24 hours of baseball

CONEY ISLAND Staff members (13 men and women, total) will take the field at noon on Friday the 6th and play against 12 teams in two-hour games until noon on Saturday the 7th. The Cyclones introduced the idea last May to raise money for Brooklyn food shelters. The event garnered national publicity, spawning the second season of "24" this June.

"Last year was a trial run, of sorts," Cyclones General Manager Steve Cohen said. "We learned that it was, in fact, possible, though painful, to play baseball for an entire day. And more importantly, we also realized that the event has the potential to raise even more money for worthy causes."

This season, the Cyclones are charging participating teams a $1,000 entry fee and encouraging the teams to raise even more through donations, pledges, etc. All of the money raised will go to Autism Speaks, HeartShare and the NYPLCF, which will allocate the funds to needy recipients throughout the Brooklyn community.

Nearly a month before the game, and nearly a year removed from their last physical activity, the Cyclones staff's injuries are already staggering. Back, leg, shoulder, elbow, and mental problems abound, yet the staff is confident that it will overcome any obstacles in its way (particularly sleep and hunger).

"We're a pretty dedicated and committed group," Cohen said. "Some would say we should be committed for thinking about doing this again after limping to the finish line last year, but it's a fun event that we hope will raise money and awareness for some truly special charities."

For more information, to make a donation, or to field a team for 24 Hours of Baseball, go to BrooklynCyclones.com or call 718-37-BKLYN.

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