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Long Island Ducks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Long Island Ducks (disambiguation).
Long Island Ducks
Team logo Cap insignia
Information
LeagueAtlantic League of Professional Baseball (North Division)
LocationCentral Islip, New York
BallparkFairfield Properties Ballpark
Founded2000
League championships4 (2004, 2012, 2013, 2019)
Division championships9 (2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
ColorsGreen, orange, black, white
       
MascotQuackerJack
OwnershipFrank Boulton (Founder & CEO), Bud Harrelson (Owner), Seth Waugh (Owner)[1]
ManagerLew Ford
General ManagerSean Smith
MediaNewsday
Websitewww.liducks.com

The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partner league" of Major League Baseball.[2][3] The Ducks played their first season in 2000, two years after the ALPB inaugural season. Since their inception the Ducks' home ballpark has been Fairfield Properties Ballpark, formerly known as Bethpage Ballpark (2010-2020), Suffolk County Sports Park (1999 and 2010), EAB Park (2000–2001), and Citibank Park (2002–2009).[4] The "Ducks" name refers to Long Island's duck-farming heritage (itself represented by the Big Duck ferrocement)[5] and recalls the former Long Island Ducks professional ice hockey team. The team's first manager was Bud Harrelson, a part-owner of the team and a former major league player.

History

[edit]

The Ducks, the only professional Minor League baseball team located on suburban Long Island, in New York State. east of New York City. They began play in 2000, and from 2000 to 2019 won four Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB ) championships. Team owner Frank Boulton expressed his contentment with the Ducks in 2007 to the publication Baseball America, saying, "The Long Island Ducks are the best thing I've ever done in baseball."[6]

A league rivalry developed between the Ducks and the Bridgeport Bluefish, of Bridgeport, Connecticut with the two teams contesting the "Ferry Cup" from 2009 until the latter team's termination in 2017. The Ferry Cup name referred to its sponsor, the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company, (which ran a ferry boat line across the Long Island Sound, between Bridgeport, Connecticut to Port Jefferson on Long Island in New York State), which was frequently utilized by both of the teams and their fans for traveling to each ballpark in the two adjacent states.[7][8]

Former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and MLB Hall of Fame member Gary Carter managed the Ducks in 2009. Following Carter's death in 2012, the Ducks dedicated the season to his memory and wore a commemorative patch on their uniforms.

Former Major League Baseball players to have played on the Ducks include Dontrelle Willis,[9] Ramon Castro,[10] Ben Broussard, Leo Rosales, Josh Barfield, Bill Hall, Bryant Nelson, Ian Snell, and Lew Ford. Rich Hill played with the Ducks in 2015, prior to his return to the majors in 2016 with the Boston Red Sox of the American League. In 2017, pitcher Éric Gagné attempted a professional baseball comeback with the Ducks; that same year, Nate Freiman, Henderson Alvarez, Quintin Berry, and Tim Melville played with the Ducks and later joined an MLB organization or foreign professional league.[11]

On June 17, 2023, the Ducks became the winningest team in Atlantic League history, clinching their 1,581st win in a victory over the York Revolution of York, Pennsylvania.[12]

Logos and uniforms

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The official colors of the Long Island Ducks are black, green, orange, and white. The primary logo features the "Ducks" wordmark in orange with black outline. The wordmark begins with a stylized, cartoon duck head in the form of a capital cursive "D."

Since 2015, OC Sports has been the official on-field headwear of the Atlantic League.[13] The home caps are black with the duck head logo centered on the front. The away caps are black with an orange brim and the duck head logo. Batting helmets are black with the webbed-foot logo.

The Ducks wear uniforms produced by Rawlings. The home jersey is white with black pinstripes with the "Ducks" wordmark centered across the front. The numbering on the jersey is primarily in green with white outline and black drop shadow. The away jerseys are grey with the "Long Island" cursive wordmark centered across in green with white and orange outline. The numbering is in green with white outline and orange drop shadow. The alternate is an orange jersey with the "Ducks" word mark centered across the chest.

Season-by-season records

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Long Island Ducks - 2004–2021[14]
Season W–L Record Win % Finish Playoffs
2000 82–58 .586 3rd in North Division Did Not Make Playoffs
2001 62–64 .492 1st in North Division Did Not Make Playoffs
2002 65–61 .516 2nd in North Division Did Not Make Playoffs
2003 67–59 .532 1st in North Division Did Not Make Playoffs
2004 65–61 .516 3rd in North Division 5–1 (Won Championship)
2005 67–73 .479 1st in North Division 1–2 (Lost Division Final)
2006 73–53 .579 2nd in North Division 0–2 (Lost Division Final)
2007 72–54 .571 1st in North Division 0–2 (Lost Division Final)
2008 71–69 .507 1st in Liberty Division 0–2 (Lost Division Final)
2009 74–66 .529 1st in Liberty Division 2–3 (Lost Division Final)
2010 70–68 .507 3rd in Liberty Division Did Not Make Playoffs
2011 78–47 .624 1st in Liberty Division 4–4 (Lost Championship Series)
2012 63–74 .460 3rd in Liberty Division 6–4 (Won Championship)
2013 63–77 .450 2nd in Liberty Division 6–2 (Won Championship)
2014 73–67 .521 2nd in Liberty Division Did Not Make Playoffs
2015 80–59 .576 2nd in Liberty Division 2–3 (Lost Division Final)
2016 72–68 .514 2nd in Liberty Division 3–5 (Lost Championship Series)
2017 73–67 .521 3rd in Liberty Division 3–4 (Lost Championship Series)
2018 68–57 .544 2nd in Liberty Division 5–5 (Lost Championship Series)
2019 86–54 .614 1st in Liberty Division 6–2 (Won Championship)
2020 Season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 68–52 .567 1st in North Division (first half)
2nd in North Division (second half)		 3–4 (Lost Championship Series)
Totals (2000–2021) 1492–1254 .543 15 Playoff berths 4 Championships
Playoffs 46–45 .506 — —
  • 4 Atlantic League Championships (2004, 2012, 2013, 2019)

Radio

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All games are broadcast over the Ducks' official YouTube channel, website, and (beginning 2017) Facebook Live. For 2017, WRHU/88.7 served as the radio home of the Ducks (replacing previous broadcaster WRCN-FM 103.9). Michael Polak, Chris King, David Weiss, and Mike Mohr currently serve as the team's official broadcasters.

Mascot

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The Long Island Ducks' official mascot is an anthropomorphic duck named QuackerJack. He wears the Ducks' full home white uniform with green and white sneakers. He debuted on March 18, 2000, at then-EAB Park.[15] His name alludes to a popular baseball game food produced by the Cracker Jack brand, and the quacking sound of a duck.

Current roster

[edit]
Long Island Ducks roster
Active roster Coaches/Other

Pitchers



  

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

  

Manager

Coaches

Disabled list
‡ Inactive list
§ Suspended list

Roster updated June 16, 2024
 Transactions

Retired numbers

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4 (Justin Davies)
Outfielder and franchise record holder for stolen bases. Retired on June 18, 2015
16 (Ray Navarrete)
Utility player and franchise record holder for runs, home runs, RBI, and doubles. Retired on August 16, 2015
42 (Jackie Robinson)
Second baseman. Retired throughout professional baseball on April 15, 1997
3 (Bud Harrelson)
Part owner of Long Island Ducks. Retired on August 3, 2018

References

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  1. ^ "Staff". Long Island Ducks. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Indy Atlantic League designated MLB Partner League". Ballpark Digest. August Publishing. September 23, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  3. ^ "American Association, Frontier League now MLB Partner Leagues". Ballpark Digest. August Publishing. September 24, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  4. ^ "Park History". Long Island Ducks. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Determining the Facts - Reading 1: Representational Architecture". National Park Service. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  6. ^ Baseball America's 2007 Independent organization of the year
  7. ^ "Ferry Cup Package Available This Weekend". Long Island Ducks. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Ducks Swim By 'Fish In Series Finale". Long Island Ducks. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  9. ^ "Dontrelle Willis Joins Long Island".
  10. ^ "Ramon Castro Inked by Ducks".
  11. ^ "Henderson Alvarez's Contract Purchased by the Phillies". 26 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Ducks Become Winningest Team In Atlantic League History". liducks.com. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  13. ^ "The Atlantic League Announces Headwear Partnership with OC Sports". SFIA. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  14. ^ Atlantic League information
  15. ^ "QuackerJack". Long Island Ducks. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Long Island Ducks.
Achievements
Preceded by
Long Island Ducks
2012
 Atlantic League champions
Long Island Ducks
2013 		Succeeded by
Achievements
Preceded by
Long Island Ducks
2016
 Liberty Division champions
Long Island Ducks
2017 		Succeeded by
–
Preceded by North Division champions
Long Island Ducks
2004 		Succeeded by
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