LONG ISLAND DUCKS TEAM FOUNDERS

FRANK BOULTON

Frank Boulton spent 25 seasons (2000-25) as founder, CEO and owner of the Long Island Ducks. Frank has also owned three other minor league teams, two affiliated with the New York Yankees and the other with the Kansas City Royals. Frank is also the proud founder of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which has completed 27 seasons of play.

Driven by a sense of gratitude, hard work, and dedication, Frank has been involved with many local charities. Frank served as Chairman of the Great South Bay YMCA Board of Managers from 1983 to 1992. He was a Great South Bay YMCA board member for 27 years. Frank also chaired the capital campaign that raised $6.2 million dollars to construct the YMCA. In 1992, the Board of Managers named the gymnasium in his honor.

Presently, Frank serves as chairman of the QuackerJack Foundation, the charitable arm of the Ducks, and the Great South Bay Arts and Entertainment Foundation, the operating entity of the not-for-profit Boulton Center in downtown Bay Shore. He also serves on the board of directors for Long Island YMCA, and the advisory board of Flushing Bank. Additionally, Frank is a member of three Halls of Fame — The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame, the Bay Shore High School Hall of Fame (inaugural class) and the Long Island Business Hall of Fame. In addition to these honors, Frank has been named one of Long Island’s most influential people by the Long Island Business News and has been the recipient of such awards as Entrepreneur of the Year presented by ACIT, Spirit of Long Island Award presented by Promote Long Island, the Public Service Award by the Suffolk County Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, Lifetime Achievement Award by the YMCA, The Harry Chapin Humanitarian of the Year by the LIA, the Grand Marshal of his hometown Bay Shore/Brightwaters St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the prestigious St. Thomas of Villanova Alumni Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the VUAA, awarded to individuals who have brought extraordinary benefit to Villanova University and their communities.

In 1975 Frank married Karen Sarle and moved into their home in Brightwaters where they reside still to this day and are the proud parents of two adult children, Whitney and Morgan.

BUD HARRELSON (1944-2024)

Bud Harrelson, the former Mets great who co-founded and co-owned the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks, passed away at the age of 79 on January 11, 2024. Harrelson battled courageously with Alzheimer’s since being diagnosed with the disease in 2016.

”Bud’s impact on Long Island will be felt through Ducks baseball for as long as we play,” said Ducks Owner/CEO Frank Boulton. “He was my partner in bringing professional baseball to Long Island following his outstanding playing career in MLB and he made his mark on so many through his charitable giving, appearances and kindness. He was a one-of-a-kind human being, and he is missed greatly.”

Harrelson co-founded the Ducks with Boulton in 1998, and served as the Atlantic League’s first president, as the circuit was in its start up phase. Harrelson, along with Joe Klein, Sparky Lyle, Butch Hobson, Rick Cerone and Willie Upshaw, helped provide the ALPB instant on field credibility and he was vitally important in building the inaugural Ducks roster in 2000. That season, Harrelson managed the Ducks to a league-best 82-58 record and won Manager of the Year honors. Harrelson remained on the Ducks coaching staff until his famous number “3” was retired during pregame ceremonies on August 3, 2018.  In addition to his efforts in building the on field teams, Harrelson was tireless in his off the field efforts to give back to the Long Island community he called home. Whether it was “Beat Buddy” on a par 3 at your favorite charity’s golf outing, a holiday time visit to the pediatric units of hospitals, local parades, PAL dinners, or Make-a-Wish dreams coming true, Harrelson was ubiquitous on Long Island throughout the years. While a native of Niles, California, he came to call Long Island his home during his playing days with the Mets, and stayed on Long Island after his playing career was over.  

“Bud Harrelson’s life was dedicated to the game of baseball, his community and his family,” said Ducks President Michael Pfaff. “He exemplified what it meant to give back and set a community outreach standard for this organization that we work to uphold every day, while keeping his memory alive with Ducks baseball.”

Prior to the Ducks, Harrelson was involved with the ownership of the Wilmington Blue Rocks, an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. His career as an owner followed four decades playing, coaching and managing in Major League Baseball. Buddy was a key member of the 1969 World Series champion and 1973 National League champion New York Mets. In 1971, he won the Gold Glove for his outstanding defensive play at shortstop. Following a 16-year MLB playing career, Harrelson stayed within the Mets organization as a minor league and major league coach before being named manager of the Mets in 1990. In two seasons with New York, Buddy compiled a winning percentage of .529. Harrelson is the only person to be in uniform for both Mets world championships (’69 as a player; ’86 as a coach) and was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 1986.

Despite his endless list of accomplishments in the game, Bud Harrelson was often quoted as saying the greatest thing he ever did in baseball was the Long Island Ducks.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS ALL-TIME REGULAR SEASON RECORD

LONG ISLAND DUCKS ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD

LONG ISLAND DUCKS PLAYOFF HISTORY

LONG ISLAND DUCKS PLAYOFF BERTHS & CHAMPIONSHIPS

LONG ISLAND DUCKS AWARD WINNERS

ATLANTIC LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME SELECTIONS

ATLANTIC LEAGUE POSTSEASON ALL-STARS

ATLANTIC LEAGUE ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM SELECTIONS

LONG ISLAND DUCKS TEAM MVP AWARD WINNERS

LONG ISLAND DUCKS MANAGERIAL HISTORY

LONG ISLAND DUCKS RETIRED JERSEY NUMBERS