Trevor Bauer's special autograph session brings out Ducks fans before Friday night's game
Noah Tedesco, 10, of Wantaugh, instructs Long Island Ducks pitcher Trevor Bauer where to autograph his baseball glove before the game Friday May 15, 2026, at Fairfield Properties BallPark in Central Islip. Fans lined up a good hour before the gates opened to get their hands on the Trevor Bauer “Sword” poster to have that or another item signed. Tedesco attended the game with his father. Credit: Kathy M Helgeson
Andrew Ditzel of Wantagh sat in the sun along the rightfield line at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip on Friday, relaxing while wearing a Long Island Ducks jersey and sunglasses.
It was his 27th birthday, and as a former pitcher who played for Dutchess Community College, he was thrilled to have just met one of his favorite players in Trevor Bauer.
“I’ve been a Ducks fan since I was a kid, so I’ve been coming here my whole life,” Ditzel said. “I’ve been waiting all day for this. I’ve been anxious all day. As soon as I saw this, I told my girlfriend, ‘We’ve got to go.’ ”
Ditzel was one of many who went to the ballpark to meet and receive an autograph from Bauer before the Ducks’ home game against Gastonia. The first 2,000 fans received a poster depicting Bauer’s signature celebration of sheathing a sword, with the pitcher signing autographs for about 30 minutes.
Bauer leads the Atlantic League with a 1.41 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 32 innings across five starts. Wantaugh resident Andrew Ditzel gets a 27th birthday present from Long Island Ducks pitcher Trevor Bauer on Friday, May 15, 2026. Credit: Kathy M Helgeson
The Dodgers placed Bauer, the 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner, on administrative leave in 2021 before the righthander was handed a 194-game suspension as MLB determined he violated its domestic violence/sexual assault policy. He denied any wrongdoing and was not charged.
Bauer, who has not pitched in MLB since his release in January 2023, will make his next start for the Ducks on Sunday to conclude a six-game series against Gastonia, the same team he faced on May 12 when he set the Ducks’ franchise record for single-game strikeouts (15), two short of tying the league record.
Babylon’s John Tedesco and his 10-year-old son, Noah, waited in line with a ticket stub from that very game in hand. A Ducks supporter for more than 20 years, Tedesco said he’d place Bauer among the best to suit up for Long Island.
“The Ducks always have former major-leaguers as managers or players, and he’s right up there because he can step out today and play in the majors,” Tedesco said. “It’s exciting to see as opposed to, as a Yankee fan, going out to the Bronx and seeing those guys play. This is right in my neighborhood; you can’t beat it.”
Massapequa senior Cameron Mangan and junior Collin Doherty arrived at the ballpark more than an hour before the gates opened.
“I got to meet him at the 2018 All-Star Game in Washington D.C.,” Doherty said. “So it’s pretty cool seeing how he’s come so far throughout his career.”
Said Mangan, “We saw Bauer sign with the Ducks and thought, ‘We have to go.’ ”
Oceanside sophomore Nick Marino, a pitcher, bought Bauer’s 2021 Dodgers Topps card when he signed with the Ducks and had it signed Friday. Marino said he watches Bauer’s social media content — from baseball tips to in-game action — and appreciates “the raw emotion” the 35-year-old pitcher plays with.
“What he shows behind the scenes — what he does after a start, before a start — you get a more in-depth analysis of what he does and how he can build off of that,” Marino said.
C.J. Hollywood, 15, and Cameron Talal, 14, of Shirley went to the signing after watching Bauer’s videos about improving their form.
“[I’d ask him how] to improve my grips,” Hollywood said, “how to get more movement on the ball.”
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
More LI Ducks
