Atlantic League announces new Staten Island team
Quacker Jack the Long Island Ducks Mascot poses for a photo during the ducks game against the New Britain Bees on June 3, 2018. Credit: Daniel De Mato
Less than a year after the Yankees took the Ducks’ biggest rival into their own orbit, making the Somerset Patriots a Double-A affiliate, they’ve had a hand in giving them a new natural rival.
The creation of an Atlantic League team on Staten Island was officially announced Thursday afternoon at Staten Island Ballpark. The yet-to-be-named team is expected to begin play next season at the ballpark vacated by the Staten Island Yankees, an affiliate since 1999 who were lost to Major League Baseball’s minor league contraction at the end of 2020.
"It’s a great day for the people of Staten Island and the people of New York," said John Catsimatidis, an East Quogue resident who is part of the team’s ownership group.
Although the Staten Island team will not be an affiliate, the Yankees will have an ownership stake, Catsimatidis said.
"I was always a Yankee fan going [back] to the age of 5," he told Newsday Thursday afternoon. "When I had a phone call from the Yankees and Randy Levine, how could I say no? I said, ‘of course I'm going to do it.’ "
Atlantic League teams are not affiliated with any Major League teams in the traditional sense. Players are free to sign with any organization, major league or not, at any point throughout the season and the league does not act as a developmental portal for signed prospects.
Although the Atlantic League is not technically independent, the players are not beholden in any way to Major League organizations. The Atlantic League became a ‘professional partner league’ with MLB in 2020 and the two have an agreement for the MLB to test experimental rules and equipment in the Atlantic League. This has given berth to the automated ball-strike system and the pitching rubber being moved back one foot, among other innovations.
Catsimatidis, who also owns WABC radio in New York, said it took him ‘about five seconds’ to agree to join the ownership group when he was approached about five months ago. He also said he intends to bring a lot more than just a new Atlantic League team to the Staten Island Ballpark.
"I believe in entertaining people, whether it's radio or whether it's baseball," he said. "We're going to do a lot of things with the stadium, besides baseball. We’re going bring in concerts. We're going to bring in a Little League. We're going to bring in college leagues. We’re going to do a little bit of everything."
Catsimatidis, who is still getting acquainted with the league, said he didn’t know much about the Ducks, but wants to visit Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip soon to observe operations. He added that he’s excited about the prospective local rivalry.
"We going to play the World Series of the islands — Long Island vs Staten Island," he said.
Ducks president and general manager Michael Pfaff said he’s excited to see the league grow and thinks Staten Island will be a fruitful market for a new team.
"The Staten Island Yankees had a very good track record of fan support through their first decade-plus of play in the New York Penn League," Pfaff said. "That market should be one that does well with the engaged ownership group that seems to have come together there. They’re people with great reputations in the business and media and we’re excited to see what they can bring to the Atlantic League."
