As the Long Island Ducks enter their 25th Anniversary season they have announced their coaching staff for the 2025 season.
The Ducks are bringing back manager Lew Ford for a second year. Ford returns and will be joined by returning pitching coach Bobby Blevins and former Ducks pitching coach Billy Horn, who will serve in the role of bench coach.
“I am greatly looking forward to working with Bobby and Billy this season,” said Ford. “We are all eager to put together a championship-winning ballclub and celebrate a historic season for the Ducks organization.”
Ford was named the 15th manager of the Ducks last year. During that first season he watched an Atlantic League best 10 players have their contract purchased by a Major League organization or foreign professional league. He led the team to a 64-62 record despite the roster turnover.
Ford played for the Ducks for nine seasons where he amassed 1,036 hits, good for the third-most in Atlantic League history. He ranks second all-time in franchise history for batting average at .318, games played with 877, RBIs, runs scored, doubles and total bases.
Ford now lives in Selden and played on the Ducks Atlantic League championship-winning teams in 2012, 2013 and 2019.
Blevins returns as pitching coach where he had six pitchers have their contract purchased during the 2024 campaign, three of which immediately reported to Triple-A. Blevins pitched five seasons for the Ducks and was a key part of Long Island’s back-to-back Atlantic League championship runs in 2012 and 2013.
Horn also enters his second season on the Ducks coaching staff. During his 12-year coaching career, he has seen a total of 12 players reach the Major Leagues.