BKN CYCLONES ~ Frank Viola Named Pitching Coach for 2011

Brooklyn Cyclones; -

The Brooklyn Cyclones have announced their coaching staff for the upcoming 2011 season.

Rich Donnelly has been named the new manager of the Coney Island Nine.  He has over 25 years experience being a Major League Coach.  In the 1980's he managed in the Texas Rangers farm system and coached on the big club as well.  The majority of his body of his work was spent coaching for Jim Leyland in Pittsburgh, Florida and Colorado.  He was a coach for the 1997 Champion Florida Marlins.  He also coached with Milwaukee and Los Angeles.

FRANKIE VIOLA; former 20 game winner for the Mets, Cy Young Winner, and Long Island native, will serve as the team's new Pitching Coach.  He'll be charged with teaching our Brooklyn hurlers how to make sweet music on the mound by the seashore.

The new Hitting Coaching for the Surf Avenue Sluggers will be Bobby Malek.  This 29 year old played 28 games for the Cyclones in 2002.  The Mets selected him in the 4th round in the 2002 Draft.  He comes back where it all started for him to teach the next generation of Lil Bums.

Frank Viola joins, Howard Johnson, Bobby Ojeda, Mookie Wilson, Tim Teufel and Wally Backman as former Mets who came back to coach in Brooklyn.




Mike.BTB