The rookies are going to be telling you about the rookies.
The Brooklyn Cyclones, the borough’s beloved Single-A Boys of Summer, are performing a one-eighty in the broadcast booth this season, putting together a team of fresh-faced college kids to take over for grizzled veteran Warner Fusselle, who passed away earlier this month. The three new tykes on the team are all students at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, where they did time broadcasting games played by powerhouse basketballers, the Seton Hall Pirates. Still, their combined years on the planet don’t add up to Fusselle’s age at the time of his death. Sitting in the catbird seat for home games this season will be Vincent Coughlin and Chris Paizis, both 21, while David Rind, 22, will hit the road with the team to broadcast away games.
All games will be heard online at www.BrooklynCyclones.com. Road games can also be heard on the air at 89.5 FM, Seton Hall’s radio station. “Warner was doing the work of at least three men during his years as the voice of the Cyclones,” said team general manager Steve Cohen. “Based on Warner’s affinity for helping up-and-coming broadcasters get started in the business, we thought this was a perfect match.”
But actions — or should we say play-by-play calls — speak louder than words. That’s why we had to catch up with the three announcers and get an earful of what’s to come:
What does the Cyclones team mean to you?:
Vincent Coughlin: I’ve been following the Cyclones for a few years now. A lot of great players have been on this team, and it means a lot to have this opportunity.
David Rind: I like that it’s associated with the Mets, and New York’s great baseball tradition. I think the team is a big part of Brooklyn’s community.
Chris Paizis: I grew up going to Cyclones games when I was younger, ever since their inaugural season. It’s kind of a second home in the summer. To have the opportunity to broadcast their games is an honor.
What did you think of Warner Fusselle?:
VC: There’s no replacing him, but I feel the three of us together are very experienced at a young age, and that we are able to give a performance as great as one Warner would want us to.
DR: I think his legacy will last forever, nobody knew the Cyclones better and nobody knew the area better.
CP: He painted a very nice picture of what’s going on, and he was great at what he did.
What makes you think you can call a Cyclones game?:
VC: I’m the assistant sports director at Seton Hall’s radio station, and I’ve been doing this for two years. I cover a lot of their sports, and I’m an analyst for their sports talk shows.
DR: I’ve spent four years covering soccer, baseball, and basketball games at Seton Hall, including a couple of Big East tournaments at Madison Square Garden.
CP: I’ve done a lot of sports talk shows that air weekly, so I’ve got both on-air and radio experience.
Break down your announcing style for us:
VC: Aside from just giving statistics or just discussing what just happened, I like to go deeper into their background, like what college they went to, or their history. I don’t just talk about what’s going on in the game, I give a clear picture of what’s taking place.
DR: I try to bring out all the little quirks of the game that people can’t see, in a very conversational way.
CP: I’m very technical when it comes to the game. I’m quick to get the call and to get the calls right. I think a lot of broadcasters forget that the audience can’t see what’s going on, so it’s important that you have a passion for what’s going on the field.
