Juan Gonzalez, the Ducks new 6' 3" outfielder. There is a great deal of excitement surrounding the Long Island Ducks this week, yet little of it has to do with the team's recent play on the field. The buzz started last Thursday when, after weeks of rumors, Long Island off i c i a l l y a n nounced that they had come to terms with outf i e l d e J u a n Gonzalez on a contract for the rest of the 2006 season.

"We have been talking to Juan on and off all winter, so I will wait until he arrives before I make any decisions," Ducks manager Don McCormack said last week after the signing was announced, "but when and if he does get here, he will obviously bring a level of professionalism to our team along with a great deal of talent."

Gonzalez was scheduled to join the team in time to make his Ducks debut on Tuesday as Long Island opened a six-game road trip in Lancaster. The 36-year-old former Major League star is expected to make his first appearance before the home crowd at Citibank Park next Tuesday. This signing could not have come at a better time as the Ducks are playing their worst baseball of the season. For the first time, the team is struggling in just about every aspect of the game: pitching, fielding and especially hitting. The latter is where Juan Gonzalez should make the biggest impact. Over a combined 16 seasons at the Major League level with the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, Gonzalez had a career average of .295 with 434 home runs and 1,404 RBIs. The native of Puerto Rico also brings two American League MVP awards and three all-star team selections on his lengthy list of achievements.

Upon his arrival, Gonzalez immediately becomes the biggest name and most accomplished player to ever put on a Long Island Ducks uniform in the team's seven year history. There is no telling how long Gonzalez, who will wear number-19, will stay with Long Island. As is the case for any player with his credentials, Gonzalez is surely looking to move up to the Majors as soon as possible. "In our history, the Atlantic League has helped players like Rickey Henderson, Carlos Baerga, Jose Lima and many more get back to the big leagues," says Ducks principal owner and Atlantic League CEO Frank Boulton. "We are looking forward to helping Juan achieve that same goal."

The signing of Gonzalez would turn out to be just the beginning of a busy week of roster moves for the Long Island Ducks. The very next day, Long Island announced that they had signed pitcher Tim Cain to a contract for the remainder of the season. Cain is one of only three players to have

been active been active for all nine A t l a n t i c League seasons. Before joining the Ducks, Cain appeared in 171 games w i t h Bridgeport and Newark, and amassed 65 wins, which is an all-time league record. "Tim is a very important addition to our pitching staff," manager Don McCormack says, "For now he will start in the bullpen so he can get back in top form but he knows the league

and I have seen him pitch, he is a proven winner."

The current Ducks players are also excited about the new teammates who are on board. "I know Tim from being on the Bluefish last year so I am glad to have him back and Juan Gonzalez obviously brings a pretty powerful bat," says Ducks pitcher Pat Ahearne, "I think they will be two really great additions and we are all looking forward to them joining our lineup."

U n f o r t u nately, the Ducks did not do nearly as much work on the field during the past week as their management did off of it. Playing five straight games at home after their victory on Memorial Day, the team managed to win only one game sandwiched between two sets of back-to-back losses. The single win came last Friday night against the Somerset Patriots in a game that was not going into the team scrapbook anytime soon. One of the few exceptions to this was the performance of starting pitcher Pat Ahearne who, according to manager Don McCormack, was playing sick. Ahearne pitched six shutout innings, allowing only five hits while striking out five batters.

The Ducks hitters, on the other hand, were not having much success for most of the game. In fact, Long Island did not have a single hit going into the fifth inning. That changed when Ducks shortstop Tony Schrager ended the no-hitter by hustling to beat out a bunt for a base hit. This was the turning point in the game as Long Island would go on to put up three runs in the inning and it was all they needed to hang on for a 3-1 victory. "I did not feel too good out there tonight physically," Ahearne said after the game, "but the defense came up big behind me many times and I was in control of most of my pitches, so overall I am happy with my performance and even happier we got the win."

EXTRA INNINGS:

In a weird turn of events, the "ballpark brothers" are no more. Elder sibling Jimmy Goelz surprisingly announced that last Sunday's game would be his last with the Long Island Ducks. Goelz made the tough decision to retire from baseball immediately in order to join the FDNY Academy, which offers more financial security and the chance to live out a childhood dream. In his final game on Sunday, the Smithtown native finished on a high note, extending his hitting streak to five games and his RBI streak to four games.

Then on Tuesday the Ducks assigned younger brother Bryan Goelz to the Road Warriors in order to make room on the roster for pitcher Greg Modica. Long Island purchased the contract of Modica from the Road Warriors for the rest of the season and the 26-year-old native of Queens has joined the Ducks for their series in Lancaster. "We are happy to fill the open slot in our rotation with Greg," says Ducks manager Don McCormack. "He has had success in this league and we are confident that he will continue to have success with Long Island."

Heading into action on Tuesday, the Ducks' lead over Bridgeport in the North Division had dwindled to a single game. After their three game series in Lancaster, the new look Ducks head to Camden for a three game set over the upcoming weekend, before finally returning home next Tuesday to begin a six game homestand.