By Marcus Woodruff
Northside News
If you bore a child at the onset of the millennium, you could be a grandparent. If you bought a house back then, when they were much cheaper, you could be ready to burn a mortgage. And, if you committed a heinous crime, you might be getting out in time to catch a double header.
People say that 25 years is a generation. Well, for the people who populate Gen M, the 2000’s have been a wild ride. Happy 25th birthday, Madison Mallards!
“We expect to be involved with the community for a long time.” This prophetic quote came from Mallard’s General Manager Vern Stenman in the August 2006 issue of the Northside News.
As the story goes, it was opening day, and a sellout crowd was descending upon the old ballpark. The Northside TownCenter’s newest resident looked out his door and realized he had a problem. “The lot in front of my store was full, but the store was empty,” said Ron James, manager of Pierce’s Market. He went back inside and called Dave Bruns, one of the owners of the property. “He said they would get right on it,” recalled James.
Dave contacted Vern, and in the middle of all the muddle opening day is, a meeting was held. The next day, security and sawhorses guaranteed Pierce’s parking. James was impressed. “I could not believe how fast they worked,” he said. “I’ve had no problems since that day, and I’ve got nothing but good to say about the organization.”
Getting in and out of various rhubarbs is common practice for Stenman, now president of the Mallards. His MO is simple, dream big, fight hard, stay positive. His biggest challenge to date began in 2007 when he proposed a massive stadium renovation. The project endured 18 months of adverse public opinion, hours of meetings and listening sessions, city alders demanding the Mallards pay for feasibility studies, and finally, the economic crisis of 2008. Through it all, Stenman and the Northside News staff kept the story fresh, informed the public of the issues, and methodically moved past every barrier in their path. When you attend the Duck Pond today, you see the results of those efforts.
Stenman’s mantra has often been heard but was finally immortalized in print in the July 2007 Northside News. When faced with project delays, money worries and attendance issues, he simply said, “Our financing is good. Our product is sound. The people will come.”
Fast forward to the present-day Mallards, now a true Northside success story, and you’ll find that the same youthful drive responsible for hatching them still exists. One common trait has been the continuing production of super creative and often hilarious promotional gimmicks. “We’ve always encouraged our staff to openly talk about any idea they might have,” said Stenman recently. “For us, there’s no such thing as a mistake.”
The upcoming season is no exception, as the team is ready to roll out a zipline beverage delivery service for patrons who just want to sit and enjoy the game. And of course, it comes in a special duck beer cozy you can take home.
The future looks bright. A new book has just come out chronicling the first 25 years of Mallard history, but Stenman, who’s essentially a young man, keeps his eye on the horizon. “We’re not going anywhere,” he stated, “We’ve become part of this city, and this is our kind of city.”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” he remarked in a not so tongue-in-cheek manner, “Madison likes weird stuff.” Here’s to 25 more years of weird.
