L.I. Ducks: Flock Rock To Second Straight Title; Navarrete Homers In Swan Song

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

 

GAME FIVE FINAL:

DUCKS  6

Patriots  4

Long Island Ducks Win Series 3-2

 

2013

ATLANTIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Long Island Ducks
 

 

BOXSCORE

Atlantic League

 

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

 

Flock Rock II - The Long Island Ducks Are Back-To-Back Atlantic League Champions!  All-Time Ducks Great Leads The Way With Fourth Inning Blast.

RAY NAVARRETE ENJOYS A PROVIDENTIAL SWAN SONG

Long Island fans can breathe easy now.  The Ducks successfully gained this year's title in their final opportunity.

On the evening of September 29, 2013, the Long Island Ducks Baseball Club captured their second straight Atlantic League championship, and third in their history.  It took five supremely classic  episodes to decide a winner.  But the Ducks ultimately beat the Patriots at their own game, slugging their way past Somerset via the long ball in each of their three victories.  Sunday's Game Five victory incidentally was the first road victory achieved by either team.  After winning the first two games at Bethpage Park, the Ducks entered TD Bank Ballpark with three opportunities with which to win one game.  The Somerset Patriots would not be defeated so easily, and stormed back with two extra-inning victories to tie the series at two apiece and force a decisive Game Five.

Late Sunday afternoon, the Ducks 2013 elected MVP, starting pitcher John Brownell climbed the hill on three days rest, and was opposed by Somerset Patriots hurler David Harden.  After two straight extra-inning games, with Game Four lasting sixteen, both bullpens were no doubt taxed, and in need of length from their respective starters.  John Brownell gave the Ducks just that.  He battled against two Somerset pitchers for eight innings, and then was lifted after walking the lead-off batter in the top of the ninth.  In all, he was charged with four Patriots runs on five hits, walked four batters and struck out three before being relived by closer Leo Rosales.

The Patriots jumped out to a 1-0 first inning lead on Yunesky Sanchez' RBI double.  The spotlight however, belonged to one player, Ray Navarrete, who played little during the post-season, but was tasked with being Sunday's designated hitter for Long Island.  The long time Duck and the club's all-time leader in most major offensive categories enjoyed a most providential swan swan.  The Ducks tied the game in the top of the fourth inning on Ramon Castro's RBI single.  Then with two on and two outs, Ray Navarrete cleared the bases with a home run - perhaps the most important home run he's ever hit, and certainly his last as a Ducks player.  Those who follow the team, and have done so for quite some time, know what an epic moment that was for Ray in particular, and the team as a whole.  That's Grade-A storybook stuff.  Ray's blast gave the Ducks a 4-1 lead.

In the bottom half of the fourth, Yunesky Sanchez continued haunting Long Island, hitting his second home run of the series to make it a 4-2 game.  Apparently, that didn't sit well with the Ducks, so they promptly scored two more runs in the top of the fifth.  Lew Ford led off the frame with a single, and scored on Bryant Nelson's double.  After Somerset's manager replaced starter David Harden with reliever Josh Lowey, Adam Bailey greeted him with another RBI single, scoring Nelson for a 6-2 Ducks lead.

The Patriots picked up a run in the sixth, and one more in the ninth, all off starter John Brownell, but no more.  Closer Leo Rosales entered the game and finished off the Patriots.  Upon collecting his third save of the series, Leo and his team mates came together for the on-field celebration of another Long Island title - make that back-to-back Ducks titles.

The Ducks completed their playoff run with a 6-2 record, which is a far cry from their 63-77 regular season finish.  Players play the game, but there is no denying that a General Manager is tasked with bring the right players into the fold.  Michael Pfaff did just that.  His key acquisitions to bolster the pitching had a huge impact on Long Island's playoff run and eventual championship.  After the departure of Dontrelle Willis from Long Island's rotation, pitchers Shaun Garceau, Bobby Blevins, Derek Blacksher, Josh Strawn, and outfielder Lew Ford were all traded for or signed in late August.
First year Ducks players, veteran Bill Hall, Josh Barfield and the younger Adam Bailey were all big season long contributors for Long Island.

For the Ducks, their third championship, with the first coming in 2004.  They have participated in the last three Atlantic League championship series, with perhaps their strongest team of the three runs losing the 2011 finals to the York Revolution.  For Ray Navarrete, he retires on top, as a Long Island baseball hero.



Mike.BTB

L.I. Ducks: Atlantic League Championship Series Preview

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

 

ATLANTIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

 

GAME ONE

 

Somerset Patriots

vs.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

From

Bethpage Park

Long Island, New York

 

 

 

ATLANTIC LEAGUE

SOMERSET PATRIOTS

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

 

LONG ISLAND DUCKS: Here They Go Again;

The Quack Quest For Title Number Three.

Defense of Long Island's 2012 Atlantic League title begins tonight.  The Flock will either come away with back-to-back trophies, or resign themselves to their second finals loss in the last three years.  Two years ago, the 2011 Long Island Ducks were the top scoring team in the regular season, but suffered a crippling offensive short circuit in the finals against the York Revolution.  Last season, the Ducks rebounded to capture their second flag in franchise history.  This year, they will face-off against the Somerset Patriots, who are looking to add to their league record five championships, but will be attempting to win their first in the post-Sparky Lyle era.

For the third consecutive Finals, the Ducks will open the series at Bethpage Park.  Games Three, Four and Five if necessary, will be played at Somerset's TD Bank Park.  Ducks ace John Brownell will climb the hill in Game One for Long Island, and will be opposed by the Patriots' Josh Lowey.  Brownell is fresh off a twelve strikeout performance against Southern Maryland in the Liberty Division series, and placed second in the league this season with 133 strikeouts.  He finished the regular season with a 9-10 record and 3.89 ERA.  Josh Lowey led the Atlantic League with a 2.89 ERA, placed third behind Brownell in strikeouts, and placed third overall with fourteen victories.

Game Two will tentatively feature key acquisition Shaun Garceau for the Ducks, opposing Somerset's Roy Merritt, and in Game Three, Bob Zimmermann is slated to face the Patriots Erik Arnesen.

There is a reason Somerset won ninety games this past season under first year manager Brett Jodie.  In fact, Somerset's was the second best season ever recorded in A.L. history.  Indeed, Sugar Land took the regular season crown with an A.L. record ninety-five victories.  Ultimately however, it was the Freedom Division Wild Card Patriots who swept the Skeeters during the opening round of playoffs in three straight.  The Patriots are most certainly an organization that knows their way around championships, and are favored in this year's series.

The Patriots held a distinct regular season advantage in pitching.  They finished second in the league with a team 1.28 WHiP, and second with a 3.61 team ERA as well.  Long Island was sixth with a 1.44 WHiP, and seventh in the circuit with a 4.51 team ERA.

Reliever Jon Hunton, who helped Long Island win a title last year, closed games for the Patriots this season.  In fact, he led the Atlantic League with thirty-seven saves.  Leo Rosales saved eighteen games for the Ducks and sported a 2.35 ERA in 38.1 innings pitched, and fanned forty-five batters.

Offensively, the Patriots excelled as well, leading the circuit with a team .277 batting average.  The Ducks ranked fifth with a .261 mark.  Somerset also out-slugged the rest of the league with a .415 team mark, while the Ducks slugged at a rate of .392, or sixth place.  Somerset boasted the top team OBP with a .356 mark, and the Ducks finished last.  Over the course of the season, Somerset scored 139 more runs than Long Island, but only hit seven more home runs than the Ducks.

Jake Fox led the Patriots this past season with a .310 batting average, while Josh Brodin's .307 average paced the Ducks.  Fox also finished second in the circuit with twenty-five home runs, and third with eighty-two runs batted in.  His team mate Corey Smith finished sixth in the circuit with twenty home runs, and second with eighty-four RBI.  For Long Island, Bill Hall topped the Ducks with sixteen home runs and Adam Bailey followed with fifteen.  Bryant Nelson led the team with seventy-one RBI, while Bill Hall contributed sixty-three.

Until affecting a three game sweep of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the Liberty Division finals, the Long Island Ducks struggled every step of the way this season.  But GM Michael Pfaff made strong moves to bolster the team's pitching late in the season.  Outfielder Lew Ford missed last year's finals while spending time with the Orioles organization, but is sure to add much needed punch and experience this time around.  Dan Lyons, who was so instrumental in last year's title run, returns for an opportunity to win a second straight trophy.  Joining him from last season are, Bryant Nelson, Kraig Binick, Game One pitcher John Brownell, Bob Zimmermann, Jared Lansford, Josh Lansford and Leo Rosales.  And of course, this will be long time Ducks great, Ray Navarrete's last hurrah.  Earlier this season, Long Island's all-time leader in most offensive categories announced he would be retiring at season's end.  For him to raise another trophy on the way out.....

Let the games begin!




Mike.BTB

Long Island Ducks: Atlantic League Championship Series

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

2012

ATLANTIC LEAGUE

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

 

 

 

 

GAME ONE

 

 

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

vs.

Lancaster Barnstormers

 

FROM

Clipper Magazine Stadium

Pennsylvania

 

 

 

 

 

LONG ISLAND DUCKS: Team Looking To Reverse Last Season's Championship Series Results.


The strategy Coach Baez employed last year will be the course he takes this season.  The Long Island Ducks decided to open the Division and Championship Series on the road last season.  While it worked out for them in Round One, the Ducks wound up losing the Atlantic League Championship to the York Revolution.

This season, the Ducks decided to open the first round of playoffs in Maryland against the Blue Crabs.  Lancaster had the superior record this past regular season.  But it works out the same.  The Ducks will open the series in Lancaster.  Games Three through Five (if necessary) will be hosted by Long Island.

The Ducks resurgent starting pitching will face the Atlantic League's top three hitters.  Barnstormers outfielder Blake Gailen won the circuit batting title with a .338 mark.  Adam Godwin finished second with a .327 batting average.  Fehldandt Lentini finished third behind his team mates and fellow outfielders, posting a .319 season average.  Long Island's Ray Navarrete finished tied for fourth place with a .309 mark.

Lancaster's Ryan Harvey led the Barnstormers with twenty seven home runs.  Brandon Sing led the Ducks with twenty six.  Fehldant Lentini led his team with ninety two RBI.  Ray Navarrete led the Ducks with ninety.

Along with the League's top hitters, Lancaster sports four of the five top winning starting pitchers.  Alan Johnson, Dwayne Pollock, and J.D. Durbin all tied for the Atlantic League lead with fourteen wins each.  Fellow staff member John Halama punched in with another thirteen victories.  Dwayne Pollock also won the League ERA title with a 2.30 earned run average.  Long Island's Bob Zimmermann leads all series pitchers with 126 strikeouts.  While reliever Jason Monti led the Ducks in wins this past season, Bob Zimmermann leads all Ducks starters with six victories.

The Lancaster Barnstormers won both half Freedom Division titles.  They finished with the overall best record in the league, posting eighty eight wins against fifty two losses.  Lancaster swept the two-time reigning champions; York Revolution.

The Ducks were the first half Liberty Division champs, and defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs to become the season's overall division champ in round one.  After a 39-30 first half record, the Ducks struggled mightily in the second half, and ended the season with an overall 63-74 mark.

The Lancaster Barnstormers won their first and only Atlantic League title back in the 2006 season.  Two season's before that, the Long Island Ducks won their only Atlantic League championship.

 

 

Mike.BTB

Long Island Ducks: Game Five Winners; Going Back To The Finals

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

 

Ducks Win Series 3-2

I - Ducks 4; Blue Crabs 3

II - Ducks 3; Blue Crabs 1

III - Blue Crabs 7; Ducks 5

IV - Blue Crabs 4; Ducks 3

V - Ducks 5; Blue Crabs 4

 

 

Playoff Preview
GAME ONE FINAL

GAME TWO FINAL

GAME THREE FINAL

GAME FOUR FINAL

 

LONG ISLAND DUCKS:

Coach Baez Leads His Team Back To

The Atlantic League Finals.

 

Ducks Hold On For 5-4 Victory In Game Five.

Will Face Lancaster Barnstormers For League Title.

BRANDON SING CONNECTS ON THIRD HOME RUN OF SERIES;

SECOND IN LAST TWO GAMES.

Game Five; like this series; and just like this season; started out promising for the Ducks, only to take a perilous turn for the worse.  And in the ninth inning of the last Liberty Division semi final series  game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, the day, the series, and the season, almost came to a disastrous end for the Long Islanders.


The Blue Crabs jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the fourth inning.  In the bottom half of the frame, Long Island came back with two runs.  After Ray Navarrete led of with a single, Brandon Sing connected on his third home run of the series, giving the Ducks a 2-1 lead.  Southern Maryland responded quickly however.  In their next at-bat, they constructed two more runs off a fielder's choice, and a sac-fly against Ducks starter Bobby Blevins.


Blevins retired the side in order in each of the first three innings.  He left the game on the losing side of a 3-2 score after six innings pitched.  Blevins hurt his own cause when he balked home the Blue Crabs first run of the game.  In all, he allowed three runs on five hits.  He issued no walks and struck out two.  Out of the bullpen, Eric Niesen, Chris Hayes, and Matt Mays, then combined to keep Southern Maryland quiet over the next two innings.


In the bottom of the eighth, the Ducks struck back.  Brandon Sing reached first base with a one out single.  Bryant Nelson then stepped up and connected on his first home run of the series.  Lee Cruz followed with a double and was removed for pinch runner, Matt Esquivel.  Shawn Williams sent him running home with a two out single, giving the Ducks a 5-3 lead heading into the ninth.


Coach Baez then put the ball, and the game, into the right hand of former Arizona Diamond Back, Leo Rosales.  He walked the first batter he faced, but then struck out the next hitter.  Next up, Jesse Gutierrez' grounder to third baseman Bryan Nelson seemed like a sure double play.  But Nelson over threw second base, and the ball was momentarily misplayed in the outfield as well.  The two base error resulted in a run scored, and put the tying run on second base.  A Rosales wild pitch moved the tying run to third.  Long Island then completed an intentional pass to Matt Padgett.  The Ducks recorded the second out on a fielder's choice when they caught the lead runner in a run down between home and third.  With two outs, Leo Rosales then walked the bases loaded.  Rosales left them all stranded however.  He struck out the last batter he faced to end the game.


Leo Rosales gets credit for an anxiety riddled save.  For Matt Way's one scoreless inning of work in the eighth in which he struck out the side, he gets credit for the win.


The road to redemption now leads through Lancaster.  The Long Island Ducks are heading back to the Atlantic League finals.  They will try and better their results from a year ago, when they lost the championship to the York Revolution.  The Ducks rumbled through a dominant 2011 regular season, only to see their potent offense short circuit against York pitching.


This season, the Long Island crowd was treated to their first home clinching celebration since the club's 2004 championship season.  The Ducks won the first half division flag with a 39-30 record.  But they stumbled mightily in the second half, finishing dead last in the division, and very nearly escaped recording the league's worst regular season record.


In the first round of the post-season, Long Island jumped out quickly and gained a choke hold on the semi final series by winning Games One and Two in Southern Maryland.  But with three opportunities to win one game at home, the Ducks failed in their first two attempts.  The Blue Crabs tied the series on the road setting up Game Five Sunday evening.


The rematch between the Ducks and the York Revolution will not take place.  The Lancaster Barnstormers swept the Freedom Division series against the Wild Card team from York.  Lancaster rolled to first and second half division titles this season, and recorded the circuit's best record.




Mike.BTB

Long Island Ducks: Blue Crabs Invade Pond - Win Game Three

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

 

 

2012

Divisional Semi Final Series

 

Ducks Lead Series 2-1

I - Ducks 4; Blue Crabs 3

II - Ducks 3; Blue Crabs 1

III - Blue Crabs 7; Ducks 5

IV - TONIGHT

 

 

LONG ISLAND DUCKS: It's A Series Now.

Southern Maryland Claws Back For Game Three Win.

The Ducks seemed on to something.  The benefit to clinching a first half division title is having the option whether to start the opening round of the playoffs on the road or at home.  Long Island chose to play the first two games of their series against the Blue Crabs in Waldorf, Maryland.  Wednesday evening, that started to pay off.  Long Island took Game One behind a strong pitching effort by Randy Kiesler.  In Game Two, Long Island topped Southern Maryland again, this time behind a brilliant effort by Ducks starter Matt May, who pitched eight innings and struck out ten Blue Crabs.


Having swept the two games in Southern Maryland, the Ducks returned to The Pond Friday evening  for the first of three chances to clinch the series at home.  One more victory in this best three of five series punches Long Island's ticket back to their second consecutive championship round appearance.


On the mound Friday evening for the Ducks was the reliable Bob Zimmermann.  Opposing him was Southern Maryland's Gabriel Hernandez.


In Game Three, the home team struck first.  Making his first appearance of the series, Ducks left fielder Matt Esquivel connected on an absolute bomb to left, giving the Ducks a 1-0 lead.  The score remained 1-0 through four innings.  Both pitchers allowed only two hits apiece to that point.  Both hurlers struggled with control however, issuing four base on balls each.


In the top of the fifth inning, the Blue Crabs had Bob Zimmermann in major trouble.  Two walks and a single loaded the bases with no outs.  Very thick and moist air left over from earlier rain storms  which rolled through the area, perhaps prevented Jesse Gutierrez blast from sailing over the wall for a grand slam.  Instead, the Blue Crabs first baseman settled for a game tying sac-fly.  Bob Zimmermann reached back and struck out the following batter.  Then a stellar scoop by Brandon Sin at first base finished of the Blue Crabs rally, and kept damage limited to a single run.


In the home fifth, Long Island went ahead again on Ray Navarrete's rbi double.  When Brandon Sing followed with a single, Ray Navarrete was nailed at the plate trying to score.  Southern Maryland likewise limited Long Island's threat to just a single run scored.  But the Ducks were up a again in a 2-1 game after five.


After five laborious innings, a not so sharp Bob Zimmermann gave way to the bullpen.  Chris Hayes pitched a scoreless sixth inning.  But in the top of the seventh inning, the Blue Crabs had their way with Eric Niesen and Jared Lansford.  Five hits, two hit batters, a walk, and four runs later, Southern Maryland held a 5-2 lead.  A series of Brandon Sing errors helped the Blue Crabs along as well.


In the eighth inning, the Blue Claws piled on with another pair of runs to make it a 7-2 game.  But in the bottom half of the frame, the Ducks decided not to go quietly.  Timo Perez singled, driving in two runs, making the game a 7-4 affair.


Into the ninth they went.  Coach Baez called upon his seventh pitcher of the evening; Connor Graham; who retired the side in order.  In the Ducks last licks, they managed to score one run on a wild pitch, but nothing more.  The Ducks fell by a 7-5 score in Game Three.  And so..., the Ducks first opportunity to clinch this series at home is lost.  They have two more opportunities to win one game.


The last time the Long Island Ducks clinched a playoff series at home came back in 2004; their Atlantic League championship winning season.  They lost in last season's Finals to the York Revolution who went on to win their second consecutive title.  The Lancaster Barnstormers currently own a 2-0 lead over York in the Freedom Division semi final series.





Mike.BTB

Long Island Ducks: Defeat Blue Crabs; Take 1-0 Series Lead

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

ATLANTIC LEAGUE ~ DIVISION SERIES

 

 

 

Playoff Preview

 

Long Island Lead Series 1-0

I - Ducks 4; Blue Crabs 3

 

II - TONIGHT

 

LONG ISLAND DUCKS:  Eighth Inning Rally Just Enough To Defeat Blue Crabs In Game One.

There's nothing like a little late inning drama to start the playoffs, huh?  In several respects however - mission accomplished.  The idea is to split games on the road, and win at home, right?  Down in the park at Waldorf last night, the Long Island Ducks took a 1-0 lead in their semi final series against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.


After just the first three batters of the game, the Ducks were in possession of a two run lead.  Kraig Binick led off the game with a double.  Batting second, Joash Brodin also doubled, scoring Binick.  Ray Navarrete then singled to drive in Brodin.


Ducks starter, Randy Keisler, kept the Blue Crabs scoreless through the first four innings.  He struck out out the side in the bottom of the first inning, with a walk interspersed.  An inning ending  double play got Randy out of the second.  In the third inning, Randy Keisler struck out the side in order.  He pitched himself into big trouble in the fourth, when with one out, he walked two batters and hit a third batter to load the bases.  But he managed to induce a foul pop-up, and a force out to escape the inning.


He wasn't as lucky in the fifth inning.  Southern Maryland struck for two runs on three hits to knot the game at two apiece.


Randy Keisler pitched six innings in all.  He allowed the two runs, and limited the Blue Crabs to four hits.  He had troubles with control as he walked four batters.  But he was also strong with nine strikeouts.


Coach Biaz went to his bullpen in the seventh.  Jared Lansford was first and struck out the side.


In the top of the eighth, Long Island broke the deadlock.  Three doubles led to two more runs.  Dan Lyons led off with the first double.  Joash Brodin followed with another to drive in Lyons.  The Brandon Sing delivered a clutch two out double to drive in Brodin for a 4-2 Ducks lead.


Coach Biaz turned to Eric Niesen for the eighth.  After retiring the lead off batter, Coach Biaz played match-ups and summoned Jeremy Hill.  But a solo home run by Jesse Gutierrez almost thwarted that strategy.  Jeremy Hill was able to complete the inning without further damage.


Leo Rosales pitched a scoreless ninth inning to preserve Long Island's victory, and earned himself the save.  Jared Lansford gets credit for the win.  A fine effort by Randy Keisler ended up in a no decision.


Brandon Sing drove in what wound up being the game winning RBI.

TONIGHT

 

GAME TWO

 

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

(SP - Matt Way)

vs.

South Maryland Blue Crabs

(SP - Matthew Vasquez)

 

FROM

The Baseball Grounds at Waldorf

 

 

 

 

Mike.BTB

Long Island Ducks: A Trying Second Half Will End On The Road

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

LONG ISLAND DUCKS:  Trying To Gain Some Momentum Before Playoffs Begin.


While Lew Ford is participating in a pennant race with the Baltimore Orioles, and Mike Loree is off pitching in the Far East, conditions at Bethpage Park have taken a drastic change for the worse.  Unless fortunes change over the final six games of the regular season for their former team mates and some newer Ducks acquisitions, The Pond figuratively risks being declared an ecological disaster area.


After falling in last season's Atlantic League finals to the York Revolution, the Ducks ensured at least an opportunity to redeem themselves in this year's playoffs.  Long Island secured a post-season spot earlier this summer by clinching the first half Liberty Division flag with a 39-30 record.  But in the sixty three games since the Ducks clinched their first half title, wins have come too infrequently Long Island's way.  Sucked dry of its resources, their habitat has been transformed from a thriving baseball oasis on the fringes of Gotham, into a barren cracking surface baked under an otherwise splendid summer sun.


What a precipitous fall in the standings it has been.  Last season, Long Island stormed to record the finest overall season in the league.   Heading into Tuesday's series opener against the Somerset Patriots, the Ducks now own the Atlantic League's worst overall record.  Since the start of the second half, the team has firmly entrenched itself in last place with a 21-42 second half mark; 12.5 games behind the first place Southern Maryland Blue Claws, and 5.5 games behind third place Camden.  Overall, the Ducks have fallen to 60-72 this season.  With six games left, the likelihood Long Island escapes the Liberty Division cellar between now and September 24th are zero to none.


Before the regular season comes to an end on September 23rd, the Long Islanders will try and find a winning formula in their last two scheduled series.  Lest, their optimism for returning to the Atlantic League championship round continue waning.


So what happened?


Offensively speaking, the Ducks aren't the offensive juggernaut they were last season.  Reid Gorecki, Ryan Garko, and Lew Ford have long departed the line-up.  Ray Navarret is the club's only .300 hitter.  Where as last season, Kraig Binick was winning a batting title.  Slugger Brandon Sing has pulled his weight filling the power role.  But Bryant Nelson, Shaun Williams, Matt Esquivel, Dan Lyons, and now Timo Perez have not contributed the kind out output the Ducks achieved last season when they led the league in runs.  More modest and pedestrian performances have quieted this season down considerably.


On the hill, the Ducks have suffered a season long dearth of quality starting pitching.  The loss of Mike Loree only exacerbated the situation.  Forced into starting duties this season, Bob Zimmermann is the Ducks best starter.  He sports a 6-10 record this season, complimented by a 4.39 ERA.  After Zimm, Randy Keisler sports a more eye catching 2.72 ERA in twelve starts.  Next in is Bobby Blevins who was acquired in a trade via the CanAm League.  He's off to a promising start with Long Island.  So far he sports a 2.84 after three starts.  Chris Hayes has eight starts under his belt since being acquired from Bridgeport.  He is 3-0 so far.  In 52.2 innings pitched, he struck out twenty three batters while only walking five.


Sunday, the Ducks played their last home game of the regular season.  They may have received a boost in confidence just in time for their road trip towards the playoffs.  Fortune may have come in a pitcher named Matt Way.  In his first ever appearance for the Ducks on Sunday, he shut out the River Sharks over eight full innings.  He allowed them a mere two hits and issued two walks.  In the process of blanking Camden, he also struck out thirteen batters.


Whether all this winds up capable of potentially defeating South Maryland in the playoffs remains to be seen.  Until then, Monday was an off day for the team.  Today, the Ducks begin a three game series against the Somerset Patriots.  They will then conclude their schedule in Camden.


The Ducks will be returning to Bethpage Park for at least one game playoff game.  What comes after that is any body's guess.






Mike.BTB

L.I. Ducks: Mike Loree Purchased By Taiwan League

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

LONG ISLAND DUCKS: Adrift in Stagnant Waters.

Mike Loree Off to Taiwan.

Leaves Behind Club Languishing in Last.

ON THIS DAY LAST SEASON:

KRAIG BINICK WAS HITTING 100 POINTS BETTER THAN THIS SEASON.

What happened?  What happened to the first half Liberty Division champs?  The Long Island Ducks currently sport the worst second half record in the Atlantic League.

Perhaps we can sum it up this way.  The Ducks haven't been able to beat the South Maryland Blue Crabs.  Currently seven games out of first place, and firmly anchored to last place in the division, the Ducks were fresh off getting swept by the Crabs before engaging in this current series against Lancaster.  Over the second half, the Ducks have lost nine of ten games to the Blue Crabs.  There's your difference in the standings.

The Ducks sport a second half worst 12-22 record.  South Maryland leads the Liberty Division with a 20-15 second half record.  But what precipitated the difference in the Ducks from one half to the next?  It's hard to put a finger on one thing.  But if pressed, I'd say their starting pitching is the culprit.  They are very thin in the rotation, and it has caught up to them.  What's more, their rotation just suffered a major blow.  Of all the darnedest things, on August 16th, Mike Loree's contract was purchased by the Lamigo Monkeys of the Chinese Professional Baseball League of Taiwan.

Mike wasn't having nearly the season he had last year when he won the pitching triple crown.  This season, he proved to be a lot more hittable.  His 5-7 record is testament to that.  In 104.1 innings pitched, he surrendered 117 hits.  And his season ERA was almost at five.   But this is a tremendous loss none the less.  This leaves Bob Zimmermann as the only remaining Ducks starter to make over ten starts this season.  Zimm leads the staff with twenty-one starts.  Mike Loree came in second with eighteen.

Between now and the playoffs, Coach Baez will have to restructure a new three-man core.  In Mike Loree's absence, the Ducks will be going with Chris Hayes, Eric Niesen, Adam Rowe, anchored by Bob Zimmermann.  Who emerges as the fifth starter remains to be seen.  For the moment however, the Ducks are having to dip too deeply, and way too often into their bullpen.  They haven't been getting any kind of consistent length from the pitchers mentioned.

Offensively speaking, the Ducks are doing just fine.  They lead their division in runs scored.  The Ducks are tops with 530 runs scored this season.  The next closest divisional opponent is Bridgeport, with 478 runs scored.

However, Kraig Binick is not enjoying the type of season he had last year at the plate.  He is batting at a .254 rate.  That is exactly one-hundred points lower than his batting average at this time last season.  On August 18, 2011, Kraig Binick was rolling along with a .354 batting average.

Brandon Sing was brought in to hit home runs.  And he has done just that.  He has twenty home runs on the season in 328 at-bats.  He is only two homers off the League lead.  Thirty-seven games into Matt Esquivel's return, he has his batting average up at a .319 clip.  And Bryant Nelson has complimented Brandon Sing well with sixty-three RBI.

The team leader, and League leader, in RBI is Ray Navarrete.  He has seventy-four on the season, giving the Ducks three players with over sixty rbi.  And recently, Ray Navarrete applied his name to yet another club benchmark.  With forty-two doubles this season, Ray set a new Ducks and Atlantic League record.

Mike.BTB

L.I. Ducks ~ Limp Into Break After Clinching Title

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

LONG ISLAND DUCKS:

First Half Liberty Division Champs Stumble Into The Break

LOSING STREAK UP TO SIX

Six Long Island Ducks Headed to All-Star Game

We've reached the half way point folks.  Having already clinched the first half Liberty Division title handily over the second place RiverSharks, it's now time for Wednesday's Atlantic League All-Star Game, being played this season in beautiful Campbell's Field in Camden, New Jersey, right underneath the Ben Franklin Bridge.  If you've never seen a game there, do so.  The park sits right    across the river from Philadelphia with the bridge and the downtown skyline serving as a backdrop.


Long Island's manager Kevin Baez, will lead the Liberty Division All-Stars in this year's game.  Joining him will be six Ducks players.  Starter Jason Monti, and reliever Jeremy Hill are the hurlers.  Ray Navarrete, Kraig Binick, Dan Lyons, and Shawn Williams, will join them in Camden.


After stumbling through a six game losing streak to end the first half, the Ducks finished 39-30, ever so coincidentally after they clinched the division title.  Thirty-nine wins was still tied for second best in the circuit.  The Freedom Division first half champ Lancaster Barnstormers romped to forty-five wins, to include a closing four game sweep of the Ducks in Lancaster.


Not necessarily an All-Star omission, the Independent League's premiere power hitter over the last few seasons, Brandon Sing, missed twelve games in the first half due to an injury.  He is in his first season in the Atlantic League since coming over from the American Association.  So perhaps he's still adjusting.  His thirteen home runs are just slightly off the league lead.  But maybe with more games played, his thirty-six RBI could be up among the leaders.  Ray Navarrete by the way, is tied for second in the A.L. with forty-eight RBI so far.  Ramon Castro of York, leads with fifty.


Then there is the curious case of starting pitcher, Mike Loree.  He is clearly not the same triple crown pitcher who dominated the league just a season ago.  In fact, he has struggled in thirteen starts with a 5.80 ERA, which is three full points higher than last year's mark.  Last season's league leader in wins, is currently sporting a 4-4 record.  He has been far more hittable this season than over last.  In 71.1 innings pitched, he has surrendered eighty-five hits.  Mike has issued seventeen walks and struck out fifty-four.  Last year's strikeout king, is currently ranked thirteenth in the circuit.


This season at least, Bob Zimmermann and Jason Monti have emerged to lead Long Island's starting rotation to somewhat offset Mike Loree's slide.  But the Ducks aren't nearly as deep as they were last season either.  If you remember, last season in the first half, the Ducks bulldozed their way to a title behind a formidable offense, but also rode the strong pitching of Mike Loree, and Mike Parisi before his contract was purchased.  This season, Mike Loree, Bob Zimmermann, and Jason Monti, have combined to win thirteen games.  That's only a third of all Ducks' victories.


It is also worth noting, after a string of terrible starts, Gustavo Chacin was finally jettisoned from the rotation and the team.  Reliever Jason Monti was then needed to be taken out of the bullpen to start games, and has gone on to win five of six decisions.  Monti's insertion into the rotation became possible when reliever John Hunton returned to the Ducks' bullpen this season.  He was signed late last season and pitched in the playoffs, and was resigned again in early June this season.


In other news, on July 6th, the Ducks signed former Met outfielder, Timo Perez.  He joins fellow former Met, Armando Benitez, on the activated list.




Mike.BTB

L.I. Ducks ~ Clinch First Step Towards Redemption

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

2012 First Half Liberty Division Champs

LONG ISLAND DUCKS:  The Webbed Ones Open July By Clinching First-Half Liberty Division Title.


The Ducks know something about division titles.  Last season, they clinched first and second half  regular season titles, only to fall in the championship series against York.  During the entire 2011 regular season, Long Island was by far the most offensively potent team in the circuit.  Then in the Finals, they shorted out.  At present, they have now taken the first step towards redeeming themselves, by securing a spot in the Atlantic League's post season.


On Sunday, the Long Island Ducks clinched the first half Liberty Division title rather handily, with an eight game lead as of July 1st, over the second place Camden RiverSharks.  And after Monday's win over Southern Maryland, the Ducks now sit 39-24, nine games ahead of Camden.  The Long Islanders are winners of their last seven in a row.  Only Lancaster, leading the Freedom Division with forty, have more wins than Long Island.


Sunday's clincher came in dramatic fashion.  After the Sugar Land Skeeters took a 1-0 lead after three innings off starter off Dan Meyer, the Ducks tied the game in the sixth on a Shawn Williams RBI.  Dan Meyer struggled with control, walking six batters in a short 2.2 inning appearance before rain delayed the game.  With the bullpen holding the RiverSharks in check, the game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth inning when Dan Lyons drove in Shawn Williams with the winning run and the first half clincher.  The Ducks completed a sweep of the Skeeters as well.


Then in Monday's series opener against Southern Maryland, Long Island watched their 4-0 lead after five innings almost disappear.  Bryant Nelson's two RBI double gave the Ducks a quick lead after one.  In the third inning, Ray Navarrete drove in Ducks' run number three with another double.  In the fifth, Ray Navarrete's sac-fly drove home Kraig Binick to give the Ducks a 4-0 lead.


In his first 2012 start as a Duck, Nick Singleton pitched five very effective innings.  He allowed a mere two hits and struck out seven.  In the sixth, the Blue Crabs touched up reliever Josh Lansford for two runs.  In the eighth, they picked up another off Jeremy Hill.  But in the ninth and making his return to the Ducks, John Hunton, retired the Blue Crabs in order, to preserve Long Island's victory.  The Long Islanders are now winners of eight of their last ten games.


The Lancaster Barnstormers have wrapped up the Freedom Division title, amassing a convincing lead over the York Revolution.


Seven games remain till the halfway mark of the season, and the Atlantic League All-Star Game.




Mike.BTB

L.I. Ducks ~ The Webbed Nine Take a Bite Out of Camden

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

LONG ISLAND DUCKS:  Open Road Trip With 8-0 Blanking of River Sharks.


Mike Loree pitched like the Ducks' ace of old Monday evening in Camden.  He hand-cuffed the Sharks over seven innings, allowing a mere three hits and no runs.  He walked none and struck out five, before giving way to Dan Meyer and Conner Graham, who took care of the eighth and ninth innings to end Camden's night.  Long Island pitching held the River Sharks to five hits.

After a pair of rocky starts, and a few no decisions, Mike Loree pitched, by far, his best game of the season over five starts so far, and picked up his second win in the process.  Mike also lowered his ERA to a 3.18 mark.

Long Island got on the board right away against Camden starter, Mike McGuire.  Kraig Binick led off the game with a walk, and later came around to score for a 1-0 lead.  In the fourth, Long Island used power and took advantage of shoddy defense to score three more runs.  Ray Navarrete led off the inning with a home run.  Then two River Sharks' errors led to two more runs for the Ducks, and a 4-0 lead.

Bryant Nelson led off the fifth with a single, then scored on a Ray Navarrete sac-fly.  In the eighth, Ried Gorecki launched his first home run of the season; a solo shot, to give the Ducks a 6-0 lead.  Then in the ninth, Long Island tacked on two more for good measure.  Matt Esquivel and Ray Navarrete hit back to back doubles, for a 7-0 lead.  Shawn Williams' sac-fly to center scored Navarrete, and capping the Ducks scoring at eight.

That's the Ducks' third win in a row.  They are now the first team to reach twenty wins this season.  Long Island has also opened up a 4.5 game lead over the Bridgeport Bluefish, who lost at home to the Revolution.  Only the Sugar Land Skeeters are a hotter club than the Ducks over the last ten games of the season.

Armando Benitez, signed by the Ducks on May 24, is yet to appear in a game.





Mike.BTB

L.I. Ducks ~ Salvage Game Versus Bridgeport; At The Game

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE
*Corrected on Tuesday

LONG ISLAND DUCKS:  Another Fine Day in The Pond.

The Ducks salvaged a win versus the Bridgeport Bluefish Sunday afternoon in the second installment of this season's Ferry Cup Series.  The Bluefish now lead the benefit series four games to one.  Game Three will be Monday.

Play Ball!  First Pitch

Long Island's starter, Randy Keisler, labored through 102 pitches in six innings.  He was touched for six hits and three earned runs.  And struggled with control, walking four, and struck out three.


Bridgeport took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on a two run home run by third baseman, Brock Peterson.  But Long Island struck back for three runs in their half of the inning.  Ray Navarrete led off the home half of the fourth with a walk.  Brandon Sing followed with a single.  Then Shawn Williams drove them both home with a one out triple.  Ried Gorecki lofted a fly ball to center for a sacrifice fly RBI, and a 3-1 Ducks lead.  Bridgeport tied the game however in their next at-bat off Randy Keisler.

By the sixth inning, Randy Keisler's day was through.  But not before the Ducks supplied him with four more runs in the bottom of the sixth, to put Keisler on the winning side of the game again.  This was Randy's third win of the season against just one loss.


After Shawn Williams led of with another extra-base hit; a double this time; Ried Gorecki drove him home with a single.  Josh Johnson followed with another single to score Gorecki who had previously advanced to second.  Yet another single by Bryant Nelson later delivered Josh Johnson.  A sac-fly by Brandon Sing drove home Kraig Binick, and the fourth Ducks' run of the frame.  An error led to one more Long Island run in the eighth, giving them an 8-3 lead, and eventual final.

Kraig Binick and Ray Navarrete

Brandon Sing

In the lead-off spot, Kraig Binick was 3 for 4 Sunday, with a walk, and two runs scored.  First baseman Shawn Williams, was 2 for 4, with a double, triple, and two RBI.  Ried Gorecki also had two RBI.


After Randy Keisler, Long Island's bullpen took care of the final three innings.  Jason Monti pitched two innings, allowed three hits and two walks, and struck out three.  Jeremy Hill closed out the ninth inning, surrendering a hit, and a walk


The Ducks begin a four set in Camden against the River Sharks Tuesday evening.

My Sixth Inning Foul Ball.

Mike.BTB

L.I. Ducks ~ Next Up; The Bluefish in a Battle for First

From the desk of:   THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

LONG ISLAND DUCKS:   After Dropping Opening Game, Ducks Comeback to Take Series from Lancaster.  Next, the Bluefish Invade The Pond in a Clash For First Place.

The Ferry Cup Series Resumes.

What do you do when the Barnstormers ruin your home winning streak at nine?  You start a new streak by winning the next two.  And so, the Ducks came back to win the final two games in their series against Lancaster.


In Tuesday's game, Randy Keisler, Jeremy Hill, and Dan Meyer, all pitched brilliantly against former major leaguer, John Halama and company.  Randy Keisler tossed seven innings of seven hit, shut-out ball.  He walked one and struck out eight.  After 103 pitches, Randy gave way to Jeremy Hill staked to a 6-0 lead.


In the first inning, Kraig Binick led off the game with a double, and scored on Bryant Nelson's single, and an error by the third baseman.  Reid Gorecki later singled home Bryant Nelson for a 2-0 Ducks' lead.


It stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh inning.  For John Halama's part, he was snake bit by errors over 6.2 innings.  Of the six runs charged to him, only two were earned.  He did surrender nine hits however, and walked three.


After a good seventh inning stretch, the Ducks beefed up their lead with four more runs.  After an E-5, a wild pitch, a walk, and a single by Bryant Nelson to load the bases, John Halama was on the ropes.  After missing some time, Brandon Sing made his return to play in time for this series, and said hello to John Halama with a grand slam home run, for a 6-0 Ducks' lead.  It was Brandon's first home run since returning over the weekend, and his sixth of the season.


The Ducks tacked on one more run in the eighth on Wilberto Ortiz' second home run of the season.


Jeremy Hill pitched a scoreless eighth and struck out two.  And Dan Meyer pitched a scoreless ninth to finish off the win.




On Wednesday, the Ducks picked up where they left off.  Jason Monti hung in and pitched five innings of four hit ball.  He gave up one earned run and struck out three with no walks on the way to recording his third win of the season.  Jason trails Mike Loree by one strikeout (21/22) for the team lead.


By the fourth inning, the Ducks already posted their ten runs.  Brandon Sing seems to be getting his swing in order.  He was 3 for 5, with a double and a run scored.  Along with Sing.., Kraig Binick, Bryant Nelson, Ray Navarrete, and James McOwen, all had multiple hits.  Shawn Williams was the only Duck to homer Wednesday and had three RBI.  Bryant Nelson drove in his team leading 19th RBI.  And Ray Navarrete was 2 for 4 with four RBI and two runs scored.  In all, the Ducks had fifteen hits.


Once Jason Monti was out of the game, the bullpen had some trouble closing out.  Connor Graham, and Eric Niesen, combined to pitch four innings (two each), and surrendered four runs on six hits, and walked four.


So a flaky bullpen and two errors get covered up by ten runs for a day...  Winning can do that.


The Ducks are now 17-8, and remain the only team with single digit losses.  They maintain a 3.5 game lead over the Bridgeport Bluefish in the Liberty Division, who conveniently swim into The Pond Thursday night for a four game series in what is now a battle for first place.  But Bridgeport is 3-7 in their last ten, while the Ducks are just the opposite with a 7-3 record in their last ten games.  The Bluefish were 4-2 losers to Southern Maryland Wednesday.  The Ducks are now 11-1 at home.


The Ferry Cup Series continues.  In the last meeting between these teams, the Bluefish swept a three game series in Bridgeport.





Mike.BTB