

Congratulations Boris Royzen, our relentless reader who campaigned to win the chance to throw the first pitch at MCU Park (Cyclones Stadium) during tomorrow’s Sheepshead Bites Night!

Royzen garnered more than 50 percent of the vote (351 votes) – besting two other candidates for the opportunity of a lifetime. And he did it all by promising to make an ass out of himself.

It was a competition to end all competitions; one that tells us much about the human condition. Readers were presented with three options: a bonafide hero, a loser begging for redemption, or Royzen, a guy who was just willing to embarrass himself the most. And, with the votes tallied, Royzen’s victory shows what our readers care about most: humiliation.

We wouldn’t have it any other way, and neither would Royzen. The former high school swimming star is pulling out his old purple Leon M. Goldstein H.S. speedos and slapping on a Sheepshead Bites sticker, then taking to the mound to throw the first pitch. And he’s got a conscience, too. Moved by the story of fellow contestant Joseph Brodoff, a local hero who, after his wife’s death, created several facilities and programs that assist cancer patients at two city hospitals, Royzen said he’ll be making a contribution to the foundation’s cause.

But, for now, it’s the game he’s looking forward to. Sort of.

“I’m nervous and excited,” said the 27-year-old owner of Gravesend-based B&T Marlboro Pharmacy (2845 86th Street). “I really hope it doesn’t rain.”

Well, we really hope only one ball makes an appearance on the mound…

Sheepshead Bites Night at MCU Park (Cyclones Stadium) is tomorrow, August 19, at 6:30 p.m. Discounted tickets for Sheepshead Bites readers can be bought here with the promo code “BITES.” There will be a pre-game presentation in which Sheepshead Bites promotes the neighborhood with videos on the jumbotron, a performance by students from the Covenant Ballet Theater of Brooklyn’s Dance Academy, a ceremony honoring St. Mark Catholic Church for it’s 150th year honoring the community, and free t-shirts launched into the crowd (shirts will also be for sale on the mezzanine).