Ducks, manager Wally Backman part ways
Wally Backman of the Long Island Ducks before a game against the Staten Island FerryHawks on June 30, 2023. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
The Long Island Ducks and manager Wally Backman have parted ways, the Ducks announced in a statement on Friday.
Backman, who won a World Series as a player with the Mets in 1986, managed the Ducks for five years from 2019 until this September.
Backman’s 14-year MLB career featured stops with the Mets, Twins, Pirates, Phillies and Mariners.
The Ducks went 284-232 under Backman, appeared in the Atlantic League Championship series in 2019 and 2021 and won the title in 2019. He was the sixth manager in team history and replaced Kevin Baez.
“We want to thank Wally for all his contributions over the past five years,” Ducks Owner/CEO Frank Boulton said. “We wish him the best moving forward.”
The Lancaster Barnstormers swept the Ducks in three games in the Atlantic League North Division Championship Series last week. The Ducks went 29-32 in the second half of the season after winning the North Division first half and clinching a postseason berth in July.
Backman, who helped bring players such as Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada and Wilson Ramos to the Ducks throughout this season, said he felt the team had enough to win a championship.
“We had some turnover but I thought we had enough talent to win,” Backman said after the Lancaster series. “Especially with some veteran leadership.”
Backman was named the Atlantic League Manager of the Year in 2019 after leading the Ducks to a new single-season record in wins (86).
The Ducks said they are searching for Backman’s replacement.
