Minor League Baseball in the New York Metro: Brooklyn Cyclones and 5 Other Teams

4/20/10 - By Adam

Last week we wrote about going to a Mets or Yankees game with a baby . Of course, going to a major league baseball game is a huge expense. Tickets for a family quickly get very expensive and that’s just the beginning with more money for overpriced food, ice cream and souvenirs. And with a child meltdown (if not from fear, then from boredom), all of that money can seem like a waste.

A better alternative is to take your family to a minor league game. The minor league stadiums are smaller so children can see better (and not be as terrified by the height of the stadium); there are also entertaining mascots and lots of promotional giveaways to entertain them. Tickets start as low as $10. And finally, the games are significantly shorter.

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Here are some of the local options for minor league baseball games:

Staten Island Yankees ((718) 720-9260): This is the Short Season Single A farm team of the NY Yankees which plays in the New York - Penn League. They play a shorter schedule of games which don’t start until the middle of June and run until the first week of September. The stadium is near the Staten Island ferry so you can take the ferry to the game and then walk to the stadium. Games frequently have fireworks displays afterward.

Brooklyn Cyclones (General Information: (718) 449-8497; Single Game Tickets (718) 507-TIXX): This is the Short Season Single A farm team of the NY Mets which also plays in the New York - Penn League. Here is their 2010 schedule.   The Cyclones stadium is right on the beach in Coney Island and can easily be part of a longer day at Coney Island. It’s an easy (but long) ride to Coney Island by subway on the D, F, N or Q trains. Games frequently have fireworks displays afterward.

Hudson Valley Renegades ((845) 838-0094) The Hudson Valley Renegades are also part of the New York – Penn League (they are affiliates of the Tampa Bay Rays) and play at Dutchess Stadium located in Wappingers Falls, NY (just north of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge and right off I-84). A Renegades game can easily be made part of a day trip or weekend trip out of the city. Here is their 2010 schedule.

Newark Bears ((973) 848-1000): The Bears play at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium and are part of the Atlantic League which is a professional league independent of Major League Baseball. The Bears start playing at the end of April, here is their 2010 schedule.

Long Island Ducks ((631) 940-DUCK): Also part of the Atlantic League, the Long Island Ducks play in 6,000 seat Citibank Stadium in Central Islip, Long Island. Their 2010 schedule is here.

Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees ((570) 969-2255): If you are committed to minor league baseball (or the Yankees) and up for at least a 2-hour drive, then consider a trip to see the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees. The Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees are the AAA (the highest level of Minor League Baseball) affiliate of the New York Yankees and this is therefore a good place to see future Yankees players. They play at PNC Field, a 10,380 seat stadium in Moosic, Pennsylvania. Games have already started, here is their 2010 schedule.