Madison Mallards

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Madison Mallards
Information
LeagueNorthwoods League (Great Lakes West 2019–present)
(South Division 2001–2018)
LocationMadison, Wisconsin
BallparkWarner Park
Founded2001
League championships2 (2004, 2013)
Division championships4 (2004, 2005, 2008, 2013)
ColorsBlue, Yellow, Green, Tan
       
OwnershipSteve Schmitt
ManagementPresident: Vern Stenman
General Manager: Samantha Rubin
ManagerDonnie Scott
MediaWisconsin State Journal
WOZN/WRIS-FM
WebsiteMallardsBaseball.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 Northside is the team's home field.

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. By 1993 the crowds had declined and the Muskies became less profitable.[1]

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.[2]

In 2001, area businessman Steve Schmitt introduced the Madison Mallards to Warner Park. The Mallards joined the Northwoods League, which features amateur college players playing summer ball during their off-season.[3]

On October 17, 2019, the pro shop had significant damage done to it by a suspicious fire and the police investigated it as arson. There was an estimated $150,000 in damages.[4]

Success

The Mallards made it to the playoffs in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2021. 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.[5]

Ownership

In 2014, the Mallards ownership group created Big Top Baseball. Big Top Baseball was a leader in summer collegiate baseball, operating four Northwoods League franchises in the state of Wisconsin at the time. Big Top Baseball owns and operates the Madison Mallards and Kenosha Kingfish and formerly owned the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters and Green Bay Bullfrogs, which were sold off during the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]

Stadium

Warner Park, built in 1982, currently seats 6,750 people.[7]

Dimensions

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 290 2/3 feet to right field. The 440-square-foot scoreboard, installed in 2013, is located in left-center field. 14 flat-screen televisions can be found throughout the stadium. There is a children's playground and picnic seating close to the foul lines in left field.

Attendance

The Mallards routinely lead the nation in attendance among collegiate summer baseball teams, averaging over 6,308 fans per game in 2017 and 6,249 in 2018.[8][9]

Duck Blind

The club offers a promotion called the Duck Blind, a group of seats in right field that cost up to $41 and include unlimited food, soda, and beer.[10] In 2018, the Duck Blind underwent a $1 million renovation.[11]

Gallery

Notable MLB alumni

Notes

  1. ^ "Madison Mallards filling city's void for baseball". Bucky's 5th Quarter. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  2. ^ "Madison Black Wolf". Retrieved 2009-06-17.
  3. ^ Maniaci, John. "Steve Schmitt, Madison Mallards". madison.com. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  4. ^ "Update: Fire that destroyed pro shop at Madison Mallards Duck Pond was arson, authorities say".
  5. ^ Polzin, Jim. "Northwoods League championship: Mallards rout Huskies to claim a first title since 2004". madison.com. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  6. ^ Mesch, Shelley; Wroge, Logan. "Additional seating, other upgrades at Breese Stevens Field would happen sooner under proposal". madison.com. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  7. ^ Milewski, Todd D. "Mallards: As team's standards rise, Duck Blind grows up with $1 million transformation". madison.com. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  8. ^ "2017 Summer Collegiate Attendance by Average". Ballpark Digest. 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  9. ^ Reichard, Kevin (2018-08-13). "2018 Summer Collegiate Attendance by Average". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  10. ^ "If Matt Chapman Hits a Home Run in an Empty Stadium, Does It Make a Sound?". The Ringer. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  11. ^ Popke, Michael (2017-03-30). "Duck Blind 2.0". Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2018-05-01.

External links

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