Long Island Ducks Player-Coach Lew Ford Shares His Gameday Experience
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A man in his 40s is still playing professional baseball with the Long Island Ducks, and he shared his gameday experience with CBS2's Steve Overmyer.
Five hours before gametime, Lew Ford and the Ducks are in their pre-game routine.
"You want to have success on the field, but there's a process that comes before that. You're not gonna just walk out there and hit .400," Ford said.
Ford has been a professional baseball player for more than 20 years.
"You hopefully get these guys to buy into that process and work hard and then see those results come through at the end," he said.
The Ducks are a team full of former Major Leaguers and guys working towards a return to the bigs, like Ryan Jackson, who was in the show for three years.
Ford is not only a player but also the hitting coach. He's working with Jackson on his timing and wrist action.
When Ford isn't in the line-up, he takes his place as the third-base coach, or the runners' eyes on the field. He tells them to head home or stay put.
"Just trying to remind them of the little things that you have to do on the bases. How many outs there are, watching for line drives, seeing where the fielders are at," Ford said.
The work Jackson did before the game paid off.
Whether it's coaching or hitting, Ford has a recipe for success.
"Follow your heart. Follow what you love to do. You'll probably do a lot better job at it than something you don't like," he said.
"You've spent 22 years as a professional baseball player. How many more do you think you got in you?" Overmyer asked.
"Maybe another 20 or so. Not as a player, but yeah, in baseball," Ford said.
In a game that keeps no clock, what's more appropriate than a player who's timeless?