Another brick in the wall

After ten months of waiting, the demolition team has moved in and is tearing down much of the remains of Washington Park, Brooklyn. There is a small amount still standing, which Con Ed has promised us - basically the northernmost section along Third Avenue and around the corner on First Street. Why is that? Because they have been convinced that the northernmost part was built by the Dodgers, circa 1908, and the rest was built by the Edison Company, circa 1920. I can't see any reason to believe either of these propositions, dating the wall, after a good deal of study, to 1914 and the Brooklyn entry in the Federal League, better known as the Tip Tops.

That version of Washington Park was modeled after Weeghman Park - you might know it better as Wrigley Field. To lose any of this wall is a tragedy for baseball historians. But what can I do about it now? I could only think of one thing, today: I kept a piece for myself.

My little piece of Brooklyn's baseball history. I'm not letting it slip away.

Rematch time

The Cyclones travel north to Troy, NY today to take on the Tri-City Valley Cats in game one of the New York Penn League Championship Series. This is the same team they played in the final regular season series, which the Cyclones took 2 to 1 in Brooklyn. The Valley Cats squeaked into the playoffs - their place was confirmed minutes before the last game was played - then beat Batavia in an epic series much like the Brooklyn-Jamestown matchup.

Nervous. Very nervous.

So what does an overly committed Cyclones fan do to relieve the nerves? He gets the team's logo etched into his arm, of course.

Photos to come after the big event. But right now, let me note that making yourself scared about a second thing doesn't help with the first thing at all...

The joy of sudden death playoffs

The Cyclones kept their season alive last night, tying the semi final series 1-1 with Jamestown. That sounds simple enough, but no game won 9 to 8 on a wild pitch in the 12th inning could ever be simple. I'm still too exhausted to recount all of the many, many ups and downs. Maybe tomorrow. We'll see if the guys are still alive after tonight's series decider...

Sports roundup

Carlton's AFL season ended in heartbreak in the first week of the finals, for the second year in a row, with a 5 point loss in Sydney. Brave, gutsy, and not quite good enough. Keep at it, Blues. Looking forward to next year. Chris Judd will be another half step slower, but the likes of Garlett, Yarran, and Armfield will be a year wiser. Could be a fun season. But please, can we draft some key defenders?

The Brooklyn Cyclones ended their dominant regular season with a 6-5 win over Tri-City, sending out a series of lesser relief pitchers and somehow surviving the experience. Cory Vaughn's 14th home run set a new team record, and his 56 runs batted in shattered the old mark of 46. Darrell Ceciliani's 2 for 3 effort was good enough to take the league batting title with a team record .351 average. He also set records with his 95 hits and 12 triples. On a personal note, I caught a foul ball and walked on the field for the first time after the game. That was a magical evening.

At the other end of his baseball career, 63 year old Bill "Spaceman" Lee went 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs, to pick up the win for Brockton over Worcester in the Can-Am league. That's a serious pro league. Impressive. Very, very impressive.

Darrelle Revis has finally signed a new contract with the Jets. This is fantastic news for me, because I can drag out my favorite line again: Welcome to Revis Island. Don't bother bringing a radio, cos there will be NO RECEPTION.

Congrats to Samantha Stosur on her epic three set win over Elena Dementieva. Not only was this the latest women's match in US Open history, finishing at 1:35AM, but our Sam saved four match points to stave off elimination. We're starting to expect great things at this point, which is always dangerous for Aussie tennis players. Fingers crossed for three more wins?

And then there's Jason Day, following up his excellent performance at the Barclays with a third round lead at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Go Jason! Golf is another one of those sports, like tennis and swimming, that Australia likes to think it can own. We have a bunch of good young players now, so maybe more majors are on the way soon. Who knows?

A near-perfect night at Staten Island. Of course, it helped that we saw the evil Yankees go down, 7 to 2 against the Vermont Lake Monsters. Five time NY Penn League champs they may be, but Staten Island's Yankees are nowhere near the 2010 playoffs. The Brooklyn Cyclones, boasting the league's best record, open up their playoff campaign on the road on Tuesday...

Cyclones win the division!

The Brooklyn Cyclones took to the road on Saturday, and pummeled the Connecticut Tigers 10 to 0 to wrap up the McNamara Division. With a 44-21 record, an 11 game lead, and an excellent shot at home field advantage through the playoffs, life is good for Cyclones fans right now. This has been a very special season, a lot like 2001.

But it's not over yet. I'm trying not to think about the championship, but it's been a long wait since that shared title...

A perfect evening

On an absolutely picture perfect late summer evening, the Cyclones beat the Ironbirds 2 to 0 - a beautifully pitched game on both sides, with the Brooklyn fielding being a shade better than Aberdeen's and making all the difference. The game was over in a very speedy 1 hour 58 minutes. Good friends, close contest, the usual fun and games in the stadium, gorgeous sunset, and a dazzling moonrise as the game ended.

What could be better?

Note: picture represents an earlier perfect evening at a Cyclones game. I did not have my camera this time.

The greatest keeps going

The Dodgers have announced that Vin Scully, contrary to reports from early this year, will return in 2011, calling all home games, and road games against the National League West.

This is wonderful news. However great or mediocre the team might be, listening to Vin Scully call a game is the definitive Dodger baseball experience.

Just as important: by remaining part of the organization in their various ways, Vin Scully, Tommy Lasorda, and Sandy Koufax still form a real link to the Dodgers in Brooklyn, 53 years later. That means a hell of a lot to some of us.

RIP Bobby Thomson

The author of the most heartbreaking moment in Brooklyn Dodger history died yesterday, aged 86. I'll never learn to love that moment, but the Staten Island Scot has a special place in my memory.

When I was relatively new to the USA, ten years ago, I saw Bobby Thomson and his partner in history, Ralph Branca, at a trade show. They were attracting folks to a research agency's booth by signing photos of the Shot Heard Round the World, so being a good baseball fan I duly lined up. Someone in front of me was explaining to his colleague that the famous home run had won the World Series at Yankee Stadium. I took a moment to correct both errors.

When I got to the front of the line, as they were signing the picture, I mentioned that although the home run happened some years before I was born, it still broke my heart to think of it. Thomson looked up at me quizzically and said, "With an accent like that, what do you care?"

He had a fair point. But I did care, and I do care. And that home run still breaks my heart.

RIP Billy Loes

Billy Loes was a throwback during his own career. As one of the legendary Boys of Summer, he enjoyed a very successful stint pitching with the Dodgers of the 1950s, winning pennants and even the hallowed World Series. But at the same time, he recalled the magical spirit of the Daffiness Boys, the earlier Dodgers of Babe Herman and Dazzy Vance, when no play was too weird and no quote too strange. Billy picked the Dodgers' opponents to win the 1952 World Series. He famously lost a ground ball in the sun. But he pitched, and pitched well, and played the game the right way. He will be sorely missed by the Brooklyn Dodger family.

A new Hall of Fame

Brooklyn baseball needs a new Hall. Thanks to Marty Adler, there is already an excellent Brooklyn Dodger Hall of Fame, and I don't mean to trample on those toes. Brooklyn needs a Hall for those who won 600 games in semipro ball, or gave their lives to the developing game in the 19th century, or built wonderful stadiums now long gone. They may be in the Cooperstown version already, I guess, but my focus is on those whose lifetime of achievement, or perhaps even one truly great moment, risks being forgotten.

I will announce a freshman class of five inductees soon...

In tangentially related news...

Remember Enron Field? The Astros couldn't get rid of that name fast enough. It turns out that Brooklyn's own ballpark was similarly associated with a shady corporation. Suddenly I'm thankful that it's only the former Keyspan Park.

The 2010 Cyclones

Just back from my... um... sixth Brooklyn Cyclones game of the season, I think. Beat the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, 7 to 4, the main highlight being two separate rescues of bases loaded, none out jams without conceding a run.

It's been a wild ride so far, with the Cyclones terrifying everyone en route to the lead in the McNamara Division. The relief pitching gives me fits, especially when the starter doesn't have a great day, but the hitting is tremendous fun to watch. Sandoval, Flagg, Vaughan... these guys might have a long future yet in professional baseball.

Oh, yeah, the jersey giveaways this season have been great, too. Plus free food for us miniplan people. First class operation all around. What on earth do I do for the other nine months of the year, anyway?

RIP Bob Sheppard

Bob Sheppard is best remembered by this author as the first baseman on the 1927 St. John's Prep midget squad, who squeeze bunted against Johnny Dollard, a pitcher who had lost both feet in a railway accident, and won a game in the tenth inning. Sheppard never forgave himself for this act, finally apologizing in the New York Times in 1980.

It is just and fair that Dollard learned from the experience, too, and went on to great things as a pitcher for the senior team at Brooklyn Prep. Sheppard, later the quarterback for St. John's University, took his own path to immortality, as everyone knows.

In the spirit of an Irish wake, one funny story about Bob Sheppard. I was at a Yankee game in 2000, I believe, when Michael Bolton was set to sing the national anthem, and represent his charity of choice, Child Abuse Awareness Week. Bob Sheppard announced him thus:

Now, to honor Child Abuse...

...

...

Awareness Week, Michael Bolton will sing the national anthem.

The tide is turning

Australia drew with Ghana, the Cyclones won a dramatic opener against the Yankees, and now New Zealand has held mighty Italy to a 1-1 draw. Suddenly I am a happy sports fan again.

The down side

When you follow as many sports teams as I do, once every few years comes a week where everything goes wrong. Your football team loses two games it should win, with a young star wrecking his knee. Your national soccer team is humiliated on the biggest stage, and the other team you adore is victimized by one of the worst refereeing displays in living memory. Your basketball team loses a heartbreaking game 7 in the NBA finals. Your baseball team goes into its annual, deep, interleague death spiral.

Tonight, the Brooklyn Cyclones hold their home opener, against the Staten Island Yankees. They could make up for everything, in one go. Or it could get that much worse...

Guess where my money is.

Jackie Robinson Day

It's 63 years since Jackie Robinson re-broke the color barrier in professional baseball, and it seems everyone is wearing number 42 today in celebration. In all the hoopla, let us never forget: it happened in Brooklyn.

Please, try to get it right

One of the most persistent and annoying myths in baseball is that the Cincinnati Reds are the continuation of the mighty Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first fully professional club, that dominated base ball in 1869 and 1870 until their epic defeat at the hands of the Atlantic Club in Brooklyn.

Once again, this wholly inaccurate assertion has made its way into wide coverage. From an article on MLB.com today by Mark Sheldon:

Inside Great American Ball Park, the crowd was a sea of the color red for both the Reds and, likely, the Cardinals, too. The Reds, whose franchise was founded in 1869, have the honor of opening at home every season.

Let's get it right, shall we? After the 1870 season, the Red Stockings' wealthy backers pulled the plug, and the team was disbanded. The club continued, fielding an amateur team as it had before 1868, for some unknown time. Some of the professionals, meanwhile, followed Harry Wright to Boston in 1871, where he formed a new Red Stockings club that still plays today. You may know them as the Atlanta Braves, and those of us with a more romantic view of the game's history like to regard them as the modern day Cincinnati Red Stockings. Certainly it's a defensible argument, that the old Red Stockings split into professional and amateur halves and continued as two clubs. The Chicago Cubs, who play the Braves today in a far more appropriate opening day celebration, formed in 1870 as the White Stockings, and have played continuously ever since apart from a brief break in the aftermath of the Chicago Fire.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati had a National League entry in 1876, which played five seasons before folding, largely in a dispute with the league over beer sales. The modern day Reds began life in the American Association in 1882, and jumped, along with the Brooklyn club you may know as the Los Angeles Dodgers, to the National League in 1890.

My colleague Andrew Ross suggests that perhaps the original NL club barnstormed a while before joining the AA. I find this difficult to believe, but as he says, the best you gain from that is an 1876 date for the modern club anyway. 1869? Earlier? Forget it.

However, I will accept the notion that the Reds' mascot is the continuation of Rollie Fingers.

The Brighton Beach Nets?

The NY Times has a mini-profile of the Nets' potential Russian owner. Which is all very well. What struck me was this line:

If and when, the Nets will matter in a way they have only dreamed of since they were born in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans of the American Basketball Association, cash-poor and attention-starved.

Seriously? The Nets didn't matter when they had Doctor J? ABA or not, he changed basketball. And he did it in a New York Nets uniform. How soon they forget.

Brooklyn Nets Arena Design v3

Here is the latest from Forest City Ratner. According to the NY Times, someone actually listened to the howls of protest at Ellerbe Beckett's arena generica, and had Shop Architects modify the design. This is a substantial improvement. My money still says it will never happen, though.