The Long Island Ducks have added a very familiar name to their 25th Anniversary team when they announced that former starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis has been chosen as the 24th member.
Willis was a member of the Ducks during the 2013 season. Willis made a name for himself when he burst onto the major league baseball scene in 2003 by winning the National League Rookie of the Year. With the Ducks he made 14 starts and put up an impressive 2.57 ERA, three complete games, one shutout and 52 strikeouts in 87.2 innings of work. He was selected to play in the Atlantic League All-Star Game and got the start for the Liberty Division, working a 1-2-3 first inning.
In the majors Willis was a two-time National League All-Star and has now become a studio and game analyst for FOX Sports and Apple TV as well as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers television broadcast team.
The Ducks also added former infielder Cody Puckett as the 25th member of the franchise’s 25th Anniversary Team.
Puckett spent five seasons with the flock from 2014 to 2018. He appeared in 514 games and had 38 home runs, 252 RBIs, 238 runs, 529 hits, 79 doubles, two triples, 137 walks and a .324 on-base percentage. He ranks among the best in franchise history in several categories including fifth all-time in franchise history for games played, hits, total bases and at bats, sixth in RBIs, seventh in runs, eighth in doubles and ninth in extra-base hits.
The former Reds and White Sox prospect earned an Atlantic League All-Star Game and Post-Season All-Star selection in 2015. He was also named a Second Team Post-Season All-Star in 2014.