Profile

Brooklyn's 7,500-seat KeySpan Park tries to be a lot of things—quintessential Coney Island, a historic tribute, and, of course, a modern minor-league stadium—and it actually succeeds on all counts. Neon rings on the light towers call to mind the kitschy rides visible over the left-field wall, while a boardwalk connecting the right-field bleachers to the main concourse fits in seamlessly with the one leading to the beach just beyond the stadium. Two levels of suites are asymmetrically located behind home plate and down the third-base line and are named after amusement-park attractions like the Thunderbolt, the Funhouse, and the landmarked Parachute Jump (which towers over the stadium). The Cyclones were Brooklyn's first pro team since the Dodgers departed in 1957, and the history of that long-gone franchise is noted in myriad ways: A statue of Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese greets fans at the entrance, Dodgers legends like Gil Hodges have had their numbers retired, and a local dealership offers a car to a fan if a target above left-field is hit by a home-run ball. (Ebbets Field had a similar deal.) Playing at Coney Island comes at a cost, though: The strong ocean breeze makes it difficult to hit a home run to right field, and Friday-night games lasting past 10 p.m. can be delayed because of smoke from the neighborhood's weekly fireworks. — Joe DeLessio

KeySpan has drawn some impressive artists to its makeshift concert stage: The White Stripes, Björk, and most famously, Phish, who were joined onstage by Brooklyn's own Jay-Z in 2004.

Related Stories

Featured In

• A Look at Minor-League Baseball (7/12/07)