Brooklyn Cyclones: Minor League Baseball at Coney Island

With the contents of our three-bedroom apartment being stowed away in increasingly more boxes, the last thing Paul needed for Father's Day was, well, another thing.

Instead, Paul got a note from Edith asking him to take her to her first baseball game. That's how we ended up in Coney Island on Friday for a Brooklyn Cyclones game.

The Cyclones are a single-A affiliate of the New York Mets, with a small but tidy stadium with seats overlooking Coney Island's major attractions: the Atlantic Ocean, Parachute Jump, Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone roller coaster.

Wonder Wheel on the right, (though not very wheel-like from this view!),
and the Cyclone in the distance

We arrived at Coney Island a couple of hours before the first pitch, giving us plenty of time to stroll the boardwalk and grab a bite to eat. Of course, when we saw a place called Paul's Daughter, we had to eat there. (Fried clams and fries for Paul, a corn dog for me.)

Restrooms raised above the beach.

Although we live so close to the ocean, it's easy to forget until you're only a short walk away. That's why it always slips my mind how much cooler it is there than just a few miles away in Bay Ridge. I was glad I brought a wrap, even though it was quite warm at home.

The game started promptly at 7 p.m., and like at most minor league games, the majority of the crowd seemed to be there to soak up the atmosphere rather than to cheer on the home team. That's OK; that's what I was there for, too. Paul watched the game while I entertained an easy-to-please Edith.

She was largely content, and any coos or cries were easily overshadowed by the hum of the crowd. When she got more fussy toward the end, I took a walk with her around the stadium. She fell asleep at the top of the ninth, just before the Cyclones clinched the win over Aberdeen.

Edith stayed asleep during the lighting of the Parachute Jump, and she didn't open her eyes until the grand finale of the weekly Friday night fireworks. Even then, the drowsy baby could barely keep her eyes open.

Parachute Jump, and a full moon.

Edith's first baseball game was -- dare I say it? -- a home run. And Paul's Father's Day wasn't half bad either.