We are in the full swing of the season—the excitement of the ballpark, the thrill of young athletic talent—and in scoring position for a green-stadium movement.  Minor League Baseball has become increasingly popular over the last decade due to low ticket prices, exciting games, and fun events for kids and adults. Grassroots in nature, the Minor League teams tend to work closely with their community to explore new technology and lessen the carbon footprint of facilities that serve hundreds of thousands of people each year.

Every season, more than 430,000 fans make their way to Citbank Park in Central Islip to watch the Long Island Ducks play winning baseball. The Ducks have had a sustainable philosophy since the stadium opened in 2000, and they started off with a home run. As part of a collaborative effort between the Ducks, Suffolk County, and LIPA, solar panels were installed on the stadium roof as part of a test program for larger facilities. The panels currently power a portion of the luxury-suite level and home clubhouse. Pleased with their success, the Ducks are investigating the possibility of expanding solar capabilities in the future.

The Ducks’ general manager, Manhasset native Mike Pfaff, is enthusiastic about some of the club’s other programs. Who’s on First? “Ricky Recycle.” Bins throughout the stadium accept bottles and cans, with recycling proceeds donated to Winthrop Hospital’s Pediatric Cancer Unit. What’s on Second? Old sneakers. During the off-season, Citibank Park is a designated dropoff location for the Nike “Reuse a Shoe” program. Pfaff jokes that the Ducks “sacrifice the good aroma of the front office to accept old and used sneakers.” The sneakers are sent to Nike, recycled, and used to make equipment and playing surfaces that are then donated to underserved neighborhoods. For those who don’t know . . . Third Base. In order to educate and involve the community in the many greening programs Long Island has to offer, the Ducks recently hosted their first annual Earth Fair. Loading the bases with participants such as LIPA, National Grid (Keyspan), Keep Islip Clean, and The Nature Conservancy, businesses and homeowners were shown how to implement green changes into everyday living.  Pfaff thoughtfully states he “didn’t know sneakers could have another use, didn’t know empty soda cans could help pediatric cancer patients. I’m one person; times this by the half a million seats we fill every year.”  

Always ahead of the curve ball: California. The San Diego Padres’ affiliate, the St. Elsinore Storm, who play at Diamond Stadium, were inspired by holding “go green” events at the stadium. The ballclub president, Dave Oster, asserts, “if you are going to talk the talk—then walk the walk.” He proves so by incorporating some of today’s state-of-the-art systems into the ballpark. Last year, the Storm refurbished their field, installing water-saving nozzles and a computer weather station which monitors and measures weather elements such as sun, clouds, and wind; the findings run through computer software, then the sprinklers output the true amount of water needed for the field. Next season the Storm plan to use only reclaimed water for the field.

Batting cleanup: Diamond Park is the first minor league ballpark to use flushless urinals. Recommended by their local water utility, which offered healthy rebates, the Storm replaced 40 urinals throughout the ballpark with Falcon water-free urinals. The cost for the restroom overhaul: less than $2,000. The savings seen by the weather system, water-saving nozzles, and flushless urinals: more than a million dollars a year in water costs alone. Dave beamed, “It’s great to do the right thing . . . and save money!” In addition, the maintenance of the urinals is extremely low and they cause fewer plumbing problems. Oster did mention that fans are sometimes caught looking for the flushing mechanism, but they eventually catch on.

Other ballparks are on deck. Dan Migala, of The Migala Report, a New York–based sports marketing publication, claims “Minor League Baseball teams reflect the pulse of their community, and they are responding to the call of the green movement with more environmentally friendly ballparks.” He remarks that ballparks are investigating using environmentally friendly light bulbs throughout the stadiums. “Since most parks are operated by a governmental organization, the green stadium movement could also mean good news for taxpayers as electrical costs might go down as well.”   

Watching baseball, helping the environment, and working with the community—of course, it’s America’s favorite pastime.  

Advice from the Pros

Mike Pfaff, general manager of the Long Island Ducks, tells us to “Get involved; it’s not as difficult as you may think. Companies are looking to get their environmental message out, and the Ducks use their facility as a platform to educate the general public on what they can do to go green. People feel involved, and it’s beneficial to the community.” liducks.com

Dave Oster, president of the St. Elsinore Storm, advises, ”Meet with your utility companies—electric, gas, water, and waste—it generally takes less than an hour, and most will do an audit of the facility for free or a minimal charge. The utilities often recommend companies looking to showcase new systems and many of the utilities themselves offer rebates to refit already existing systems.” stormbaseball.com

Nike Reuse a Shoe program has recycled more than 20 million pairs of athletic shoes since 1993, contributing to more than 250 sporting surfaces to provide access to places for kids to play. Find out more at nikebiz.com/responsibility and letmeplay.com

Winthrop Hospital Cans for Cancer has since its inception collected more than 500,000 cans and bottles and raised $25,000 to help fund programs for pediatric cancer care. To see how you can participate, visit winthrop.org