Madison Mallards
Encyclopedia
The Madison Mallards are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Madison, Wisconsin
that plays in the Northwoods League
. Warner Park
on Madison’s North side is the team's home field. The 2010 season marks the Mallards' 10th anniversary season.
The Mallards are one of 16 teams in the Northwoods League, playing 70 games per season, in June through mid-August. The Northwoods League is a summer collegiate league that provides an opportunity for college players to spend their summers and display their talents to professional scouts. Players must be enrolled in college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility to participate. The league is designed to give college players the minor league
experience, providing players an opportunity to play under the same conditions using wooden bats, minor league specification baseballs, experiencing overnight road trips, and playing nightly before fans in a stadium.
The Mallards maintain roughly 30 members on the team, allowing for two catchers, five infielders, and five outfielders and filling the rest of the roster with pitchers. In the summer of 2008, the team consisted of six freshman, nine sophomores, and eleven juniors.
. A Midwest League
Oakland A's affiliate, the Muskies were competitive and gained a healthy following in the years following their 1982 origins. Unfortunately by 1993 the crowds had declined and the Muskies became less profitable. In 1994 the Muskies were replaced for a single season by the St Louis affiliate, Madison Hatters
. 1996 began the five year stint of the independent Madison Black Wolf
, but once again low attendance and little interest plagued the team and they were force to move to a more profitable community.
In 2001 area businessman, Steve Schmitt, introduced the Madison Mallards to Warner Park. The Mallards would be a new team in the young Northwoods League
featuring amateur college ball players playing summer ball during their off-season. The gamble was that a successful team could be built using amateur ball players in a family atmosphere.
The Mallards made it to the playoffs in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. They have made two Northwoods League Championship Series appearances, which resulted in runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2008. They won the Northwoods League championship in 2004.
In 2011, the Mallards began their 11th season featuring a new team logo, and entered the season with a newly renovated ballpark. The new grandstands features seats that were once at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
in Baltimore.
There is a children's playground and picnic seating close to the foul lines. A small grandstand contains the press box, while there are two sets of covered bleachers down each line. The front half of all three areas features seatbacks and arms, while the back half are simple metal bleachers. In right field is the “Duck Blind,” which includes prime seating and all you can eat food and beverages.
Average attendance at games is 6,000. In 2007 the Madison Mallards, for the second year in a row, drew over 200,000 fans to the park, with a season attendance of 209,856.
Warner Park is sometimes referred to as the “Duck Pond,” a name given to the field because of the mascot, Maynard G. Mallard. As fans wait for the first pitch, Maynard flies into the stadium on a 180-foot-zip line. A large inflatable Maynard Mallard can be seen from the front gate, and the entry path to the ballpark is covered with duck tracks.
Each Mallards home game offers different promotions including cheaper tickets, free accessories, and aid to local and national charities.
Mallards fans are known for their dedication. In June 2008, the first 250 fans to eat a beetle received free duck blind tickets worth $30. "Duck wear" ranges from duck calls to hats and t-shirts. Personal announcements for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. are read every night during the 7th inning.
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
that plays in the Northwoods League
Northwoods League
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of the top college players from North America and beyond. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate...
. Warner Park
Warner Park
Warner Park is a community park on the northeast side of Madison, Wisconsin near Lake Mendota. It is the annual home for the largest fireworks show in the Midwest, Rhythm and Booms....
on Madison’s North side is the team's home field. The 2010 season marks the Mallards' 10th anniversary season.
The Mallards are one of 16 teams in the Northwoods League, playing 70 games per season, in June through mid-August. The Northwoods League is a summer collegiate league that provides an opportunity for college players to spend their summers and display their talents to professional scouts. Players must be enrolled in college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility to participate. The league is designed to give college players the minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
experience, providing players an opportunity to play under the same conditions using wooden bats, minor league specification baseballs, experiencing overnight road trips, and playing nightly before fans in a stadium.
The Mallards maintain roughly 30 members on the team, allowing for two catchers, five infielders, and five outfielders and filling the rest of the roster with pitchers. In the summer of 2008, the team consisted of six freshman, nine sophomores, and eleven juniors.
History
The history of minor league baseball in Madison begins with the early success of the Madison MuskiesMadison Muskies
The Madison Muskies were a Class A minor league baseball team that played in the Midwest League from 1982 to 1993 in Madison, Wisconsin. They were an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics...
. A Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
Oakland A's affiliate, the Muskies were competitive and gained a healthy following in the years following their 1982 origins. Unfortunately by 1993 the crowds had declined and the Muskies became less profitable. In 1994 the Muskies were replaced for a single season by the St Louis affiliate, Madison Hatters
Madison Hatters
The Madison Hatters were a minor-league baseball team based in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1994. A Class A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, they were a member of the Midwest League...
. 1996 began the five year stint of the independent Madison Black Wolf
Madison Black Wolf
The Madison Black Wolf was a Northern League baseball club located in Madison, Wisconsin from 1996 to 2000. They played their home games at Warner Park which was then nicknamed "The Wolf Den". The club was owned by Madison Baseball, LLC, which folded operations following the 2000 season...
, but once again low attendance and little interest plagued the team and they were force to move to a more profitable community.
In 2001 area businessman, Steve Schmitt, introduced the Madison Mallards to Warner Park. The Mallards would be a new team in the young Northwoods League
Northwoods League
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of the top college players from North America and beyond. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate...
featuring amateur college ball players playing summer ball during their off-season. The gamble was that a successful team could be built using amateur ball players in a family atmosphere.
The Mallards made it to the playoffs in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. They have made two Northwoods League Championship Series appearances, which resulted in runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2008. They won the Northwoods League championship in 2004.
In 2011, the Mallards began their 11th season featuring a new team logo, and entered the season with a newly renovated ballpark. The new grandstands features seats that were once at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball ballpark located in Baltimore, Maryland. Home field of the Baltimore Orioles, it is the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains one of the most highly praised. The park was...
in Baltimore.
Ball field
The playing surface of the field is mainly grass, and the dimensions from home plate are 319 feet to left field, 380 feet to center field and 307 feet to right field. An Amp Energy Vision Video Board is located in left center field, along with 14 flat screen televisions throughout the stadium.There is a children's playground and picnic seating close to the foul lines. A small grandstand contains the press box, while there are two sets of covered bleachers down each line. The front half of all three areas features seatbacks and arms, while the back half are simple metal bleachers. In right field is the “Duck Blind,” which includes prime seating and all you can eat food and beverages.
Atmosphere
The field, built in 1982, is city-owned. The Warner Park stadium seats 7,500 people; however, the Mallards also sell standing room only tickets.Average attendance at games is 6,000. In 2007 the Madison Mallards, for the second year in a row, drew over 200,000 fans to the park, with a season attendance of 209,856.
Warner Park is sometimes referred to as the “Duck Pond,” a name given to the field because of the mascot, Maynard G. Mallard. As fans wait for the first pitch, Maynard flies into the stadium on a 180-foot-zip line. A large inflatable Maynard Mallard can be seen from the front gate, and the entry path to the ballpark is covered with duck tracks.
Each Mallards home game offers different promotions including cheaper tickets, free accessories, and aid to local and national charities.
Mallards fans are known for their dedication. In June 2008, the first 250 fans to eat a beetle received free duck blind tickets worth $30. "Duck wear" ranges from duck calls to hats and t-shirts. Personal announcements for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. are read every night during the 7th inning.
Foul Ball and a Hot Dog
The Duck Ponds PA Announcer also brings a traditional call at every home game, when a player hits a foul ball in the stands or behind them the Announcer yells out "Weiner" over the speakers. The reason is if you catch a foul ball and return it, you get a free hot dog.Notable alumni
- Ryan SpilborghsRyan SpilborghsRyan Adam Spilborghs is a Major League Baseball outfielder with the Colorado Rockies.The Rockies drafted Spilborghs in the seventh round of the 2002 draft out of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He played for the Madison Mallards during the summer of during his collegiate career...
, 2001 - Mike Rozema, 2003
- Jay Johnson, 2004
- Mike Rohde, 2003-06
- Adam Mills, 2005-06
External links
- Madison Mallards - official website
- Northwoods League - official website