On this very historic day...J-Rod Part III

I'm very humbled and honored to have been given the opportunity to post my third blog entry on the day that the United States of America's first black President, Barack Obama, is sworn into office. What a time of jubilation for those who have waited for change --from our grandparents to our parents; from our brothers and sisters to our friends; and from our children to our grandchildren, this is truly a day to be excited about in looking forward to correcting the problems in the present rather than pointing fingers for problems in the past. And who knows...given some time maybe President Obama will make a stop at the "Duck Pond" in the next four to eight years...

Shifting gears I want to pass along a story that GM Vern Stenman shared with us front office members this week involving former Mallard outfielder Jordan Comadena. (In my three years of working for the team my mom only remembers two players...Comadena & former Stanford standout Randy Molina...so maybe the secret to a closer connection between our players and fans is simply by drafting players with catchier names...lol.)

Anyway, without further ado here's the story we're about to break to the media (so this truly is the "inside scoop" for you die-hard Mallards fans!):

Kids, here’s a perfect example of why you should play hard because you never know who might be watching.

Enter Madison Mallards alumnus Jordan Comadena.

Comadena, who played for the Mallards from 2005 to 2007 & went undrafted out of Purdue University, was recently signed by the Houston Astros as a free agent heading into the ’09 season thanks largely in part to impressing a certain notable former major leaguer at last season’s third annual Mallards/MLB Alumni Game that saw Comadena blast two run-scoring doubles to pace Maynard’s All-Star

That major leaguer was none other than former Houston Astros outfielder Jimmy “The Toy Cannon” Wynn who enjoyed a big league career from 1963 to 1977 and opposed Comadena in the usually laid back event—that is, until Jordan accepted the Mallards invitation and took the “Duck Pond” field once again. Maybe Wynn saw a bit of himself in Comadena, as he too was signed as a free agent in 1962.

Comadena owns Mallards team career batting records in runs scored (119) and walks (89), and single-season records in runs scored (54), walks (54), and at-bats (259). He also remains the only player to play all 68 games when he reached that mark in 2006.

What a story. This tale could certainly be made into a children's book and serve as great fodder for generations of Mallards fans to read to their aspiring kids...and on and on it goes. It certainly can also apply to life outside of a ballpark. No matter what you're doing; no matter where you're going; and no matter when you're doing it, if you do things the right way (open to interpretation) and work hard, someone will notice and something special is bound to happen. Call that belief outlandish; call it aspiring; or simply call it anywhere in between; if there's one thing that springs eternal in the Mallards office each day --off-season & in-season--it's the hope that we as a staff provide the best summer entertainment for each and every one of our fans, both young and old. When you, the fans, leave the "Duck Pond" after games, we hope you're smiling; we hope you're laughing; and best of all, we hope that you're taking home memories to share with others for many years to come.

Here's to 132 days until Mallards Opening Day on June 1!