Long Island Ducks 2018 Season Preview

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

LONG ISLAND DUCKS BASEBALL CLUB

Atlantic League Champions

2004     2012     2013

Long Island Ducks Set Sights on Elusive Fourth Atlantic League Title.

Bittersweet is the only way to describe Long Island's last two seasons.  The defending back-to-back Liberty Division champs were swept in the 2016 Atlantic League finals by the Sugar Land Skeeters, then suffered the same fate against the York Revolution last season.

Motivation will surely be in abundant supply this season as the Ducks attempt to break on through and capture their first title in five years.

There's certainly no shortage of confidence on behalf of the organization as Friday's season opener draws near. Newsday's Jordan Lauterbach quotes Ducks president and general manager Michael Pfaff saying, "I think this team is as strong a team as we've had on Opening Day at any point in our history.  I think we're better than we were last year."

That being said, let the games begin!

RETURNING PITCHERS

• John Brownell; Jake Fisher; Dennis O'Grady; Jake Dunning; Tyler Levine; Rob Rogers; Matt Marsh; Matt Larkins.

Add pitching coach to John Brownell's resume.  The Ducks soon to be 35-year old ace since 2013 enters his seventh year with the Ducks.  This will be his first season serving in a player/coach capacity.  Brownell has averaged 26 starts and eleven wins for Long Island over the last five seasons.  John finished last season with the league's third best ERA.

Matt Larkins returns for a second full season with the Flock.  He made 26 starts last season, posting a 9-7 record and 3.69 ERA over 156 innings, with an 8.0 K/9 and 2.4 W/9 averages.  He finished second in the Atlantic League last season in strikeouts, and fourth in ERA.

Southpaw Jake Fisher, 27, appeared in two games last season for the Ducks.  A product of the L.A. Dodgers organization, he owns a 4.04 ERA with 418 strikeouts in 485.1 innings during a four year independent league career.

NEW PITCHING ACQUISITIONS

• Max Almonte; Jason Creasy; Carlos Pimentel; Vinnie Pestano; Andrew Barbosa; Ashur Tolliver; Bennett Parry; Jair Jurrjens; Wander Perez.

Vinnie Pestano, 33, is a veteran relief pitcher of six major league seasons with the Indians and Angels.  He owns a 2.98 ERA in 202.2 innings pitched.  Pitching for the Bridgeport Bluefish last season he posted a 3.25 ERA over 27.2 innings pitched.  He has 143.1 innings of triple-A experience.

Jair Jurrgens, 32, comes to the Ducks with eight seasons of MLB experience, mostly with Atlanta.  An all-star in 2011, he owns a 3.72 career ERA over (MLB) 767.1 innings pitched.  He threw his last MLB pitch in 2014 while with the Colorado Rockies.  After missing all of 2016, he made ten starts last season for the Los Angeles Dodgers triple-A affiliate

Southpaw Ashur Tolliver, 30, pitched in eight MLB games.  A reliever by trade, he posted a 12-9 record and 3.49 ERA, with an 8.6 K/9 average in 329.2 minor league innings pitched.

Right-hander Max Almonte, 26, comes from the lower levels of the St. Louis Cardinals organization.  He owns a 3.09 ERA in 96 innings pitched through 61 appearances spread over three seasons.

Andrew Barbosa was in the Mets system for a time.  Usually a starter, he pitched in relief last season for Milwaukee's triple-A affiliate.  He owns a career 3.36 ERA through 589.1 (minor/winter league) innings pitched.

A potential starter for the Ducks, right-hander Jason Creasy comes over from the St. Paul Saints after spending six seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Right-hander Bennett Parry spent the last two seasons with Lincoln of the independent American Association for whom he made 17 starts and posted a 2.16 ERA over 96 innings pitched.

Keep an eye on southpaw reliever Wander Perez.  He also comes over from (now defunct) Bridgeport, where he posted a 1.71 ERA in 22 appearances and 21 innings pitched.  He allowed just 14 hits and fanned 25 batters, with 10.7 K/9 and 2.1 W/9 averages.

RETURNING POSITION PLAYERS

• Audie Afenir; Cody Puckett; Lew Ford; Dan Lyons. 

Catcher Audie Afenir, 26, is a product of the New York Yankees system.  He returns for a second season on Long Island.

NEW POSITION ACQUISITIONS

• Wilkin Castillo; Wagner Gomez; Jordany Valdespin; Alec Sole; David Washington; Travis Snider; Tyler Holt; Robert Garcia; Daniel Fields.

Local fans should be somewhat familiar with former Met infielder Jordany Valdespin albeit perhaps for more reason than just one ... or two.  He behaved somewhat obnoxiously (2012-2013) when he played in Queens.  Now 30-years old and coming off a rather productive season spent playing triple-A in Mexico and winter ball, he managed 86 total games with 333 at-bats in which he slashed .318/.402/.426, and posted 43 RBI.

Lefty-swinging outfielder Travis Snider brings his eight years of MLB experience to Bethpage Ballpark.  He was the Toronto Blue Jays first round selection (14th overall) of the 2006 draft.  After spending parts of five seasons with the Jays, he changed leagues when traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.  He split time last season playing triple-A ball for both the Texas Rangers and New York Mets respective affiliates and posted a combined .296/.375/.432 slash, with ten home runs and 52 RBI in 476 at-bats.

Catcher Wilkin Castillo has 22 games of MLB experience with the Cincinnati Reds.  Now 33-years old, he spent last season in the New York Yankees system, and has ten years of triple-A experience.

Infielder Alec Sole is a local kid from Holbrook, N.Y.  He gained 27 games of triple-A experience while spending just four years in the Tampa Bay Rays system.

David Washington is a product of the St. Louis Cardinals, but comes to the Ducks via the Baltimore Orioles system.  He has exactly two games of MLB experience.  He's otherwise a nine year minor league veteran with 207 games at triple-A.

I don't know what to make of Wagner Gomez.  He was a catcher up until 2013 when the Reds organization began converting him into a relief pitcher, to mixed results I might add.

Outfielder Tyler Holt, 28, has four years of MLB experience.  A Cleveland Indians product, he comes to the Ducks via the Los Angeles Dodgers.  In 168 games at the triple-A level, Holt slashed .298/.390/.372 but with just a pair of home runs and 44 RBI.

Yet another player acquired via the Bridgeport Bluefish dispersal draft, I'd keep my eye on outfielder Daniel Fields as well.  In just 85 games and 296 at-bats, Daniel slashed .297/.387/.486, with twelve home runs and 51 RBI.


Extra Innings

Long Island begins the season on the road.  They open against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, then move on to Somerset where they'll take on the rival Patriots.  Homecoming for the Ducks is scheduled for May 4 against Southern Maryland.

The Ducks will host Bud Harrelson Appreciation Night on August 3, 2018 at Bethpage Ballpark.

With the Bridgeport Bluefish closed for business, the Somerset Patriots are now the lone remaining Atlantic League charter member still in operation.  Entering their 19th year of existence, the Long Island Ducks are now the second oldest operating team in the Atlantic League.

In lieu of the Bridgeport Bluefish, this season will see the return to the field of the Road Warriors.

Wally Backman begins his first season managing the New Britain Bees.