By Greg Giaconelli
The Long Island Ducks have officially completed the first half of the 2014 Atlantic League Baseball Season. Although they didn’t clinch the First Half Liberty Division title, the Ducks concluded their first half with a five game winning streak and a 40-29 record. Their current record is their highest watermark of the year and winning 40 games ties a franchise record for most wins in the first half.
It has been a good half for the Ducks and their fans so far this year. The Ducks won their 600th home game and 1,000th game in team history in the same year. They also became the first team in Atlantic League history to welcome their sixth millionth fan to Bethpage Ballpark. With the way the team has been playing along with the support of their fans, The Ducks should be a team to be reckoned with.
The Ducks had several players that stepped up and made an impact in their successful first half. Outfielder and Hitting Coach Lew Ford has been an offensive force and always a threat at the plate. He is leading the league with 56 runs batted in and 54 runs scored. Ford is also second in batting average at .366 and is third in homers with 11. Another key cog in their lineup is leadoff man Fehlandt Letini. The first year Duck is currently leading the league in hits, doubles, at bats and stolen bases. The next player whose presence has been felt is outfielder Adam Bailey. The second year Duck is second on the team in RBIs with 40, which is good for fifth in the league. Another key cog for Long Island’s lineup is the shortstop Dan Lyons, who has been hot of late with three multi-hit and multi-RBI games.
Of course, any baseball team needs good pitching to win and the Ducks have been getting just that. Shaun Garceau, John Brownell and Bobby Blevins anchor the strong rotation. Garceauand Brownell shares the league lead in wins with eight and all three pitchers are in the top five in strikeouts. The Ducks have been getting a great effort all around from their pitching and hitting.“Once you get a combination of both, that’s what you need to win ballgames” said Ducks skipper Kevin Baez. “If we can put it all together, you got a great chance to win.” With the second half starting on July 7, the Ducks look to continue their winning ways. They hope to get contributions from third basemen Brendan Harris and first basemen JoashBrodin. Harris provides the veteran presence to the younger guys and has been playing well in the field. Baez expects him to get going in the second half. Brodin, who lead the team last year in hitting, is also expected to step up and get back to his 2013 form.
As the Ducks prepare for another championship run, the competition continues to get tough. The Somerset Patriots, who won the Liberty Division First Half, are expected to be Long Island’s biggest opponent for the division crown. However, the Camden Riversharks and cross sound rivals Bridgeport Bluefish shouldn’t be taken lightly. While over in the Freedom Division, the first half division winners York Revolution, along with the Sugarland Skeeters and Lancaster Barnstormers are teams that will battle for the second half crown. “There’s no team that’s a walk in the park” said Baez. “So you got to come out and play your best and give yourself a chance.”
The two time defending Atlantic League Champions are looking for a three peat. “That’s our goal” stated Baez. “We got to get into the playoffs first and then we know from previous years once you get in, anything can happen.”
