The Long Island Ducks have been waddling toward this for 25 years.
Monday night marked the popular Atlantic League team’s 1,000th home win, which was capped off with an exclamation point by infielder Ed Johnson’s two-out, walk-off single in the ninth inning over the Staten Island FerryHawks to seal the 5-4 victory.
Though the stands in Islip went wild over the milestone, those in the dugout apparently were the last to find out what the team had accomplished.
“Honestly, I didn’t know it was the thousandth time until right after the game,” Ducks manager and former player Lew Ford told The Post.
“It’s great that it worked out with a walk-off,” he said with a laugh.
The clubhouse, though, finally caught up with the achievement.
“They were excited about it,” he said. “We’re playing good baseball, and I think it is just something that builds off all of the home victories.”
The Ducks sit in first place, and Ford said they will take the milestone momentum forward as they have some big games in August to play.
Ford also said “the best fans in the league” have played a heavy hand in the team’s success on the Island, which now stands at 1,000-726 overall home record, or a .579 winning percentage.
“You can’t help but feed off the energy. They’re incredibly motivating,” Ford said. “The fans are always in the game too, watching every play. It keeps the players definitely in the game, and it keeps it exciting, and it makes the game you went to more fun.”
And, a home crowd full that shakes down the thunder can be all the difference in the world, said the manager.
“When you’re playing on the road, it is tough,” Ford said.
“The home crowd makes you feel comfortable. We get such good crowds at home. … They make a difference in a lot of games.”
