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St. John’s coaching legend on the move
Brooklyn Cyclones name Ed Blankmeyer as their new manager for the 2020 season
The Brooklyn Cyclones introduced longtime St. John’s baseball coach Ed Blankmeyer as its new
manager. Courtesy of St. John’s Athletics
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | JAN. 17-JAN. 23, 2020 37
SPORTS
BY ZACHARY GEWELB
When the Brooklyn Cyclones
take the field in June,
they will do so under the direction
of a Queens coaching
legend.
After spending more than
two decades coaching baseball
at St. John’s, Ed Blankmeyer,
the winningest coach in the
history of the university, is
heading to Brooklyn to manage
the Cyclones, the Mets’
Class A minor league affiliate.
Blankmeyer, 65, becomes
the Cyclones’ 12th manager in
the franchise’s 20 years.
“For the past 25 years, it
has been an honor and a privilege
to call St. John’s home,”
said Blankmeyer. “To leave
my mark on a program built
on the accomplishments of legends
like Jack Kaiser and Joe
Russo has been the proudest
achievement of my career in
baseball.”
While coaching the Johnnies,
Blankmeyer — a 2018 inductee
of the American Baseball
Coaches Association Hall
of Fame — posted a record of
829-500-4 and earned 347 conference
victories. The legendary
coach guided St. John’s to
five BIG EAST Tournament
crowns and six regular season
titles. He coached the Red
Storm to nine 40-win seasons
and saw 91 of his former players
drafted or signed to professional
contracts.
“Let’s be very clear, Ed
Blankmeyer is an absolute and
unquestioned legend in the
history of St. John’s, the Big
East, and college baseball,”
said St. John’s Director of Athletics
Mike Cragg. “Legends
are not replaced or forgotten,
so today we recognize not only
all of his amazing achievements
on the diamond but the
incredible legacy of players,
staff, and coaches who have
been touched by Coach Blankmeyer
during his long tenure
at St. John’s.”
Blankmeyer played on the
diamond for Seton Hall, where
he graduated in 1976. He was
drafted by the Baltimore Orioles
in the 21st round and
spent one year in their farm
system before transitioning
into coaching.
Blankmeyer replaces former
Met Edgardo Alfonzo,
whose contract expired at the
end of the 2019 season.
Meanwhile, St. John’s announced
that longtime assistant
coach Mike Hampton
will take over as the interim
head coach for the 2020 season.
Hampton has spent the
last two decades under Blankmeyer.
“We are certainly excited
about the future of our historic
baseball program and
the season ahead under the
leadership of Mike Hampton
and our experienced coaching
staff,” said Cragg. “This
has been a week of emotional
surprises. Coach Blankmeyer,
for whom we will always
owe a debt of gratitude for his
service here, had a tremendous
staff in place and we
are fortunate to have Mike,
along with assistant coaches
George Brown and Danny
Bethea, ready to lead and
carry the program forward
in 2020.”
Reach editor Zach Gewelb
by e-mail at zgewelb@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at
(718) 260–4539.
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