LI Ducks owner Frank Boulton began with a 5 minute news piece that appeared on CNBC. As Boulton put it, "this was coverage you cannot buy." Frank's affection for the game of baseball, the players, and the community is undeniable. Bud Harrelson and Boulton came to LIMBA eight years ago and made a presentation on what they hoped to accomplish. Today the dream they had, creating excellent and affordable baseball on Long Island is a reality. The tickets are $10 and they maintain the low cost through good corporate sponsorship.

 

This is not amateur baseball. Sometimes a player gets bumped from the majors, and instead of languishing waiting for his million dollar plus contract to return, he will opt to work for $2100 to $3000  per month just to keep up his skills. A player may restart his big league career after playing a year or two, and little or no restrictions are put on them. Frank did not say this, but I'm sure that the fair treatment gives them an never ending supply of talent. 

 

From a business point of view, whatever they are doing is working. Maxing-out on the income revenues is always tempting, but to be sustainable in a sector of the economy, that is not  notably successful, (minor league baseball), they have done very well. Most of their seats are presold. They are technically, usually "sold out." Although, if you come to the park as a Standing Room Only customer, you can find a seat after the first inning when they can identify the "no-show" seats. This also explains why they have a 103% sold capacity.

 

The owners are very sensitive to the community in which they operate. They have hosted large events for Breast Cancer Awareness as well as other charities. They really get into the spirit. The players all wore pink campaign shirts and used pink bats. It was a big success.

 

The team has 3 million fans and that number was reached in less time than any team in history in the country. I came away believing these owners care about the players. They want to provide quality family entertainment. They routinely test for drugs such as marijuana, and reprimand players when drugs are found. Steroids tests have not been routine, and every year the debate the value of doing so.