Long Island Ducks Retired Jersey Numbers

Autographed Ticket Stubs from Davies, Navarrete and Harrelson Retired Jersey Nights

In the beginning of 2015, the Long Island Ducks announced that they would honor two of their retired, franchise players with jersey retirement ceremonies at Bethpage Ballpark during the season.

On June 19^th of that year, the 2004 Atlantic League Champion Series MVP, Justin Davies, was the first Duck to be so honored having his number 4 retired. Spending a total of six years in the outfield for Long Island (2000-05), Davies retired as the club leader in games played, runs scored, hits and stolen bases.

On August 16th, during the same summer, Long Island retired Ray Navarrete’s number 16. Navarrete played eight years with the organization (2006-13) and retired as the Ducks’ career leader in games played, hits, runs scored (surpassing Davies' mark of these three), home runs, RBIs, and doubles. Navarrete was a member of both the 2012 and 2103 League Championship teams and his late-inning, go-ahead 3-run  home run in game 5 of the 2013 series was instrumental to bringing the championship back to Long Island.

On August 3rd, in 2018, the Ducks memorialized a third jersey number to their left-center field Duckvision scoreboard. Long-time owner and former manager/coach Bud Harrelson had his special night; retiring number 3. Six months earlier, Harrelson publicly-announced that he has been fighting  an official Alzheimer’s diagnosis for more than 2 years which made for a very special night at Bethpage Ballpark.

2000 Aberdeen Arsenal Program and Tickets

Here is a nice piece of memorabilia from the early days of the Atlantic League. It is a 2000 program for the Aberdeen Arsenal, roster and general admission/youth tickets.

Playing for just the 2000 season in the Atlantic League, the Aberdeen Arsenal, based in Bel Air, MD, would play their home games at Thomas Run Park at Hartford Community College.  Aberdeen featured former DET/SF/ATL MLB All-Star Darrell Evans as its manager, no-hit MLB pitcher Rick Wise as pitching coach and Billy Ripken as its Director of Baseball Operations.

Ripken with his Hall of Fame brother would soon establish the short-season-A Aberdeen Ironbirds (2002) as a minor league team of the Baltimore Orioles. (…you're my…brother, and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the Family) Hopes for the Arsenal to have their own home stadium dissipated when potential stadium funding for the area went to the Ripkens and the Arsenal was disbanded.

Playing against Aberdeen that day, were the Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds (2000-01). The Black Diamonds were originally established as a founding team of the Atlantic League (the Newburgh (NY) Black Diamonds) prior to 2000, and then morphed into the Pennsylvania Road Warriors post 2001 – a ball club that would play exclusively on the road to balance out the number of teams in the Atlantic League.  Lehigh Valley would play their home games in Memorial Park in Quakertown, PA.

Wayne Krenchicki and Steve “Fookie” Foucault were on the field staff of Lehigh Valley. Each would go on to have extended careers within the Atlantic League.

Bud Harrelson – 1969 New York “Miracle Mets” Golden Glove Shortstop

Autographed 2000 Long Island Ducks Inaugural Pocket Schedule, Scorecard and First-Game Commemorative Ticket

With the singular distinction of being the only name on both the 1969 and 1986 New York Mets’ World Championship rosters, Bud Harrelson’s major league career spanned 15 years (1965-80) and included multiple All-Star Selections (’70 & ’71) and a Golden Glove Award (’71).

Harrelson’s MLB success has been matched by his role as one of the three owners who brought the professional baseball team of the Long Island Ducks to the Island, opening their gates in the 2000 inaugural season.

Since the team's inception, Harrelson has been lending his New York name recognition and tireless efforts to promote the Ducks and still serves as their owner, Senior VP of Baseball Operations, bench coach and “Foremost Long Island Duck Goodwill Ambassador” today.

Pete Rose; All Time Hit King - Bridgeport Bluefish Manager For A Day

Pete Rose Autographed NL Baseball.

Bridgeport Bluefish Commemorative Pete Rose Managerial Ticket & T-Shirt

In 1988, Minor league GM and promotional legend Ken Shepard vowed to sleep in a press box until his team, the Geneva Cubs (Class A), broke their losing streak.  Shepard ended up sleeping in the press box for 12 long nights but the national attention his pledge brought increased Geneva’s attendance during this streak by 36%.

But Shepard may have saved his biggest promotional splash for his time as GM of the Bridgeport Bluefish.

On June 16, 2014, – with MLB’s permission – All-Time-Hit-King Pete Rose returned and participated on a roster of a professional baseball team for the first time in 25 years. Rose had received a lifetime ban from MLB for betting on baseball.

Rose served as the Bluefish’s manager that day, as Shepard brought national coverage (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune, etc…) to the city of Bridgeport and his team. For his efforts, Shepard was awarded the 2014 Atlantic League’s Executive of the Year posthumously.