Mallards on the Duckpond

Maynard strikes a pose outside
the main gate.  6/14/2018  dwm photo

My first clue this was different than other baseball games came nearly an hour before the first pitch.  I was waiting for my friend to arrive, standing near the main gate.

Just a few minutes later, a car pulled up and out popped a couple of kids.  One of them attracted my interest as he clutched a pair of shoes to his chest.  To me, they looked like cleats.

Why would a kid bring cleats to the game, I wondered.  I figured he was trying to collect autographs.

Wrong.  Later I saw a second young man hop out of a car.  He was wearing similar cleats and baseball pants.

These were two members of the home team!

The home team, the Madison Mallards, are part of the Northwoods League.  It's a summer league for college baseball players using wood bats.  Players live with host families.

Maynard zip-lines in from the
right field corner to deliver
the game ball.  6/14/18 (dwm)

A fair number of these college wood-bat league players go on to the major leagues.  It's a good experience, especially in Madison where the Duck Pond is averaging more than 6,000 fans a game.  That's more people than a lot of minor league teams affiliated with major league clubs attract.

In Madison and throughout the Northwoods League, the fans get fun at the ballpark at very reasonable prices.  Situated in Madison's Warner Park, the Duck Pond offers free parking - which conveniently frees up cash for snacks or an item from the team store.

Something you don't see at
Miller Park - a dog retrieving
bats after each hit.  6/14/18 (dwm)

Our $12 seats put us six rows from the field between home plate and first base.  $4 bought a bratwurst.  I already have a couple Mallard hats, but the walk around their store revealed some pretty good deals for a souvenir stand at a stadium.

They didn't have any lapel pins which I try to collect from each ballpark - a note to owner Steve Schmitt - please include some Mallard and/or Duck Pond pins in your store.

Every three outs there is something happening on the field.  We saw a bicycle trick artist, toddler races, and a kid hit off a tee which the Mallard players managed to turn into an inside the park home run as the little girl circled the diamond.  There is always something to watch.  The food is so close it was easy to grab something - in addition to the Brat and Pepsi I enjoyed the cheese curds.

Baseball is the back-drop and the main attraction during
Northwoods League games like this one in Madison.
4/14/2018     dwm photo

The formula is successful because while baseball is the attraction, the product doesn't require a first place team to put fannies in the seats.

This year though, the Mallards are doing both.  They lead the league in attendance and their division early in the season.

This was my first Mallards game, in part because it is a short season (June to mid August), it will not be my last. 

Quack - quack!