The Long Island Ducks have announced their coaching staff for the 2026 season. Lew Ford returns for his third season as Ducks manager and is joined by returning pitching coach Bobby Blevins and newcomer Tim Battle Jr., who will serve as bench coach.
“I’m looking forward to being back with the Ducks for the 2026 season and building off last year,” said Ford. “I’m happy to have Bobby back as our pitching coach after leading the top pitching staff in the Atlantic League. I’m also excited to have Tim join us. He’s had success everywhere he’s been and brings positive energy, hard work, and valuable experience.”
Ford enters his third season as manager and his 16th overall with the organization. He has posted winning records in each of his first two seasons, compiling a 136-116 record for a .540 winning percentage. In 2025, he guided the Ducks to the Atlantic League’s third-best record at 72-54 while ranking in the league’s top three in batting, pitching, and fielding. Six players also had their contracts purchased by Major League or foreign professional organizations.
During his franchise-best 13-year playing career with the Ducks, including nine seasons as a player-coach, Ford totaled a team-record 1,036 hits. He ranks among franchise leaders in batting average, games played, RBIs, runs scored, doubles, and total bases. Ford was named the 2014 Atlantic League Player of the Year and later helped guide multiple Ducks to league honors as a manager.
Blevins returns for a third season after guiding the pitching staff the past two years. In 2025, Long Island led the Atlantic League in ERA, batting average against, and fewest hits, runs, and home runs allowed. Previously, the 39-year-old pitched eight seasons in the Atlantic League, including five with the Ducks.
Battle Jr. joins the organization after managing the State College Spikes in the MLB Draft League. A former Yankees third-round pick, he played 14 professional seasons following a successful recovery from cancer.