Borough President Vito Fossella Cheers On Staten Island FerryHawks

Borough President Vito Fossella cheered on the Staten Island FerryHawks during a rally at Borough Hall as they get ready to kick of the season. 

“Last season, we started to see a lot more families with young kids and that’s what the target audience is here,” said Borough President Fossella. “We’re very excited to welcome the players here — not everyone is from Staten Island — but we want you to know you have a second home here.”

A new broadcasting partnership was also announced with the College of Staten Island and Monsignor Farrell High School.  

Eric Shuffler, the team’s president, called the rally “pretty awesome.”

“Every time I come to Staten Island, I am reminded of what a special responsibility we’ve been given with this stadium,” he said. “We really view the team and the stadium as a community asset and a community responsibility. We want to make the North Shore an exciting destination where we can drive economic opportunities.”

Team manager Homer Bush, who played for the New York Yankees when they won the World Series in 1998, said they are “building a team with talent and young players who can lead.”

“We held our first scrimmage yesterday,” he said. “They all played well -- good at bats, throwing strikes, making good pitches. We’re off to a wonderful start and we’re excited for the season.”

Borough President Fossella ended the rally with two words: "Play ball.”