Joe Gajdos, an unemployed machine shop worker, went to Keyspan Park with some friends for the first time in his life on July 13 — and ended up being the team’s one-millionth fan.
“Nothing like this has ever happened to me before,” said the stunned Gajdos, who was born in Coney Island and now lives on Staten Island. “I looked at my ticket when they read out the numbers … and then I turned to my friend and said, ‘I won.’ And my friends went crazy.”
Due to poor weather, the millionth fan was chosen at random from a drawing of all the ticket stubs for the July 13 game. After the bottom of the second inning, Gajdos’ number came up.
He was taken to the Keyspan pitcher’s mound, where he had a chance to win a million dollars — if he could toss three baseballs through a glove-sized hole in a wooden target at home plate.
Gajdos loosened up his arm, having a little fun with it, reminding some of the “Honeymooners” character Ed Norton shaking his arm to get ready to write.
The Dodger Sym-Phony Band played music and the fans yelled encouragement. Gajdos threw and missed the hole by more than a few feet. The fans became quiet.
Hitting the next two throws would win him $10,000. He missed his next toss and heard some boos. When he missed his third and final toss, worth $500, there were louder boos.
Gajdos didn’t go away empty handed. He was awarded a trip to Port St. Lucie, Fla. to watch the Mets spring training, given a jersey with “One million” printed on the back, and a prize package from a variety of Cyclones sponsors, including a free night’s stay at the Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino in Connecticut. He also received an autographed Cyclones’ baseball.
When he was surrounded by photographers and reporters after his efforts, Gajdos didn’t appear to be having such a good time. All of the attention seemed to be a bit much for him. He was polite about it, but he wanted to rest a bit, and he looked rather wan.
Cyclones media relations man Dave Campanaro offered to get him a glass of water before leading Gajdos towards the Cyclones offices for a rest.
He headed away from the concourse, his 15 minutes of fame over.
But since Gajdos was sitting in the bleachers, his win was greeted by silence from the many Cyclones season ticket holders and other regulars in the infield area. One jealous season ticket holder, upset that the millionth fan was so far away from the Keyspan regulars, shouted, “Why don’t you give the Millionth Fan Award to somebody sitting on the Wonder Wheel?”
Dante’s inferno
Dante Brinkley is listed as 5-foot-11, but when he stands next to strapping 6-foot-4 first baseman Davidson, he looks like a runt.
Dante may not be exceptionally tall, but a day spent watching him at the batting cage and in a game shows you why this Southwest Missouri State product is an outfield prospect to whom attention must be paid.
On Sunday, July 11, the Cyclones varied their normal batting practice routine by playing a game where the team was divided into two squads. Each would bat in a simulated game against manager Tony Tijerina, pitching for both teams. The game was played without fielders and each batter’s at-bat resulted in Tijerina, also serving as umpire, ruling the ball an out or a hit.
When Brinkley’s team wasn’t hitting, he stood near the cage, playfully making remarks to disturb the opposing batter’s concentration. When opponent Davidson hit a home run over the 315 mark in left field, Brinkley was non-plussed. “316 feet,” he cackled to Davidson.
When Grant Psomas, one of Dante’s opponents, interrupted a string of his team’s outs with a hit, Brinkley announced to his “enemies,” “Psomas is carrying you guys like a backpack!”
The batting practice game was close, and, along with losing a bit of face, the losing team would be responsible for picking up all the baseballs in the outfield after the drill was over.
As the simulated game went into the last inning, Brinkley’s opponents had a chance to win. Behind the batter’s back, Brinkley indicated with his hand that he wanted Tijerina, who throws a pretty good knuckleball, to let loose with a floater.
Tijerina declined, and the batter hit a ball to the outfield. Tijerina ruled the ball a hit, thus allowing Dante’s opponents to win. Brinkley playfully protested, but he meant it.
Later, in the real game against Staten Island, when Psomas, the Cyclones’ third baseman, went to his left for a grounder, Brinkley hustled from left field to cover third in case he was needed.
In the last inning, with the score tied and none out, Brinkley, hitting second behind Derran Watts, mentioned to Watts, that a bunt against the Yankee first baseman might work. Brinkley told Watts that if he could bunt his way on and then steal second, Brinkley could bunt him to third.
Watts did bunt towards the first base side and, on the ensuing throwing error into right field, he rounded the bases for the win.
Dante Brinkley lost the simulated game, but his hustle and smarts helped to win the real one.
Tell me a story
On July 11, Cyclones outfielder Kyle Brown was the featured reader at the Brooklyn Baseball Gallery at Keyspan as the Cyclones conducted their reading program for kids.
Brown, from Albany, who in the off-season is studying special education, read a baseball story to the children — a tale involving Mets catcher Mike Piazza.
When Brown was done reading, he asked the children about the moral of the story, and all agreed that the theme was to never give up, no matter what.
Then, Anna Isaacson, the Brooklyn Baseball Gallery manager, asked the children how the moral of the story might apply to Kyle Brown himself. After some discussion, the children learned that Brown is diabetic.
“I never let diabetes stop me from anything,” Brown told the kids.
Earlier this week, Brown underwent an operation on his shoulder, and he will not be with the Cyclones anymore this season. Soon he will go to Port St. Lucie to rehabilitate his injury, but he won’t play in any games there. He hopes to be 100 percent for next season.
Let’s hope that Brown, who was very charming with the youngsters, returns as soon as possible to his baseball career.
If the suit fits…
When Derran Watts recently hit the Garage Clothing sign in left-center field at Keyspan Park, he didn’t realize know at first that he had won a free suit.
Later, he jokingly remarked, “I wonder how the suit will look with my white sneakers.”
He’ll soon find out about his clothing ensemble because on July 12, when he traveled to Garage Clothing to pick up his suit, the people there not only fitted him with a nice, blue suit, but they added a shirt, tie, socks and even shoes.
When Cyclones infielder Jay Caligiuri won his suit from Garage Clothing in 2001, Caligiuri had it fitted but couldn’t wait for the alterations because he had tickets to see “The Lion King” that night. Caligiuri pinned up the pants and went off to Broadway. He and Watts are friends and are the only two players to win a suit for hitting the sign, which recalls the famous Abe Stark “Hit Sign, Win Suit” sign at Ebbets Field. Watts is waiting a bit longer for his suit than did Caligiuri, so in a few days he will be at Keyspan, outfitted in his new threads, sans pins, probably the best dressed man in the ballpark.
July 17, 2004 issue
