June 12, 2003
Citibank Park (Capacity: 6,002)
Central Islip, NY
Long Island Ducks vs Pennsylvania Road Warriors
Final Score: 4 – 0
* The ballpark was re-visited August 2, 2026
* The ballpark was renamed Fairfield Properties Ballpark
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Professional baseball came to the Nassau-Suffolk County portion of Long Island in the year 2000, as an expansion franchise in the Atlantic League set up shop with a new ballpark in Central Islip. Located smack dab in the middle of the Island, this town of 36,000 represents classic suburbia, which seemed to be the focus of the startup Atlantic League: suburbs of large cities. In this instance, Long Island is home to millions of people and while the Mets and Yankees are hugely popular, it’s also nice to have a more local team too. The nickname became the Ducks thanks to both the area’s proficiency for them and the tradition of duck farming on Long Island. They’ve won 4 league championships, have had only 5 losing seasons in their first 25 years and been perennial attendance leaders. This is also a place where ex-Major Leaguers have looked to continue to their career. Some have been a success, others not so much (Remember John Rocker and Jose Offerman). I’ve been here multiple times, most recently in 2026 and it’s a place that you want to visit during Summer or Fall as cool ocean breezes make things chilly in the Spring. Fairfield Properties Ballpark is aging, but of course very serviceable. My biggest issue is that the stadium is a near exact replica of other ballparks in the league that were built prior to this one (Atlantic City, Somerset).
Prestige Ranking: 3 out of 5
Location
The stadium is off Carleton Ave and it is in a rather boring area as the governmental business side of the county is within vicinity. Courthouses and other municipal buildings can be seen on the approach and within the parking lots. Nearby is a Firefighters Museum with limited hours not conducive to pair with a game. The only food source is further down Carleton Ave as a shopping center provides fast food and a few chain restaurants. Proximity to the Ocean is the lone draw to the area as the South Shore is not too far away.
Location Ranking: 3 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
Multiple expressways / parkways lead to the area, including the Long Island Expressway (I-495), Southern State Parkway and Sunrise Highway (Rt. 27). The Southern State is the closest option and there’s an exit from the parking lot that leads right out onto the highway. Here in Suffolk County, the traffic is less intense than further west, so outside of the busy weekday rush hour, congestion is not too bad. For anyone arriving that is not from Long Island, be prepared for a harrowing adventure through New York City. Parking lots are well signed and have enough space. The addition of overhead solar panels does make for a slight obstruction with a pole in multiple parking spots. As for mass transit, the Central Islip stop on the Long Island Rail Road is close, but still too far to be considered walking distance from the park.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 7 out of 8
Exterior
Surrounding the stadium is some beautiful landscaping as the large congregation area in front is decorated with various shrubs and flowers, along with fancy street lights. It sets a nice welcome and the ballpark itself also has an appealing look. For the most part, brick is used and there are two main entrances in the location of first base and third base. The central focal point includes a large ballpark sign at the top and an American flag in front. The ballpark also has more of an elongated appearance as the rounding is gradual and the front face almost appears to be flat.
Exterior Ranking: 7.5 out of 10
Concourse
After climbing the large set of stairs from the outside to enter the ballpark, fans arrive into a covered concourse that mostly includes a view of the playing field (the exception is directly behind home plate where the press box blocks the view). It does the job and there is nothing overly special about the area. Space is just ok. Décor features tan/brown walls and a green ceiling, which fits nicely with the Ducks theme and coloring. After the concourse opens up to the sky down the lines, there is a picnic area down the third base side and a kids play area on the other. The latter is quite cramped and a limited place to jam inflatables.
Concourse Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Food
Food is average, if not unspectacular. Expect typical fair with ridiculous prices. Italian Mac and Cheese Balls may have been the only creative thing. It was surprising not to see side carts selling something different other than the pair of concession stands (which had the same menu). Providing the local beer choice was Montauk Brewing Company.
Food Ranking: 4.5 out of 8
Interior
Long Island’s stadium is designed like others in the Atlantic League and the near carbon-copy to other regional ballparks deters from giving the inside more identity. A single-level seating bowl extends about halfway into the outfield as lower and upper sections are split in the middle by a walkway. It’s really too much because those sections towards the end of the bowl face straight-ahead and are not ideal for viewing. Green seats are wide and comfortable, Lower sections have fewer rows and are pretty close to the field while a walkway separates the upper section. There is some initial height when climbing the stairs, then the rows climb much more subtly. Even a few chairs have the railing slightly in view. Luxury suites sit over the concourse and extend just enough to cover a few of the lower back row seats. This upper section is really the only thing offering some uniqueness to the stadium as a set of club-style seats are located at the center. Ads are stacked three rows high in the outfield and though this is never appealing, it does help close in the ballpark and avoid an otherwise dull view of the scenery.
Interior Ranking: 6.5 out of 14
Scoreboard
In left-center is a scoreboard that is more vertical than horizontal and is sandwiched between brick columns. On the smaller side, readability isn’t all that great and the graphics on the weaker side too. No video is played except between-inning contests.
Scoreboard Ranking: 2 out of 4
Displays
There is a decent history with the franchise and touches around the ballpark honor that. Included are small nods to championship years both inside and outside of the stadium. A sneaky good place to see everything is the entranceway to the club level. You can tell the attendant you’re going inside to see the displays as there are colorful nods to Duck and Baseball history in the area. This is also the location of the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame. Make sure to also see a poignant display honoring 9/11 victims before the ballpark entrance which includes a WTC Steel Beam.
Displays Ranking: 3.5 out of 6
Cost
I had to do a double take when I looked at the concession prices because I seriously thought they were wrong. $14 for a Cheeseburger!, $8 for a Hot Dog!, $10 for Fried Oreos! Crazy. Beer ranged from $11 – $16. At least the parking was free as that is a plus. Tickets averagely priced too as they were $18 – $21. That’s what makes those food costs so strangely out of context.
Cost Ranking: 6.5 out of 8
Fan Support
Since the opening of the ballpark, fan support has been very good. The fact that this is Long Island’s team and not just Islip’s, help to build a great fan base as many from all over the Island come out to as a family entertainment option. The Ducks have always been at the top of the league in attendance and in the beginning, they played up a dubious sellout streak. Crowd size has fallen through the years though and for this Sunday 5 PM game that I attended in 2026, there were far more empty seats than filled ones. The announced number of 5,730 is an absolute joke. While it’s hard to take seriously the attendance ranks, I do still think this is the best place in the league for fan support.
Fan Support Ranking: 5 out of 8
Atmosphere
Atmosphere is geared significantly towards families and a noticeable buzz of chatter rings through the ballpark. The other buzz that might be heard, is that of a Duck Call. Kids can buy these cheap noisemakers and they use them frequently. It’s not necessarily an atmosphere geared towards the baseball game, but nonetheless, there is a good vibe.
Atmosphere Ranking: 8 out of 14
Other Stuff
I love Long Island’s home jersey, with the clever logo/script “Ducks” and the white pinstriped kit that is accented by green and orange. Well done…..Those jerseys can be found in the team store known as the “Waddle in Shop”. That is just one of several play on words that the team uses with their Ducks nickname.
Game (Initial Visit)
The Ducks were in control throughout the contest as Bobby Johnson had a dominant pitching performance. He only gave up three hits in six shutout innings. Three of Long Island’s runs came from sacrifice fly balls.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
