CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. – The Long Island Ducks have a dedicated fan base for an independent professional baseball team, as if they’re one of the bigger sports in this town. Friday night was Opening Day, and they welcomed a crowd of 5,377 fans to Fairfield Properties Ballpark.
Down the right-field line, up on the concourse, was an elderly couple dancing to some tunes. They’ve been coming to games for the last few years and adore the Ducks.
“We always have energy no matter where we are, but it’s Opening Day and you can feel the energy,” they told amNewYork. “We just have fun [coming to games], listening to music and seeing the little activities with Quackerjack.”
It’s the ultimate fan experience with a passionate Long Island fan base. One special fan, Ken Lohner, has been coming since Buddy Harrelson was the skipper of Long Island back in 2000.
“This is the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen on Opening Day,” Lohner said. “I like coming here because a few times I’ve come here, I sat next to Mick Foley, the wrestler.”
It wasn’t the outcome the fanbase or the organization sought to start the 2025 regular season, as they lost to the Lancaster Stormers 9-1.
Regardless of the game’s outcome, Long Island continues to bring energy with its crowds. In the team’s 25-year history, they’ve had 713 sellout crowds, the most in the Atlantic League.
“It’s not like the Mets or Yankees, which are crazy expensive,” young fan Tommy Palamara said. “$15 for a ticket is awesome, and it’s family-friendly. I’ve been coming to games since I can remember.”
The Ducks have created a lifelong, diehard fan in Nick Zaino, a local Long Island kid who has been going to games since he was three or four.
“The Ducks have to have one of the most heartfelt franchises in the Atlantic League,” Zaino said. “They’ve been the team that’s been around the longest and never changed their identity. They’ve stayed true to Long Island.”
