CYCLONES ANNOUNCE 2017 COACHING STAFF
Happy Days! Edgardo Alfonzo Named Cyclones Manager
Brooklyn, NY – January 5, 2017 – The Brooklyn Cyclones will open their 2017 season on Monday, June 19th against the Staten Island Yankees with a new manager at the helm. Former National League All-Star and New York Mets icon, Edgardo Alfonzo, will guide the Cyclones for the 2017 campaign. Fonzie, who has served as a Cyclones coach in each of the last three seasons, will become the 11th manager in franchise history.
Alfonzo, 43, spent 12 years in the Major Leagues with the Mets, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays. “Fonzie” spent eight years in Queens with the Mets and ranks among the all-time franchise leaders in home runs, RBI, total bases, extra-base hits, batting average, runs scored, hits, and at-bats. In 2000, the National League All-Star hit .324 with 25 home runs, 40 doubles and 94 RBI while helping the Mets reach the World Series for the first time since 1986. Edgardo’s brother, Edgar, served as the Cyclones manager in 2001, 2007-08 and has more wins (146) than any other manager in franchise history. His nephew, also named Edgar Alfonzo, pitched for the team in 2004 and 2005.
Rounding out the Cyclones coaching staff for the 2017 campaign will be pitching coach Royce Ring, hitting coach Sean Ratliff and athletic trainer Giovanni D’Onza.
Ring, 36, enters his fourth season in the Mets organization and first with the Brooklyn Cyclones. The San Diego, CA native served in the same role with the Kingsport Mets last season, and the Gulf Coast Mets in 2014-2015 to begin his coaching career. The former big league reliever pitched in the Major Leagues from 2005-2010 with the Mets, Braves, Padres and Yankees. The southpaw went 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA in 99 games, all in relief, after originally being selected in the first round of the 2002 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox. Ring was acquired by the Mets, along with Edwin Almonte and Andrew Salvo, on July 1, 2003 in exchange for Roberto Alomar.
Ratliff, 30, enters his third season as a coach in the Mets organization, and second with Brooklyn, after a five-year playing career that saw him progress to Binghamton (AA) before an injury derailed his career. The native of Cypress, TX was originally selected in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of Stanford University. He began his playing career as a member of the Cyclones after being drafted in 2008 and hit .229 (46-201) with seven home runs and 22 RBI in 59 games with Brooklyn. Prior to joining the Cyclones coaching staff last season, Ratliff was the hitting coach with Kingsport (R) of the Appalachian League in 2015.
D’Onza will join the Cyclones for the first time in 2017 as the athletic trainer. He served in the same role with the Kingsport Mets in 2016, the GCL Mets in 2015 and Dominican Summer League Mets in 2014.
The Cyclones will open the 2017 home schedule on Tuesday, June 20th vs. Staten Island. For information on full season, partial season or group tickets call 718-37-BKLYN or log on to BrooklynCyclones.com.
