“The ownership group has promised us a thoroughly Staten Island-centric team and there are very few people over the last couple of decades who embody Staten Island baseball more than Gary Perone. I know how eager he is for this challenge and I believe ownership again has taken the right approach to ensure our new team is a competitive, fun, home grown, and totally immersed in all things Staten Island. Gary’s baseball pedigree and love for Staten Island make this an excellent hire. Plus I think I can get at least one pinch hit at bat out of him.” said Staten Island Borough President James Oddo. 

 

“My commitment has always been to grow the game in New York City. I grew up in Brooklyn and my twenty years there with the Cyclones were very special.  I am appreciative of the Mets leadership and very proud of what we built for the community and fans.  It is exciting and an honor to be given this opportunity to help build a sports and entertainment playground on Staten Island from Eric Shuffler, John and Margo Catsimatidis and Randy Levine.  

 

For the past 25 years, I have raised my family on Staten Island.  It is where my children have and continue to attend school, learned to dance, ride their bikes and play little league baseball.  We love our community and to be able to come home and bring my decades of experience in baseball is very special.   This is incredible ballpark that can be so much to this community.  It’s our job to create a great baseball fan experience that is focused on affordable family fun and to create great non-baseball entertainment and programming.   I am excited to work with everyone from my home on the South Shore to my new playground on the North Shore and all parts of Staten Island in between.  The ballpark is their playground and great things are coming.”  said Gary Perone.

 

The team will begin play in April 2022 in the Atlantic League.  The Atlantic League is an MLB partner league and offers some of the highest caliber of baseball outside of the major leagues.  The league has a 140-game season and the closest team in the area is the Long Island Ducks. 

 

The baseball team is in the final stage of the community driven naming process.  The process started with fans submitting over 2,000 names.  Seven names were selected for fan voting and then three finalists were named.  Public voting has concluded, and the team’s name will be announced in mid-November. 

 

Gary Perone Biography 

 

Gary began his Professional Sports career in 2001, by serving as the Brooklyn Cyclones, Director of Community Relations.  In 2004, he was selected to attend the Major League Baseball Scout School where he received his certification. Perone is widely known for his relationships in and out of sports, along with his ability to bring unique concepts to life with his promotional and marketing acumen.  Gary was responsible for securing, and negotiating the naming rights of the Coney Island Ballpark when it changed from KeySpan to MCU Park in 2009. 

 

He was awarded the MiLB Presidential Citation in 2010 for his involvement and assistance with the MiLB Diversity and Inclusion Program.  In 2012 and then again in 2016 he was selected by the New York Penn League (MILB) as the Robert Julian Award for Community Service & Baseball Award.  In 2017, he would receive the HeartShare Genie Award, American Legion Man of the Year, and was named the Italian American Baseball Executive of the Year by Team Italy and the Italian American Baseball Foundation. 

 

In 2018, he would receive the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Community Hero Award. In addition to his duties with the Cyclones, he has created or spearheaded many industry and citywide initiative's such as the Long Ball Club, NYC Varsity League, and the largest youth baseball tournament in NYC the Borough Cup. 

Always willing to help the community, he continues to serve as President / Co-Founder of the Borough Cup, Vice President of the New York Pro Baseball Scouts Association (Hot Stove League) and Board Advisor to the Greater NY Sandlot Athletic Association.

 

Gary attended St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights, NY and now currently serves as an adjunct professor for Long Island University - Brooklyn, where he teaches a course on professional selling and communications in Sports.  Gary and his wife, Ellena have four children: Nicolette, Dominique, Alexandrea and Gary John.