Brooklyn proves it’s a big league town
Nets and Islanders Combine to Give Borough New Sports Identity
It began humbly enough on the night of June 25, 2001.
The Brooklyn Cyclones, a Major League-affiliated Class-A short-season franchise, owned and operated by the New York Mets, officially kicked off what has since morphed into a 15-year love affair with our fair borough by pulling out a dramatic come-from-behind victory in their inaugural game at what was then called KeySpan Park.
It was Brooklyn’s first step back, albeit a tiny one, into the world of big-time professional sports since the Dodgers fled for Los Angeles following the 1957 season.
The Cyclones went on to earn a share of the New York-Penn League championship that summer, the final series with Williamsport cut short with Brooklyn holding a 1-0 series lead due to the tragic and horrifying events that unfolded that Sept. 11.