Weather 
CONEY ISLAND, Brooklyn — Coney Island Cyclones fans are known to pack the stands at Brooklyn’s Maimonides Park. They come for more than baseball.
King Henry (Guy Zoda when the crown is off) is the team’s resident emcee and a face of the Mets local minor league affiliate. He leads pre- and post-game festivities, on-field games between innings, and keeps the crowd in the game. The King firmly believes that “it’s the experience, and it’s the fans, and it’s the family aspect, and the groups having a good time. It’s what’s selling tickets in Minor League Baseball today.”
The King should know. He’s been barking at home games for a couple of decades now. His story with the Cyclones began when he bought season tickets for the team’s inaugural season in Coney Island, back in 2001. He caught the eyes of fans and staff when he showed up in the costume he wore as a for-hire entertainer. “I came a couple of times, dressed as King Henry, and they put me on camera eating a hot dog.” He officially went to work for the ballclub when he stepped for a recurring birthday bit when another performer didn’t show.
Henry became a familiar face and cemented his status as a Cyclones celebrity. He dug into the job.
“I helped develop their fundraising program. I helped build their tours. I started doing a school assembly program.” His special connection with fans is on display during games.
The Surf Squad cheers alongside Henry. Cheerleader Stephanie Taylor considers him a mentor.
“There’s nobody who has a personality like that. You cannot miss him. The community loves him. He has helped raise a lot of people. People remember him on the streets from when they were a kid and he went to their schools, and every time you see it they become a child again. It’s so cool,” Taylor said.
King Henry rounds out nights meeting fans and taking photos at the stadium gates.
“People leave in dribs and drabs and I want to make sure that every fan that comes in that gate, I say thank you and I say goodnight to. At least the ones that I get to.”
The King loves the crowds because, he says, “I know those people are coming back.”
