(Central Islip, N.Y., Sept. 26, 2024) – The Long Island Ducks today marked the 20th Anniversary of the franchise’s 2004 Atlantic League championship. On this date 20 years ago, the Ducks officially clinched their first-ever league title, doing so in their Fifth Anniversary Season.
“The 2004 championship was one of the most special in my career in professional baseball,” said Ducks Founder/CEO/Owner Frank Boulton. “It’s hard to believe 20 years have passed since that historic night, but that moment is forever etched in my memory and surely the memories of our great fans.”
The Ducks clinched their first Atlantic League championship on September 26, 2004, at Campbell’s Field in Camden, N.J. With a 4-3 victory over the Camden Riversharks, the Ducks completed a three-game series sweep and a 5-1 postseason run. Long Island became the first team in Atlantic League history to win all five of their playoff games by exactly one run.
Long Island rallied from a 3-0 first inning deficit to earn the win and overcame Riversharks starter Lincoln Mikkelsen, who had no-hit the Ducks for the first four and one-third innings. While Ducks starter Bill Pulsipher tossed seven innings, the offense rallied in support of him. Doug Jennings drew a leadoff walk and scored on an error while Matt Garrick added a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, closing the gap to 3-2. Long Island added two more runs in the seventh to take the lead, as Kevin Baez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home the go-ahead run. Bill Simas wrapped up the title with two scoreless innings to earn the save.
Justin Davies was named the Championship Series Most Valuable Player. He batted .385 during the series with three RBIs and four runs scored, earning back-to-back walk-off hits in Games One and Two of the series on Long Island.
The championship victory was the culmination of an outstanding season for the Ducks. During the regular season, the team won the First Half North Division title with a 40-23 mark to clinch the club’s first-ever playoff berth. Their spot in the postseason was clinched on August 9, 2004, with a 5-4 win over the Bridgeport Bluefish, in what remains one of the greatest games in team history. Long Island then ousted the Nashua Pride in the best-of-three North Division Championship Series, rallying for 3-2 and 1-0 wins in Games Two and Three at the Duck Pond after dropping Game One 3-2 in New Hampshire. The Ducks also led the Atlantic League in attendance in 2004, welcoming 440,540 fans through the gates during the regular season (6,119 per game) and 24,567 more fans during the postseason (6,142 per game).
After celebrations both on the field and in the clubhouse 20 years ago, the Ducks returned to Long Island in grand fashion. Fire trucks and Ducks fans helped form a victory parade on Court House Drive outside the ballpark to greet the team bus and congratulate them on accomplishing their mission. Later that year, a special rally was held in the Ducks honor, attended by several local politicians and supporters of the team at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge.
Now, 20 years later, the 2004 championship-winning Ducks team remains one of the most treasured memories in franchise history.
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