BASEBALL
Have A“Quacker” Of ATime
LI Ducks are great entertainment

By Christy Brothers/ info@longislandernews.com

It’s summer, so what better time to celebrate Christmas?

That’s what the Long Island Ducks thought, so on Saturday, July 16, everyone at Citibank Park in Central Islip celebrated Christmas. There were plenty of Santa hats and Christmas stockings and of course Santa Claus himself was there.

The Ducks have a theme or giveaway at every game. Some upcoming giveaways include bats, baseballs, coffee mugs, t-shirts and foam fingers. There are still three more games that will end with a six to eight minute fireworks display and one game that will celebrate Italian heritage.

“You just kind of create things,” said Michael Hirsch, general manager of the Long Island Ducks. The themes and giveaways are developed by brainstorming and having a creative staff. In between innings there are games that involve fan participation, said Hirsch. Some games include the duck dash, dizzy bat races and even “The Price is Right.”

“You make sure it’s fun,” said Hirsch. One of the most appealing aspects of going to a game for children is the Long Island Ducks' Kids Club president and team mascot, Quacker Jack. This duck provides entertainment and will even dance on the “duck-out” to get fans excited. Before every Sunday game the players sign autographs for the kids and after the game kids can run the bases, said Hirsch.

“We strive for the ‘wow’ factor,” said Hirsch. The three ways this is accomplished is the actual game, customer service and promotions. “We don’t control the game, but everything is scripted,” said Hirsch. All of the songs and games are well rehearsed in order to provide the best entertainment.

The Long Island Ducks are the 2004 Atlantic League Champions. On Wednesday, July 13 the Atlantic League All-Star game was played at the Sandcastle in Atlantic City. There were six Ducks who played in the game, including pitcher Lance Davis and outfielder Justin Davies. This was both players’ second trip to the American League All-Star game. Pitchers Paxton Crawford and Todd Erdos and infielders Carlos Hernandez and Juan Lorenzo made their first appearances.

Ticket sales have been brisk this season. “There is not a bad seat here,” said Hirsch. The Ducks oversell their games and have averaged 102 percent capacity for the last five years. Ticket prices are between $9-$13 and a standing room only ticket is $7. “Standing room is one of the best kept secrets,” said Hirsch. There are usually no-shows and after the second inning standing room fans may take an empty seat. Citibank Park is a 6,002-seat stadium. This is about eight-and-a-half times smaller than both Yankee and Shea stadiums, which each hold about 58,000. The low number of seats makes the free parking simple and traffic jams leaving the stadium minimal.

“We make coming to a game appealing,” said Hirsch. “It’s affordable and people remember having a good time.”