Kevin's 2nd Blog Entry - Cue the Harp, it's Christmas!

The terrible cold winter season has stalled hot-stove talks for most of the major league free agency period. The Yankees took the lead by signing anyone and everyone they could get their hands on, and showed little to no concern as to what it would cost. It seems that the treacherous winter weather has few if any people thinking about baseball at the moment. All we can do is look at the radar and attempt to prepare for our third major winter storm in as many weeks. It is tough to think about baseball with a thick 2-3 foot layer of snow over everything, but come spring it will hopefully give way to beautiful green grass and warm days!

Besides all of the white stuff, the terribly cold temperatures, and the havoc that is created on the roadways, this is one of the most wonderful times of the year, or at least that is what most people say. With numerous holiday parties, hot cocoa, warm egg nog, and giving/getting gifts, it’s truly a great time once you get past the weather. From ugly Christmas sweater parties, (which have become an annual tradition for college kids) to hot apple cider spiced with rum, the holiday season always has something fun and entertaining to offer.

It is truly a joyous time of the year as you receive gifts and presents from friends and family, attacking presents like you’re rounding third base and heading for home. Once you start to unwrap the first present there is no stopping; sure coach might be waving you home but your parents seem to be always holding you up. They are telling you to slow down and let other people open a present or too. It is tough to do, but is usually one of the most gratifying things as you are able to see the joy and pleasure others have when opening presents. That is truly the best part of the holiday season; the giving of gifts. Sure you might get a baseball glove or bat, but it is what you give that truly makes it a wonderful experience. A simple gift or a card can go a long way in brightening another individual’s day, week, or holiday season.

The joy and pleasure that you can give to another individual is one of the best things, if not the best thing about the holiday season. Everyone loves receiving gifts but there is nothing that can match the power of giving a gift. The receiver of the gift might not think it is the greatest thing in the world but the simple idea of you thinking of another individual and giving them a gift should mean a lot to that person. Oftentimes it is the thought and effort that counts, not a high-priced tag.

As I have grown older and experienced numerous Christmases with family, friends, and other individuals I have learned that the true joy is not in what you receive but in what you are able to give!

I’d like to quickly praise another Packers collapse and a wonderful win by the Chicago Bears in last night's game. The game was not pretty by any means, as Kyle Orton threw some perfect passes to Charles Woodson and Nick Collins (Packer Pro Bowl DB’s). However, once the Bears remembered that Matt Forte was on their team, and leads the team in receptions and rushing yards, they started to involve him more and he helped create a multiple (more then a 3-and-out) play drive for the Bears which they eventually ended up scoring on and tying the game with. The biggest controversy in last night’s game according to my roommate, Mallards Merchandise King Nick Staehler, was the coin toss in overtime. I thought he was going to have a heart attack as he was wildly complaining about the toss, how it should have been re-flipped, that the Bears were some how cheating and that since it hit Urlacher in the helmet it completely changed the outcome of whether it was going to be a heads or a tails. . . I just sat there and laughed, trying to explain to him that he was off his rocker because Urlacher did not intentionally hit the coin and therefore did not intentionally alter whether it was going to land heads or tails. I told him that the only reason he was freaking out about it was because they (the Packers) lost the toss (which I probably would have done if the Bears lost) but it was a random toss with a random hit off of a player’s helmet and randomly landed on the ground.

The coin toss debacle was a great laugh for me and my other roommates, however the most impressive thing which I think both Bears and Packers fans can agree on is the long snap catching ability of Bear’s punter, holder, and former MVP, Brad Maynard. He was catching long snaps one-handed and placing them perfectly on the ground during a sideline warm-up. Now that is an amazing display of skill by one of the team’s best players . . . now only if we could get him to work on his passing.

Side-note: Duck Blind Princess, the answer is yes and I look forward to seeing you next summer out on the deck!

I hope everyone has a great Holiday Season, and a very happy New Year!

Nick’s Second Post- All Work and No Play...Urban Cowboy? What??

I must say that I am very impressed with all of you who have still managed to get your “Duck Wear” despite our lack of presence in the malls this holiday season. Our sales have been quite phenomenal. “Duck Wear” merchandise is even being shipped to buyers in places such as New Jersey and Arizona. You still have time to order your last minute Christmas gifts if you haven’t done so already. Looking for some help? Please call me at the office (608-246-4277) and I will personally take your order and mail the items! We also have a great ticket special running right now as well. Receive six (6) pint glasses and six (6) tickets (3 for Sun-Wed and 3 for Thu-Sat) in a handcrafted (Thanks Mike) six-pack holder for only $30! Woooooooooooo!!!!!!

So while all of you were digging out of the 6.5 inches of snow we received last week Monday and Tuesday, Vern, Mike and I were working feverishly at the baseball Winter Meetings being held in Las Vegas. We did have a little fun while in the “Sin City” but for the most part we were very focused on the tasks at-hand of planning for next season.

While there we did attend the Minor League Baseball Trade Show, which had hundreds of vendors with all types of products from promotional items, equipment, clothing, amusement rides, and much, much more. I think a few of our favorite ideas we saw were hats by a company named "Twins 47," an amusement ride (something similar you would see at a fair) for the ballpark, a new inflatable game, information regarding pyrotechnic shows, and a heat press to make customized t-shirts at the park. Much like the rest of Vegas there was so much to take in and not enough time in the day to look at everything.

We did manage to squeeze in some time to enjoy ourselves as well. The first night there we were mesmerized by the glowing lights and noises coming from the hotel casino. I told myself going into Vegas that I did not want to spend any money gambling. I fared well the first night and did not spend anything. I cannot say the same for Mike. Ask him sometime about his losses on the first day! We also had to check out one of the places Vern had looked up on-line. If you know Vern at all he has a little "hippy" in him, so naturally I kind of knew what to expect. We ended up visiting a dive bar off the Strip called Double Down. The place was very dark and had a punk motif to boot and also offered a drink called “A*# Juice”, which I was told is a mixture of all sorts of alcohol that did not taste the best. Unfortunately (or better yet, fortunately) I was not brave enough to try one.

Before heading to the meetings on the second day I gave in to my temptations and went down to the casino while Mike and Vern got ready. Needless to say I didn’t fare well on the slots and got down about $40 pretty quick. Next we headed down to the Strip and hit up most of the casinos just as any other tourist would do. As I mentioned before, there is just so much to look at and too much to take in.

During the trip Vern had mentioned he wanted to get a cowboy hat. Well it just so happened the rodeo was in town for their 50^th Anniversary. Let me tell you I have never seen so many cowboys in my entire life! Everywhere you turned all you would see is hats and boots, hats and boots. The hat Vern was looking for was a washed out tattered hat with strings on it. After a few stops in hat shops he couldn’t find anything. I asked him if he was trying to be some type of urban cowboy and why he wanted a hat so badly. I don’t think he took to that very well.

Mike and Vern both saw an ad for an event called “Cowboy Christmas,” which was a huge convention for cowboys to buy everything from hats, boots, jeans, saddles, trailers, lassos and anything else you can stereotype a cowboy to have. Before entering I told Vern it was going to be bad and he wasn’t going to find anything. We walked around in the convention center for all of about 15 minutes and Vern left disappointed (weird!!!) but we did have plenty of laughs.

Later that evening we met up with Curt Carstensen, who works in the Northwoods League office and he drove us around town in his rented car, a “big white Magnum”. We made a few stops at the Rio and another bar outside of town called the Blue Martini. For the most part we took it pretty easy.

So all in all it was a pretty decent trip. And we managed to get a “decent” amount of work done. Here are a few of my likes and dislikes of Vegas.

Likes: Lions at the MGM Grand; Water show at the Bellagio; monorail that takes you up and down the strip; Hard Rock Casino Bar; the fact you can walk up and down the strip with drinks; my amazement that everything is seriously open 24/7.

Dislikes: Seafood buffet at the Rio (way overrated for the price); Coyote Ugly bar in the New York, New York (nothing like the movie); and all the cowboys.

That pretty much sums it up from me. I recommend that everyone go there at least once in their life and spend more than two days because there is just way too much happening!

Have a safe and happy holidays!

Schmeltzer's 2nd Post: Must-see TV for the Sports Fan

It’s about that time for me to step up to the plate (pun intended) and deliver my second and last entry of 2008. It’s hard to believe we are about two weeks away from the start of a new year. For me, this is one of the most exciting times of the year due to the fact that it’s college football bowl season. Now, I know for me it’s always baseball first, but what true sports fan can honestly say that he/she doesn’t enjoy a little college pigskin during this time of year?

Bowl Season: I would love to dedicate this entire post to predicting all the games, but that would probably get a bit long and wouldn’t appeal to everyone, so I’m just going to predict the winner of the first game, which will be played on Saturday, December 20^th. The game is the Eaglebank Bowl and will feature Wake Forest (7-5) versus Navy (8-4). On a side note, the names of these bowls get worse every year. The last weekend in September these two teams met up in Wake Forest and Navy was able to pull out a 24-17 victory. Although, this time around, I believe Wake will get the better of the match-up and steal this one 27-14. I just can’t give the nod to a team that lost to Notre Dame, sorry Midshipmen fans.

On the NFL: I am a big Packers fan and anyone who can say the same, would have to agree that the season has been a really tough pill to swallow. You can come up with tons of reasons why this season didn’t play out as well as one would have hoped, but in the end they just lost too many close games. Good teams find a way to win, and they just couldn’t do it when it mattered most. I do believe, however, they will come back strong next year and be considered the team to beat in the NFC North (although that’s not saying much).

On the NBA: OK, so I don’t really pay that close of attention to the NBA but from the little I do know…the Celtics and Lakers are REALLY good. With a combined record of 42-5 (as of today) and both teams winning by an average of over 10 points a game…look out. These teams will meet up for the first time this season in LA on Christmas Day. Make sure to flip over to NBC in between bowl game commercials to check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

On the Holidays: One of the biggest traditions I enjoy during the holidays is the 24 hour marathon of “A Christmas Story.” If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s the 1983 movie about the little kid (Ralph) who asks for the Red Ryder BB gun and is always told no because, “You’ll shoot your eye out”. Both my brother and I will watch this back-to-back-to-back-to-back, etc. My cousins enjoy bits and pieces of this flick, but also do their best to get the remote control and take back control of the TV. It’s a constant battle that has become a tradition.

That’s it for Blog # 2. I hope that everyone who’s reading this has a wonderful holiday season. Be safe if you are traveling and certainly enjoy the time you spend with family and friends. Make sure to get your fill of cut-out cookies and egg nog. See you in 2009!

Coach C.J.'s first blog entry - Your Wisconsin Sports Report

Good morning everyone. I'm coming to you live from Iowa City, IA, where I typically spend the off-season working at a nearby company while spending time with my girlfriend.

It's been an especially frustrating fall for Wisconsin sports fans. The one thing about sports across the board is that you can either choose to make excuses, or choose to look in the mirror and face the facts. The problem with the Packers and Badgers football teams is that neither team has played smart all year. Penalties have killed the Packers to no end this season and ended up costing the game versus the Houston Texans last weekend when a drive on Houston's 25 yard line was killed after a holding penalty and sack forced the team to punt. My message to all NFL officials: Keep the flags in your pants!

The first thing I preach to every new Mallards team each summer is to play smart. Whether it's hitting with two strikes, moving baserunners over, or getting the sure out on defense, I firmly believe that the smarter teams accumulate the most wins over the course of a Northwoods League season and have a better chance of winning close games. Playing "small ball" may not be the flashiest or most exciting brand of baseball at certain times, but it does translate into victories at any level, and as coaches, wins & losses are how we're judged on a year-to-year basis.

I've been spending every single day thinking about the upcoming summer and how to put the best lineup on the field during every foreseeable situation. The most intriguing part about coaching baseball is that no two situations are ever the same...there's always some variation involved.

The 2009 Mallards should be a very exciting team. We'll be a bit younger than year's past, but the neat thing is that every one of our kids think they have a realistic shot at being a big leaguer someday. That's pretty special. Obviously, not all will advance to that level, but to have a group of collegiate athletes who are extremely self-confident while at the same time are extremely humble should translate into a very fun team to watch on the field next season. I tell the players that the NWL is an educational process and playing in this league is like having a summer internship during college.

I also think that "old school" is becoming the "new school" in college athletics. I see more and more players buying into the team concept and really pulling for each other. This is a very good thing.

Here are five observations I've made recently about our beloved Brewers, Badgers, and Packers:

1) Give the Brewers credit for doing all they could to retain big CC Sabathia. Still today, when the Yankees and Red Sox get involved in negotiations, small-market teams aren't able to compete.

2) This year's Badger hockey team reminds me of the Mallards last season...a slow start to begin...followed by a string of victories...then both sitting in first place at the halfway point in their respective seasons.

3) If the Badger basketball team can get exceptional guard play from juniors Jason Bohannon and Trevon Hughes, the team should finish in the top three in the Big Ten this season. Watch out for Jon Leuer as well...this will be his breakout season.

4) I like the Badgers chances of winning the Champs Sports Bowl versus the Florida State Seminoles. Even though it's been a tough season, sometimes the best cure-all heading into the following season is a hard-fought bowl victory over a storied program. It's evident that running back John Clay is the future of our football team and we should be in the running for the Big Ten title next season.

5) The Packers defensive line is the root of all of the team's problems, and the loss of DE Cullen Jenkins was too big to overcome...there's absolutely no pass rush whatsoever. And we've learned that linebacker Nick Barnett (who is out for the season with a torn knee ligament) is a little bit better than we thought too.

That's all I have for now...I'd like to wish everyone, including former players, coaches, friends, and family, a very Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. I can't wait for the grass to turn green and having the opportunity to send runners home around third base. It should be another exciting year of Mallards baseball!

Jerrad's 2nd Post: The Ups and Downs of Curling

Well, I wish I had better news to report about our curling team comprised of Kevin Caloia, John Schmeltzer, Steven Stewart, and myself. We curl every Wednesday night at the Arlington Curling Club and for all of us, minus Steven (who has curled since high school), it's our first crack at the sport.

Before our very first match on Nov. 19, Steven's dad, Bill, who has been curling for 43 years, was gracious enough to offer a much-needed quick lesson on technique and strategy. To note, the source we used in preparing for our first curling competition was the sport's Wikipedia entry seen here. So needless to say, we were facing an uphill battle from the beginning, although we came into that first week confident that we wouldn't make complete fools of ourselves.

Our first competitor couldn't have been hand-picked any better. Each team is comprised of four individuals, and these gentlemen were around the same age as us and it was their first try at the sport as well. Fast forwarding to the ending result, we, or the "Ice Ducks" as we call ourselves, somehow came out on top and posted our first victory. We were relieved to know that we wouldn't lose every match and become the Detroit Lions of Arlington. As a side note, I in fact did fall on the ice (and was the only person to do so) while sweeping, and a long-time member yelled out "Man down!"...which actually was pretty funny.

The past two weeks we haven't been so lucky. You see, many of the competitors in the league are in their 40's, 50's, 60's, and beyond, and have been curling for just as many years as Bill Stewart has, so they have the touch and accuracy down-pat (the Ice Ducks are still searching for consistency in both areas).

We lost in week two to a very veteran team and this past week we were so bad the accumulated score was taken off the board in the sixth round (matches last eight rounds typically). Alas, we've learned a lot, such as the terms: "Hog Line," Rocks in the House," "In & Out Turns," and the "Hack." And no, if you're good at shuffleboard at the local tavern, that doesn't automatically make you a curling All-Star...we've learned that very quickly. All isn't bad though. After the matches the winning team buys beers (out of a classic vending machine downstairs) for the non-winning team, so being on the "short end" of the scoreboard isn't such a bad thing sometimes. But we're still having a great time and all of the members have been very nice in welcoming us to Arlington.

Thanks for reading...we'll see you Thursday for the newest edition of "Maynard's Musings" with an entry by Mallards Field Manager C.J. Thieleke! Should be good!

Mike's 2nd Post - A boy named "Doug"

Well everyone, it seems my time has come to post again so I hope you’re ready for the second installment of the “Life and Times of Mike Then in the Northwoods League.” When I last posted I gave a little bit of insight to my first year as an intern in the Mankato MoonDogs office. Today, I will fast forward to the summer of 2005 and “The Story of a Boy Named Doug.”

I would like to preface this story with a little more insight into a NWL office. Due to the close proximity that we all work in, and the amount of time spent together, there is quite a bit of good-natured mocking and ridiculing that happens on a daily basis. People take it and dish it right back. It’s just the nature of the business. With that being said, I’ll continue with the story.

As the spring of 2005 rolled on, it was only my second season as an Assistant GM and Kyle and I decided we needed to widen our scope of potential intern candidates and started interviewing several from around Minnesota and Wisconsin. One candidate, from Waunakee, took the time to drive to Mankato for a lunch interview as he was that serious about getting a job in the NWL. He had also toyed with the idea of trying to work for the Mallards, as it was basically in his backyard, but after several phone conversations, one of which happened while he was on spring break in Florida, we convinced him a summer in Mankato would be a great opportunity for a career in baseball. So as soon as school was complete he packed up his car and made the trek to Kato for a summer none of us will ever forget.

Typically, every season teams in the league hire various interns for different specific tasks. Because “Doug” was a baseball fanatic and had worked in the athletic department at his school where he had written stories etc., we gave him the task of writing post-game recaps, updating the website, and sending out email blasts along with his other daily tasks. He was a great kid, who was willing to put in extra hours and do whatever it took to help out the team. “Doug” was a true team-player and was someone who obviously really wanted a job in baseball.

One night after a game “Doug” returned to the office to take care of his post-game duties. That season, we had a catcher from Elon University playing for us by the name of Drew Davis. Drew had had a great night for us and was the central topic of that night’s recap. However, being a complete Milwaukee Brewers homer, “Doug” referred to Drew throughout the story as Doug Davis (a former Brewers pitcher). The next morning as we all began to read the story online, the mistake was clear as day, and “Doug” was embarrassed. Then the email came in…it was from Drew’s mother. Now, I don’t have the exact quote but I believe it was something along the lines of “we appreciate the great write-up about our son; however his name is DREW, not Doug. Can you please make that change?” From that day forward, “Doug” became our intern’s official name. When we would introduce him to people, it was always this is “Douglas our media relations intern,” other mistakes were affectionately referred to as a “Dougie” in our office and to this day I still have his phone number saved as Douglas.

As the summer continued, Doug and I actually became very good friends and went on to have quite a few more memorable moments. At the end of his internship he even stayed in Mankato for several weeks looking for a job in baseball. Later, at an career fair put on by the Minnesota Twins, we found him a job working for the Frisco RoughRiders, (Class AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers) and he has been there ever since.

I have gone to visit him several times and he has traveled back to visit me. I have spent Holidays with his family and I recently attended a CD release party for his younger brother. All of this because of one summer in the Northwoods League.

One of the reasons I told this story is because we are currently searching for our 2009 interns here and want to let everyone know, that yes there are long days and trials and tribulations that go along with the job, but there is also tremendous opportunity to further your career in sports and make life-long friendships.

Oh, and Douglas, since I know you are reading this…….“MAN DOWN!”

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

Vern Blog #2 - What to do during a long, cold Mallards Baseball off-season

So I’m a day late in my blog posting here…I’ve got a feeling that this won’t be the last time my entry is delayed, but I’ll do all I can to make the wait worth your while. So this is kind of a crazy time of year in the life of a person who works in baseball. We don’t have our 2009 schedule yet, nobody really wants to talk baseball during the holidays & we’re mired almost exactly in the middle of the baseball off-season.

Fortunately this fall has offered me all kinds of ways to keep busy. My 14-month old daughter Chloe has been the big highlight. Already walking for a few months she has turned to new challenges, like how to trick me into holding & entertaining her every moment that we are together. To be clear, I love the attention but I can’t help but be curious how she has become so infatuated with me. My wife Kallie says it is just a phase that all kids go through…but I think it is the start of her struggling through the same thing I am. The complete lack of baseball! I’m sure she is thinking to herself, “I can’t believe it is 72 days until pitchers & catchers report to Spring Training!” It follows that the only rational thing she can do is to latch on to the closest thing she has around the house that will hopefully talk some baseball with her. Keep in mind that in her short time here on earth she has been to at least 60 baseball games (if you count in utero attendance) & it makes sense that she misses the comforting confines of a baseball field. Well I’ve been working on helping her develop some new habits to help get her through this terrible time of year.

One that we’ve focused on is music. Kallie brings her to music class once a week & at night I normally will play some classics to augment what she hears in class. Last week we listened to a lot of Beatles, Rolling Stones, Lorretta Lynn, Stephen Malkmus & others. Her favorite though appears to be a band called Blitzen Trapper that I saw at the High Noon Saloon a few weeks ago. After a pretty impressive show I picked up their CD & the next morning I looked at the CD titled "Furr" & thought to myself “man, did I just waste another $10 bucks on a CD by a band I’ve never heard of & probably never will ever listen to again after I throw it on one time?” To my very pleasant surprise it turned out to be some of the best new music I’ve heard in a long time, kind of a modern mix of Dylan & The Flaming Lips or something along that line. To make it even better whenever we played the CD (which was a lot) Chloe would start dancing all by herself! Good Stuff.

Other than that, Mike, Nick & I are heading to Las Vegas next week for the Baseball Winter Meetings. I have plenty of ideas for off-season moves my Twins should make, but as of the publishing of this blog they had not returned my phone call requesting a meeting with GM Bill Smith to review my concepts. I guess we’ll have to settle on spending most of our time at a pretty impressive trade show where we will hopefully find some great ideas for use during the 2009 season out here at the “Duck Pond.” After we’re done with that I’m not quite sure what we’ll do…is there anything fun to do in Vegas? Please feel free to send us any ideas…I don’t think we’re capable of having any fun there though…at least that is what I’m telling my wife!

Talk to you soon!

Boyer's Thanksgiving Special - 1st Post

Being a very old person, I’m not sure what this blog thing is all about but we’re gonna give it the old Mallard’s try.

So Jerrad says I should talk about how some of the menu items come about.

First we look at what we did last year, what was a good seller and what wasn’t. Move some items around, look at any new areas we have for concessions, what those menus should look like etc.

The sales staff at Sysco Foods have been an awesome team helping us with dealing with distributors, suggesting new ideas and getting samples for us to try. Mike Riese, Ron Neusen and Paul Schulz are a great team that provide us with outstanding customer service.

I get all the samples delivered to Rookies in Black Earth by the end of the year. Liz and the boys come out one afternoon and we cook it all up and try it. We sit around the table talking about what we like, how the production fits into the schedule, (is it fried, grilled, or baked, etc). All of which needs to be considered so game-days go smoothly.

There’s Suite food, Tailgate, Duck Blind, and Concession menus all to be considered, revised, changed or sometimes even scrapped.

My favorite part is the daily and weekly specials. Steve & Vern have given me a lot of latitude on trying stuff, some of it sold well, some of it people looked at me like I was crazy. The White Trash Special is a good example. Fried egg sandwich sold well, PB&J didn’t.

And we steal stuff. The Glazer Bacon Cheeseburger was done by a team somewhere in Ohio. There is time spent researching this. All the front office staff are really good about shooting me emails with some great suggestions they’ve heard about.

And you fans always have some great suggestions. Big thanks to Dave Sindberg & the Hockey Guy for all of your help! We’re always willing to try something new.

So of all the stuff we’ve tried in the last 5 seasons I still think the best idea I’ve had is the Dashboard Maynard Bobblehead. Maynard in long flowing robes with a crown of thorns and stigmata.

Now THAT will make ESPN.

Liz's first entry - Tickets, tickets, and football...

Hello everyone and thanks for taking the time to check out my blog entry. I have been working with the Mallards for four summers now and each summer is more and more enjoyable. As Jerrad mentioned in the very first blog I am the only female working in the Mallards office year-round and let me tell you; working with 6 other guys is very interesting! I have learned a lot about the guys in the two years I have been here full-time. Sometimes they tell me too much, but for the most part it is fun working with them!

For the rest of the blog I will explain exactly what I do for the Mallards. My title is Customer Service and Ticket Sales Manager. I take care of 95% of the ticket operations; the other 5% is Vern designing the ticket which will undoubtedly be based off the Minnesota Twins ticket again this year. The 95% I take care of ranges from ordering tickets and wristbands, to setting up the online ticketing system, to hiring a ticket staff to process all the large ticket orders and help people with any ticket problems or complaints. I also work with Season Ticket Holders and Host Families to make sure they get their tickets. Lastly I’m always trying to sell our hospitality areas to local businesses and organizations. I have been working in the ticket office since 2004 when I was a part-time ticket employee. The ticket operations have vastly improved since I first started with the Mallards organization. We switched over to a new ticketing system this year and it has made ordering online much easier.

Throughout the summer I also help with other areas of the ballpark. I help with the hospitality areas, accounting, and general operations to make sure everything is done and ready to go for game time. One of my favorite highlights of the 2008 season was cooking at Maynard’s Slide-In during a playoff game; it was fun doing something different and I enjoyed working with the fresh food!

I have always been a baseball fan (go Brewers!) as well as a softball fan. It has been great working for the Mallards over the years and I am very excited for what’s to come for the 2009 season. Right now we are busy crafting ticket packages so stay tuned to find out what we have created for the 2009 season!

For those of you wondering, I do participate in the office fantasy football league and even though my record is not that great I had an impressive victory this week against Jerrad’s “Low Textpectations” that extended my winning streak from 2 to 3!!

Kevin's First Blogtastic Entry - It’s Always Summer

If you are a regular reader of our blog then you probably already know a lot about me, my mullet hair style (which might be coming back in style, you never know), and my inability to jump while playing basketball. I am extremely fortunate that my co-workers like me enough to include me in their blogs and even devote sections of their blogs to my hair. I am truly surprised that they have no choice but to highlight some of my other great features and characteristics; however, I feel that they are saving them for future blogs.

My plan was to focus this week’s blog on the Bears crushing victory over the Packers… but as all of America saw, my beloved Chicago Bears forgot to show up in Green Bay and got badly embarrassed. I was lucky enough to be vacationing in Knoxville, Tennessee so I did not have to receive flack from all my Packer fan roommates during the game. It was a slap in the face when Fox took the game off the air, stating that it was no longer “competitive” with about 3 minutes left in the third quarter. However, halfway through this week I lucked out, as the Cubbies were able to sign and secure another great starting pitcher giving them the best rotation in the NL Central! Yep, the gentleman who Cubs fans used to refer to as Dumpster (during his time as a reliever), is now a star starting pitcher and is locked up with the Cubbies for another 4 years.

Instead I will give you a view into my little world here at the Mallards office and my cave as some of my coworkers like to call it. I am fortunate to have one of the few cubes which does not have a window for natural light, and my cubicle walls block most of the light from our ceiling lamps. However, I am graced with some wonderful pictures which I cherish. The first one, which was a gift from David Boyer (the Concessions MGR) to the previous resident who had this cubicle is a picture frame filled with about 8 different pictures of what it would look like if this cube had a window. The frame is only 12x10 inches but it is a very accurate representation of what is on the other side of the wall. The key is the combination of the 8 different pictures to create one big picture. They are so nicely put together that I often wonder if the creator was a 3 year old or drunk. It is the thought that matters though, and for that reason it is truly a wonderful gift and a Mallards front office staple.

The next picture is a flyover from 2007, taking up most of the wall, this is a good substitute for a window. It is also nice to look at the ballpark and see how things have changed over the past couple of years, and envision the new improvements which we are going to create at the ballpark. The best thing about my cubicle, it is always summer because there is never any snow covering my view of the ballpark. The wildcard and last picture which I have on my desk is a photo of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. I get the most questions about this photograph, as everyone always wonders why I have the picture, but I like to keep people guessing.

The pride and joy of my cubicle though, is the background on my computer, a large Chicago Bears logo which every Packer fan gets to look at in disgust everyday. Some of you might be like my fellow coworkers, sporting pictures of Brewers players, a family photo, or even a hot babe, but I prefer a peaceful orange and navy blue growling Bears head. The best part about my background is when I return back to the office from meetings. For some reason it always seems that the background has mysteriously changed to a gigantic Packers or Brewers logo, multiple pictures of myself with a mustache and mullet (which is always funny), or to a random fan/Mallards photo which was taken years ago and recently resurfaced on someone’s computer. It is always a nice treat when returning to the office to see what has been done to your desk, computer, or chair… but we can get into those glorious details in the future and some of the other fun games that go on here in the office. Note to readers: anything can be used as a projectile, not just baseballs in this office.

Well loyal readers, have a great rest of the week and a wonderful weekend.

(I'm also proud to note that our curling team (Team Ice Ducks) comprised of myself, Jerrad, John, and Steven Stewart won our first match last night! A big shout out to Steven's dad for giving us much-needed pointers beforehand! If you're ever bored and need a good laugh you can catch us at the Arlington Curling Club every Wednesday night.)

Nick's First Blog Entry - A little dissapointing...

Thus far I must say that I am a little disappointed by the responses (or lack thereof) by our most devoted fans. I am not sure what you are doing… maybe watching the NBA…still recovering from the election…or you are simply speechless by the attempt of Kevin Caloia to grow a mullet.

Anyway, many of you may not be familiar with my role within the organization, so I will divulge a little bit and give you a very brief history.

I sent a resume on a whim and managed to be offered a position. (Note to any future intern candidate: Do NOT list “shopping” as an activity on your resume, you’ll never live it down!!!) I started in the summer of 2005 as an Operations Intern. What made this an interesting summer besides interning for the Mallards were the 45 minute drives to and from Whitewater everyday, where I attended college. So typically we would start the day at 8:30 a.m., work until midnight, and if you do the math, I wouldn’t get home until almost 1:00 a.m. and then I’d have to get up at about 6:30 a.m. to get ready and be out the door by 7:30ish. Some nights I don’t know how I survived the drive (dozing off multiple times) but thank God I managed!

Anyways, Brian Dodge (the other Operations Intern….I love you Dodge!) and I held down the fort as far as ballpark maintenance--painting, building fences, painting and oh, did I mention painting? As a point of reference, we now have FOUR Operations interns running the show. Apparently I impressed Vern enough for him to offer me a full-time spot. So here I am today in the position of an Operations and Group Sales Manager.

My main responsibility during the winter months is making cold calls to companies in and around Madison in selling tickets for group outings and to renew clients from previous summers. So if anyone is interested in holding a group outing please give me a call or you can find my email address on the contacts page and I’ll happily give you the rundown of our options. My other responsibility right now is in putting together our merchandise line for next spring. I have been handling souvenirs the past two summers and have received a lot of suggestions. I try my best to meet what the people have called for, but I am always looking for new ideas and suggestions. So if there is something you would like to see or something we no longer offer, but you would like to see again, please let me know!

I also wanted to let everyone know due to economic circumstances we will not be having kiosks at either West or East Towne malls, I do however encourage you to check out the “Duck Wear” link on the website for all your holiday gift ideas. I almost forgot we are having a great sale on all Game Day hats that are now only $14 (marked down from $20)….What a freaking steal!!!!!

That should wrap up my first post. I look forward to all the responses and suggestions that will flood my inbox like the swallows of Capistrano. Oh, I will also break the trend of throwing one of my fellow employee’s under the bus…..Cheers!

Schmeltzer’s First Blog – Bars, Cards & Maynard’s

Well, it’s probably going to be a little difficult to top the last blog by fellow co-worker and PR Master, Jerrad Radocay, but I will do my best.

Here’s a little bit about myself and how I got started in the Mallards organization.

I grew up in Oregon (no, not the state) and played High School baseball with Darren Everson as my assistant coach. Some of you die hard Madison baseball fans might recognize that name and recall that he played with the Madison Black Wolf and served as Field Manager for the Wisconsin Woodchucks from 2004-05. He informed me about the Mallards and what a great organization they were, so back in 2003 I ended up doing a job shadow during the summer. It mainly consisted of running the radar gun, getting notes/stats set-up for the media, helping maintain the cleanliness of the park, etc. It was a nice start and got me interested in some of the things that go on behind the scenes of running a ball club.

In 2004 I was hired as a Marketing/Operations Intern. It was probably the best summer of my life. The amount of hours you put into this position is CRAZY! Although, if you have that love and passion for the game and enjoy the people you work with, it doesn’t seem all that bad and the days are over before you realize it. I spent a lot of time that summer with Spencer Sweet & Kyle Sullivan, whom by the way were both Operations Interns as well. At that time, no one was really responsible for moving beer during the day, so that basically fell on our shoulders. Not sure why, but when you’re an intern you don’t really ask. Like I said earlier, it was a summer I would have never changed for anything. Shout out to Mr. Vincent Cholewa, who also put in long hours that summer and will never get over the fact the Cubs will never win a World Series in his lifetime.

In 2005 I was “promoted” to the Marketing Manager. I had a great couple of interns that summer that made my life easy. Brian Ballweg and Kyle Buchmann…good lookin’ out fellas. The picture in this blog is a shot of Governor Doyle as he launches the first pitch during my ’05 Campaign as Marketing Manager.

From 2006 until this day I have assumed the position as a Group Sales & Operations Manager. My main goal is to sell private suites and other tickets packages to clients in and around Madison. I also help with the staffing around the park and other random activities that you probably would never even realize go into making this ballpark function the way it does.

One question that I get asked a lot is, “Where do you work in the off-season”?

It always makes me laugh, because some people don’t realize this is a REAL full-time job. When the season ends there is still a lot of teardown, clean-up and preparation that goes into brainstorming for the next year. Yeah, it’s slow this time of year but the schedule will be released in late November, early December and from that time on it’s a sprint to Opening Day. Get ready for 2009 folks… we have some real entertaining ideas floating around the office.

Finally, I would be remised if I didn’t recognize the Philadelphia Phillies…well, not so much the Phillies as the National League East. Way to represent! (I’m a big Atlanta Braves Fan)

Thanks for staying tuned to Maynard’s Musings. Next up on 11/18 you will hear from Nick Staehler, who is currently holding down the cellar spot in the office Fantasy Football League.

Jerrad's First Post - Caloia Mullet Countdown 2008

Caloia Mullet Countdown 2008 is now at *14 days. Kevin Caloia (pictured, far right), our Duck Blind Manager extraordinaire, has taken it upon himself to prove to us office members that he indeed can sport a pre-mullet while continuing to give 110% each day and doing so with a straight face. Subtracting the distance from Caloia's current hair length to his shoulder while computing the speed of hair growth, scientists now believe a full-blown mullet is imminent in less than 14 days. Caloia has been an inspiration to us all in the rare case that we too choose to grow this hideous 1980's hair style that according to Wikipedia, thankfully died in 1993 (debatable to say the least). It is still unproven why Kevin has chosen to sport a mullet, but sources tell me he has recently become infatuated with former Pittsburgh Penguin great Jaromir Jagr (pictured, far left) and simply decided to "go for it." We'll keep you up-to-date on the latest developments...

*Unproven, it could actually be 14 weeks or 14 months...

On to slightly more serious news...

During the off-season I often write stories about former Mallards players who are performing well in Minor League Baseball or in other professional avenues. It's fun and interesting to follow these athletes everyday struggles and triumphs in trying to reach that ultimate destination; Major League Baseball.

However, this blog provides the perfect forum to share what former Mallards employees are doing post life at the "Duck Pond." It is obviously true that Mallards baseball certainly wouldn't be where it is today without the help of our countless hardworking employees each year. Consider this segment Mallards Employee Alumni Part I (creative, right?)

Conor Caloia. Yes, Conor is related to the guy mentioned above (brothers), and he worked for the Mallards for five seasons (2003 to '06), first as an intern in '03 and later as Assistant General Manager in '04. After leaving Madison to work more closely in college sports, Caloia took a job with the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) as Director of Marketing for nearly two years. Today, Conor is a partner with former Mallards Field Manager Darrell Handelsman with the Wilmington Sharks baseball club in North Carolina, and serves as the team's Director of Operations. Kevin recently flew down to help his brother prepare for a Steve Miller concert the Sharks hosted.

Spencer Sweet. Sweet was hired a year after Conor in '04 as an intern, and was later promoted to Assistant General Manager as well, mostly overseeing the team's always-improving ticket system. He is currently enlisted in the Marines after having successfully completed the first portion of office training school at the training camp in Quantico, VA last spring. Spencer injured his foot during boot camp and, in turn, overcompensated, further damaging his hip. We're excited to report he recently had successful hip surgery to correct the problem.

Ryan Casey McShane. McShane was a PR intern in 2007 and was the brains behind the "Player Ingredient" graphics you might remember seeing in his game stories. (On our homepage, click on News, then select July 30 of 2007 for an example...) Ryan, a native of Arkansas, currently works for Taylor PR in Charlotte, NC and has just signed wireless provider Alltell to provide exposure for the growing client. He just completed a nationwide press junket with former football great Barry Sanders in promoting the company. McShane said "it was the time of his life."

More alumni updates to come in future blogs!

One last quick note...We'd like to thank everyone who has sent us names for our winter MSCR office basketball team set to begin in January. Keep 'em coming!

A few of the names provided so far:
"The Quackers"
"Pond Masters"
"Flying Feathers"
"Duck Droppings"


That's all I have for now...stay tuned to Thursday's installment of Maynard's Musings to be written by Operations Manager John Schmeltzer!

Mike's First Blog Post!

Where to begin?? That is the question I have been trying to answer ever since I found out I would be contributing to the Maynard’s Musings a few weeks ago and I think I finally have the answer (usually simplest is the best) I’ll just start from the beginning of my Northwoods League career. It may take a few posts to get brought up to 2009, but hopefully you will find some of my rants entertaining.

Looking back to the spring of 2003, I was a senior in college looking for an internship to not only graduate but one that would also put me in a position to have a job after I graduated. Enter the MoonDogs.

I remember going to my first interview with the MoonDogs GM, Kyle Mrozek (he had been hired about 3 weeks prior) and sitting down in a shirt and baseball tie to talk about a “great opportunity” as he put it. You see, Kyle had first-hand knowledge of the internships as he had been an intern 2 years prior to that in Alexandria when the Beetles had their inaugural season and now he was running a team. I thought to myself, wow this really could be great! I get to work for a baseball team for the summer (anyone that knows me knows of my extreme passion for the game) and maybe I could even get a full time job after the summer was done. Sure enough, after being baptized by fire (Kyle was the only full-time employee that season) which meant myself along with the other three interns had to learn on the fly and adapt to whatever the situation at-hand was, at the end of the season I was offered a job and began my career in baseball.

There are two quick stories I would love to share from that first summer of insanity. ..
#1. One of the promotional appearances we had setup that summer was to have Juan Berenguer (aka Senor Smoke to us Minnesota Twins fans) come out for a night in Mankato. About half-way through the evening, Juan asked me if I would take him downtown after the game and show him some night life, I happily obliged and got everything set. Before I get any further, you have to understand that Juan is a large, Panamanian man who was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, and Mankato is a town of only 25,000 people or so during the summer. So there we are, Juan and myself having a couple of drinks when all of a sudden he disappears. Gone. Nowhere to be found! I’m thinking to myself my boss is going to kill me. I am supposed to be taking care of this guy, making sure he gets back to his hotel etc, and I can’t even find him. After searching until bar close with no luck, I finally had to give up. I went home that night starting to think of how I was going to explain this in the morning and then at 4:00 a.m. my cell phone starts ringing and ringing and ringing. Guess who…yep it’s Juan Berenguer. He just wanted to call and tell me what a great night he had and that he was safely back at his hotel and that if there was anything that I ever needed from him to just give him a call. Juan and I stayed in touch over the next few years and it was all because of one crazy night of working in the Northwoods League.

#2. I remember hearing all of these unbelievable stories about the team in Madison, the GM (as he too used to be an intern for the gentleman who owns the Mankato team), and the crowds and atmosphere that Warner Park offered. When I finally got a chance to witness it myself, it was the All-Star game and I was at a loss for words. The size of the park, the crowd, the presentation, everything was incredible. After the game, we went out to the car and on the windshield were two 11x17 posters from the Mallards marketing campaign that season. They were about the purity of the game and had a very distinct baseball feel to them. I held on to those, and actually ended up getting them framed when I got back to Mankato and they have been hanging in the bedroom of every apartment I have had since that night. And now, here I am six years later, working for the Mallards. (The All-Star game was also the first time that I had ever met Vern in person and there is a great story behind that meeting, but I will have to save that one for a later date!)

Lastly, I would like to talk about some current events in the Mallards office. As Vern had mentioned in his last post, we are starting an office basketball team and need some help from the fans. WE NEED A TEAM NAME!!! If you have a creative name that you think would work for us please send it to Jerrad@mallardsbaseball.com. We will keep you posted on the names that come in and the winning submission will receive an autographed, framed photo of our team. The contest will run from now until December 1st.

I’m excited to be a part of the Mallards organization and can’t wait for the 2009 season to begin! GO MALLARDS!

VernBlog - First Entry - Stadium Renovation Update!

So Election Day 2008 I get the honor of writing my first blog entry! Election Day is always an exciting day & I was the 530th person to vote this morning in my district along with my 13 month old daughter Chloe (much to my dismay, they wouldn’t let her vote!) I’m proud to report that all Mallards full-time staff have already voted, or have plans to do so later in the day. Anyway, I suppose a day dominated by politics is a good day to discuss how things have been going on our stadium renovation plans.

We’ve been working closely with the city of Madison for a while now & last week a new lease & construction agreement were introduced to the Madison Common Council, which referred it to the Parks Commission & the Board of Estimates (BOE). It has been fascinating working with the city on this project & I’m happy to report that the Mayor’s Office, Alders Schumacher & Rhodes-Conway, & new Parks Superintendent Kevin Briski & everyone else that has worked with us on this project have been great to work with &, more importantly, we’re all on the same page about how this project will move forward! Hopefully we’ll get approval from Parks Commission & BOE in the coming weeks & go before the Common Council on December 2nd for final approval. Check out cityofmadison.com for a schedule of meetings where this will be discussed & we’d love to have you stop by & share your feelings about the project. Basically what all this means is that the major renovation we have been talking about happening at the “Duck Pond” is reaching the final stages of approval & that representatives from both the city of Madison & the Mallards have reached agreement in principal on the ballpark improvements!

As the plan stands right now we would replace all the steel/wood/aluminum bleachers that make up the vast majority of our seating & replace them with new seating structures & seats (we would re-use at least 1,000 of the existing seats, you know…saving the world one seat at a time!) The entire perimeter of the field from the edge of the Great Dane Duck Blind to the LF corner would be re-defined as well. This would provide better viewing angles of the game & actually put the first row of seats right up against the field providing an unprecedented view of the game (sorry, First Base Super Fans!) However, if you do enjoy the standing room only experience at the “Duck Pond” don’t fret…we haven’t forgotten about you & I can assure you that the final plans will have some enticing options for your consideration.

The next thing we are working on is an attempt to minimize the number of seats that are right in the line of the setting sun at the park. The hope right now is to have a few less rows in the area of the stadium on the 3rd base side & build a large deck directly behind those seats that would potentially connect to & go over the top of the existing clubhouse building. This area would become a second “Courtyard” type space featuring all kinds of food, beverages, merchandise, kids games, & more all with the added bonus of actually being able to see the action on the field while you are waiting in line or talking to friends!

Well, seeing that I’ve already written about 500 words on the new park, I think I’m going to talk about the rest of the concepts & hopes for the stadium project in future posts…STAY TUNED! The other important thing to note here is that, at this point, I feel we have about a 50-50 chance of starting & completing these improvements prior to the start of the 2009 season. There will be some important benchmarks in the coming months & by early January at the latest the city & the Mallards will make a decision about whether or not we think we can get this done for the start of the 2009 season. Hopefully we can make it happen, but if we don’t we would start construction immediately after the season is over & have everything ready for the start of the 2010 season. All in all I think this is exciting news for Mallards fans & be sure to keep checking in here for more details on the plans for the stadium renovation. We’ve got a lot more fun things in mind for the project that I look forward to sharing with you all in the near future.

Also, I can’t wait to start filling you in on the Mallards MSCR Basketball team. We start playing after New Years, but we’ve been fine-tuning our skills all Fall on Tuesday nights over at Sherman Middle School. All I’m saying is you can’t let Nick Staehler get free after a pick…the kid never misses & that I’ve only seen Kevin Caloia jump once in well over a month of playing with him. BEWARE!

"Maynard's Musings" Debut...Introductions first!

Hello Mallards Fans...here's the inaugural first pitch!
(photo credit: Jim Addis)

Welcome to the debut of "Maynard's Musings," a blog devoted to YOU the fans, to be updated every Tuesday and Thursday (and sometimes more) that will cover topics such as: Stadium Improvements, Roster & Promotions Updates, Merchandise & Tickets Specials, and the latest breaking news! And, we've learned from your overwhelming votes on the poll question on Mallardsbaseball.com that you're also interested in reading about fun & interesting stories that happen at our office at the "Duck Pond" so we'll be sure to share some of these tidbits as well. (yes, we do work year-round...someone has to plan the numerous promotions, celebrity appearances, and food and ticket specials!)


But before we dive into the latest items to make news, let's detail the Mallards front office members who will be providing insight.

Vern Stenman (General Manager). As you are aware, the Mallards have plans in the works to renovate the "Duck Pond" for the 2009 season, and Vern will be your ultimate source to learn more about all new stadium developments, amongst other things. Thanks to his steady vision and undying passion to give our fans the best possible product both on-and-off the field, Stenman is the rock behind the team's increase in attendance during the past eight years, including back-to-back-to-back 200,000 + attendances from 2006 to '08. When not at the office, Vern can be found chasing around his one year old daughter Chloe Mae, with wife Kallie. (or is it the other way around...?)

Mike Then (Director of Marketing). The "new" guy, Then was hired two weeks ago to head our marketing efforts after having spent the past two seasons as the General Manager for the Green Bay Bullfrogs. Prior to that time, Then worked for the Mankato MoonDogs for four seasons--three as the team's Assistant GM, and one as a Media Relations Intern. Mike will provide insight about his experiences while working in the Northwoods League along with providing details on different promotional ideas we are brainstorming for the '09 season. Then is a graduate of Minnesota State University - Mankato, and is originally from St. Paul, Minn.

John Schmeltzer (Group Sales & Ops. MGR). Schmeltzer has seen it all in his five years with the Mallards and he'll be sure to share stories about the many people he's met and comical situations he's encountered. John helps manage the team's suites and is the driving force behind making these fans' ballpark experiences a pleasant one. If you want a good laugh, John's writings will be a must read! He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, and is originally from Oregon, Wis.

Nick Staehler (Group Sales & Ops. MGR). If a certain piece of Mallards merchandise caught your eye the past three seasons, Staehler is the person to thank. During the Fall and Winter months he's especially busy approving and dissaproving (and dissaproving some more) items in hopes that you'll find our line of clothing and trinkets both cool and useful. Nick also doubles as our manager of Human Resources, and is in charge of scheduling over 250 part-time employees each summer (now there's a task!). He'll provide insight on both of these areas. Staehler is a graduate of UW-Whitewater, and is originally from Kewauskum, Wis.

Liz Kern (Customer Service & Ticket Sales MGR). Tabbed the office "Wonder Woman," Kern is the first face you see upon entering the Mallards ticket office, and is the team's backbone in everything relating to purchasing tickets. She works very hard to provide our fans the highest level of customer service in all of baseball! Liz will provide information on ticket & suite specials, along with ways on how to cope if you're the only female in an office of six males. Kern is a graduate of UW - La Crosse, where she also played softball, and is originally from Beaver Dam, Wis.

Kevin Caloia (Duck Blind & Community Events MGR). Many times when we go out into the community to promote the Mallards the first words uttered out of people's mouths is "ohhh yeah, I've been to the Duck Blind," so you can imagine how difficult of a job Caloia has each year in trying to uphold the great tradition while always improving the Great Dane Duck Blind's overall fan experience. He will teach us how such a thing is to be done. Kevin also doubles as the team's Community Events MGR in trying to promote the Mallards at local schools, churches, festivals, and clubs, to say the least. Caloia is a graduate of UW - Madison, and is originally from St. Charles, Ill.

Jerrad Radocay (Corporate Sales & Media Relations MGR). That's me, and I'll be providing interesting stories about players we've signed for the '09 season along with information about certain promotions and giveaways we have in the works. One of the best parts about my job is in lining up local companies to sponsor giveaway items to help make your overall experience more enjoyable, so I expect plenty of comments from all of you in stating which items you'd like to receive next season. I'm a graduate from Winona State University, and am originally from Watertown, Wis.

David Boyer (Concessions MGR & Rookies Sports Bar GM). Boyer plays a big part in deciding and ordering many of the food items you enjoy at the "Duck Pond" each season, and will be discussing some of the choices we might add to the menu next year. If you've ever had a Glazer Burger at the ballpark (two beef patties in-between two Glazer doughnuts), Dave is the man to thank for that concoction. When he's not at the park, Boyer spends much of his time as the General Manager at Rookies Sports Bar in Mazomanie. He is originally from Oconomowoc, Wis.

So there you have it. For the inside scoop on everything Mallards, be sure to stop back daily to see what's new at the "Duck Pond." I guarantee you'll be surprised...

We'll see you back on Tuesday for the newest installment of "Maynard's Musings!"