Billionaire John Catsimatidis Joins Staten Island FerryHawks Opening Weekend Festivities to Discuss Team Affiliation

Billionaire John Catsimatidis is set to take part in the opening weekend festivities for the Staten Island FerryHawks, marking his inaugural weekend as a minor-league baseball manager. The mogul behind Gristedes supermarkets and conservative radio network WABC will be involved in the team’s opening events while discussing the previous affiliated Staten Island Yankees and developments with the team’s current stadium. This comes as Catsimatidis, a key investor in the FerryHawks since their launch in 2022, steps into a more visible role with the Atlantic League team that replaced the Yankees-affiliated squad which ceased operations in 2020.

Catsimatidis expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity, telling The Post on Friday, “It’s just a wonderful day.” He reflected on his long-standing connection to baseball, noting, “When the Yankees called me up about four years ago and they wanted to be partners – I said absolutely yes I love baseball. My grandfather took me to my first Yankee game when I was about six or eight years old.” His involvement with Staten Island baseball dates back years, having supported the Yankees-affiliated team before transitioning to backing the FerryHawks as their own independent entity.

The FerryHawks play their home games at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park, located off the Staten Island Ferry stop. The stadium was originally built in 1990 under Mayor Rudy Giuliani and underwent renovations after the ownership change in 2022 when Catsimatidis and his investment group took over. He has shared ambitions to eventually rename the facility WABC Stadium after his radio station and expand the site’s offerings to include concerts, festivals, and potentially a soccer team, envisioning it as a full entertainment facility for the community.

As part of the ownership group, Catsimatidis has been instrumental in reviving professional baseball on Staten Island after the departure of the affiliated Yankees. The FerryHawks represent a new chapter for the borough, operating as an independent Atlantic League team with local investment and community-focused goals. His role highlights the continued commitment of Staten Island business leaders to restoring and enhancing local sports and entertainment options following the 2020 discontinuation of the Yankees’ minor-league presence.