Madison Mallards

Madison Mallards
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League	Northwoods League (South Division)
Location	Madison, Wisconsin
Ballpark	Warner Park
Year founded	2001
League championships	2 (2005,2013)
Division championships	4 (Overall: 2004, 2005, 2008 First half: 2003, 2013)
Former name(s)	Madison Mallards (2001–present)
Colors	Green, silver, white, gold
Ownership	Steve Schmitt
Management	President: Vern Stenman General Manager: Conor Caloia
Manager	Donnie Scott
Media	Wisconsin State Journal
Website	mallardsbaseball.com

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 2015 season will mark the Mallards' 15th season.

The Mallards are one of 18 teams in the Northwoods League, playing 72 games per season, in late-May 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, including 14 position players, 16 pitchers.

History

The history of minor league baseball in Madison begins with the early success of the Madison Muskies. 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 forced 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, 2006, 2008, 2013, and 2015. They have made four Northwoods League Championship Series appearances, which resulted in runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2008. They won the Northwoods League championship in 2004 and 2013.

In 2011, the Mallards unveiled 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.

In 2014, the Mallards ownership group created Big Top Baseball. Big Top Baseball is the nations leader in summer collegiate baseball, operating four Northwoods League franchises in the state of Wisconsin. Big Top Baseball owns and operates the Madison Mallards, Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, Kenosha Kingfish, and Green Bay Bullfrogs. The organization holds every national attendance record for summer collegiate baseball and projects to draw more than 350,000 fans to its ballparks in 2014. Big Top has won more Northwoods League Organization of the Year awards and Executive of the Year awards than any other organization. Big Top has teams in three of Wisconsin’s four largest cities and places a focus on affordable, family entertainment and strives to play an integral role in each of its communities.

Ball field

The playing surface of the field is mainly grass, and the dimensions from home plate are 308 1/3 feet to left field, 380 feet to center field and 280 2/3 feet to right field. The 440 square foot Zimbrick Honda video board, installed in 2013 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 in left field. 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 6,750 people.

Average attendance at games in 2015 was 6,358. The club drew 216,159 fans in 2015, marking the 10th season in a row they drew over 200,000 fans.

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.

The Sports Impressions Team Green Store was built as part of the stadium renovation in 2011. This merchandise store is home to Mallards hats, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and trinkets for both men, women, and kids. 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 to a concession stand, you get a free hot dog.

Gallery

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• Madison Mallards Opening Day (0602).jpg
• 

Notable alumni

• Ryan Spilborghs, 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
• Stadium Journey - Ballpark Review