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Long Island Ducks Open 2008 Season Team Seeks Fifth Straight Playoff Berth By
Jay Beatty |
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April 23, 2008 The sights and sounds of baseball – including QuackerJack “Go Green” Bobbleheads” for the first 2,000 fans -- will once again fill Citibank Park in Central Islip as the Long Island Ducks open their ninth season this Friday, April 25, against the Newark Bears.
Returning former Met Carl Everett launched a three-run home run, while Long Island native Kevin Haverbusch added a two-run shot to cap off his spring training batting average at .471. Ray Navarrete finished his preseason with three hits in the final pre-season game. As they prepared to fly north, the
Ducks were strengthening the roster with the signing on Tuesday of
pitcher Tom Martin. The veteran southpaw has pitched at the Major
League level in each of the past 11 seasons. He spent the majority of
last year with the National League champion Colorado Rockies, appearing
in 26 contests. His most “Having a big league presence on our team not only helps us on the field, but in the clubhouse as well,” says Ducks manager Dave LaPoint, also back with the team. “Tom will have an immediate impact as we look to make the playoffs for a fifth consecutive year,” the skipper added. Core Players Return Martin will bolster a corer of returning veterans. Three of the four Ducks named to the Atlantic League’s 2007 postseason All-Star team, will be back for the 2008 opener. Last month, Ducks officials announced the return of Carl Everett and Ray Navarrete, selected as All-Star outfielders; and P.J. Rose, who was named co-utility player of the year. The fourth awardee, Danny Graves, was chosen as co-closer of the year.
“P.J. not only brings great production to our team, he’s also an incredible leader in the clubhouse,” said LaPoint. “Ray is a terrific talent who hustles out every play, and leads by example on the field. We’re very excited to have both of these guys back with us this season.” Other key players have also been inked. First baseman and native Long Islander Rob Cafiero returns for his fourth season with the Flock. Joining Cafiero will be outfielder Jamal Strong, who has big league experience with the Seattle Mariners, and spent the 2007 season in the Yankees system. The Ducks also charged their battery by adding pitcher Jim Magrane and catcher Robert Sandora. “These players give us depth at every major position on our ballclub,” says Ducks general manager Michael Pfaff. “We’re excited to have Rob back, and are looking forward to the contributions of our new additions as well.” Massapequa Park native Cafiero appeared in 38 Ducks games last year, blasting his first home run at Citibank Park as a Duck on May 17. The former Villanova Wildcat has been with the Ducks since 2005, and has shown superior glove work in the field with only five errors in three years. Long Island native Sandora spent five seasons in the Nationals organization before signing with the Flock. He spent all of last season with Potomac (A, Nationals) of the Carolina League, batting .261. The West Babylon resident owns a career .323 on-base percentage in 92 career minor league contests. All Games on Internet The Long Island Ducks have also set their broadcasting schedule for the 2008 season. All 140 games will be carried live via Internet broadcast at www.liducks.com. In addition, 66 weekend contests (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) will be broadcast on WLIR 107.1 FM, which carries the 1050 ESPN Radio signal to Suffolk County and coastal Connecticut. WNYG 1440 AM returns to the Ducks Radio Network with a signal serving fans in Nassau County. All weekend radio broadcasts will also be accompanied by a live streaming webcast at www.liducks.com. “We look forward to teaming up this year with WLIR and WNYG to bring Ducks baseball to the homes of fans across Long Island,” says Pfaff. “We’re also excited to offer fans an Internet broadcast for every Ducks game this year, the first time we’ve carried a full 140-game schedule on the air.”
The Long Island Ducks play their home games at Citibank Park, and have played eight seasons in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. For further information, visit www.liducks.com, or call (631) 940-3825.
FORT SALONGA, NY -- Calling the earlier decision by the Smithtown Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) “arbitrary and capricious,” New York State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Pitts last week ordered the BZA to issue a certificate of existing use to Susan Marino and Victor LaBruna for the purpose that their Fort Salonga home has been more widely known, that is, as Angel’s Gate animal hospice. “Clearly, the record before this Court establishes that prior to the amendmanet of the town zoning ordinance, the petitioner’s use of their property was legal and accordingly, the petitioners are entitled to a pre-existing use permit,” Judge Pitts’ decision concluded. The petitioners – Marino and LaBruna – were understandably thrilled. (Pictured above: Victor LaBruna, one of the founders of Angel's Gate along with Susan Marino, and Samson, a purebred dog born with congenitally defective legs, one of the animals in the care of Angel's Gate.) “Currently we are renting a piece of farmland and are moving some of the animals,” said LaBruna. “We had to, because of the pressure from the Town. If the decision had come down the other way, we wouldn’t know what to expect. We had to have a Plan B,” he noted. According to LaBruna, the couple has been under siege by certain neighbors and town authorities for some time. “We’re tremendously relieved,” he expressed. “We’ve been in anguish for over a year now. The town tried to illegally force us out of our home. Now, justice has prevailed thanks to the Supreme Court decision,” he declared. “All this means is that we can continue to serve the community,” he continued. “We’ve had people begging us to stay. There are no other resources that specialize in taking animals that are disabled and dying." BZA Overruled The description of the Angel’s Gate activity was presented straightforwardly by the Court in its decision. Noting that the Fort Salonga property was purchased in 1992, the Court described Marino and LaBruna as “the founders of Angel’s Gate Hospice and Rehabilitation Centre for Animals (“Angel’s Gate”), a not for profit organization which cares for special needs pets. Presently the petitioners are the owners of approximately 200 special needs animals. They become the owners of the animals upon accepting them into the center.” (Samson, one of the favorite pets cared for at Angel's Gate.) “I’m not surprised, said Councilwoman Joanne Gray of the decision. Gray was the sole vote at the time against the July 11, 2006 passage of an amendment to Smithtown’s zoning ordinance which she felt targeted Marino and LaBruna. “That action never should have been taken against Angel’s Gate. Clearly, it was done retroactively and now, with the court decision, Angel’s Gate has been vindicated.” “I believe that the language cited by the judge, that portion of the town code saying that ‘anything that is not permitted is prohibited’ is too broad and needs to be stricken,” Gray declared. The BZA decision denying a certificate of existing use cited Section 322-4F of the Town’s Ordinance which reads in part “matters of which there is no specific provision in this chapter shall be deemed to be prohibited.” The BZA went on to cite the “Table of Use Regulations” found in Section 322-8 which states “Any land use not listed in this table is prohibited.” Since the term “animal rehabilitation facility” was not listed, they reasoned, its similarity to the term “animal hospital” –a term used in a report from the controversial and now-retired Chief Building Inspector Robert Bonerba – deemed their operation as prohibited. It is that decision that Judge Pitts termed “arbitrary and capricious.” Powerhouse Persuasion Angel’s Gate was represented pro bono by the Manhattan law firm of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, LLP, with attorney Jaime M. Jackson acting as counsel. Gaining the assistance of the prestigious firm, said LaBruna, came about in a circuitous way. “A supporter whose cat was taken in is a paralegal who lives in New Jersey,” said LaBruna. “She happens to know a law professor at Rutgers [University] who is an animal advocate. One of the professor’s graduates works for the firm [LeBoeuf,Lamb]. “One reason why [the firm] took the case was because the animal regulations in Smithtown were considered to be poor law and they were willing to help change those laws,” he added. Of note, the firm has announced a merger with another major New York-based law firm, Dewey Ballantine, which will create a combined firm with over 1,300 attorneys, according to the New York Law Journal. The nearly 600 attorneys who will be based in New York following the merger would make the new firm Manhattan’s fifth-largest. Missed Opportunities There might easily have been a compromise, according to Gray. “When all this was brought to our attention, I spoke with Susan Marino,” the Councilwoman said. “Marino said ‘We’re willing to compromise what town wants us to do. We’re willing to get rid of the rooster. We’ll get rid of the geese.’ They were willing to sit down and talk, but the Town never took them up on it.” “Angel’s Gate sent a video of their operations,” said Gray. “My comment at the time is how I’m surprised I was at how clean it actually looked. If the Town Board had had an open mind and only listened to me when I said we’d get sued, and we’ll lose…but they just went ahead,” she said. LaBruna confirmed the willingness to compromise. “When this all started, we wrote to Supervisor Vecchio,” he said. “We told him what we did, how long we’ve been here and asked him to use his good offices to help reconcile the situation. Mr. Vecchio never responded. Instead we got this zoning change and a ‘take no prisoners’ attitude,” LaBruna added. “We always were willing to cooperate and work with our neighbors and the Town,” LaBruna continued. “For example, when people complained about people parking in the street – which is legal, by the way – we offerd to put in a second driveway. We still strive to avoid annoying our neighbors,”.he vowed. What Now? Without a response from the Town, it is unclear whether the decision by Judge Pitts will be appealed. Telephone calls to Town Attorney Yvonne Lieffrig and Councilman Edward Wehrheim were not returned, although the Council office did say that Wehrheim was not expected in Town Hall today. “I heard that at the town board meeting, all the Board members except Joanne Gray were complaining about the court decision., so who knows,” mused LaBruna. “We just don’t know what the Town will do,” he concluded. “Hopefully they will try more friendly approaches, but I don’t know.” -30- Click
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The season opener comes
just three days after the Ducks completed spring training perennial
rival at the Tiger Town Minor League Sports Complex in Florida.
Although the Ducks were defeated in their final exhibition contest
against the cross-Sound rival Bridgeport Bluefish, 10-6, the signs of
2008 success wee in the scorecard.
productive big league campaign came in 2003 with Los Angeles. The South
Carolina native appeared in 80 games for the Dodgers that season,
posting a 3.56 ERA while allowing just 36 hits in 51 innings of work.
Martin has appeared in 376 games each at the Major League level and in
the minors. He was a sixth round draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles in
1988.
Both Rose
(pictured at right) and Navarrete were key
members of the Ducks 2007 lineup, notching some of the best offensive
numbers of their careers. Rose batted .342, set a new career high and
Ducks record with 155 hits, posted 14 home runs and drove in 95 runs.
The 19-year-veteran’s batting average was good for fourth in the
Atlantic League, and his RBI total was the second-highest in team
history. Navarrete broke the league record with 42 doubles, hitting
.307 on the year.
The Long Island Ducks Radio Network’s broadcast team includes popular
Long Island radio personalities Chris King and David Weiss, both Ducks
veterans who have been involved with the team since the inaugural 2000
season, and Kings Park native Mike Solano, who returns for his second
year with the club.
