Ducks in Sports

SI Staff | Oct 29, 2013

Ducks in Sports

Akron Rubber Ducks

The Cleveland Indians' AA affiliate, once the Akron Aeros, is now officially the Akron RubberDucks. The name apparently derives from Akron's rich rubber-manufacturing history (though mostly for tires, not ducks).

Anaheim Ducks

Al Bello, Jeff Gross, Jim McIsaac/Getty Images; David E. Klutho/SI

The Ducks, née Mighty Ducks, once stood as the finest example of synergy in sports. The franchise, founded in 1993, was owned by Disney, named after the 1992 film <italics>The Mighty Ducks</italics>, and located in suburban Southern California, near Disneyland. In its 20-year existence, the franchise won two Western Conference championships (2002-02 and 2006-07) and one Stanley Cup ('06-07). In 2005, Henry and Susan Samueli bought the team from Disney and shortened the name to simply Ducks.

&lt;i&gt; The Mighty Ducks

The 1992 classic film features Emilio Estevez as Gordon Bombay, who takes over the lowly District 5 hockey team and transforms them into peewee champs. Disney, which owned the real-life NHL team, continued the series for two live-action sequels and an animated version, in which the human players were replaced in favor of crime fighting, hockey playing ducks.

Oregon Ducks

Steve Conner/Icon SMI

Thanks to their uniforms and up-tempo offense, the Oregon football team is one of the flashiest in Division I. Lately, the Ducks have been able to back up their style with substance, winning Pac-10 (later Pac-12) championships in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and appearing in four consecutive BCS bowl games, including a loss in the 2011 BCS National Championship game.

Alexandre Pato

Eugenio Savio, Felipe Dana/AP

Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva, commonly known as Alexandre Pato is a Brazilian soccer player. "Pato" translates from Portuguese to "duck" in English. In the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup, he became the youngest player to score a goal in a FIFA-organized competition. Supposedly, the hand on the face ritual performed by Pato after scoring a goal is meant to represent a duck's foot.

Angel "Pato" Cabrera

Robert Beck/SI

The two-time major winner (and one-time playoff runner up) is nicknamed "El pato," which means "the duck" in English. Cabrera became the first Argentine to win either the U.S. Open (2007) or the Masters (2009).

Roberto "Pato" Abbondanzieri

Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

Abbondanzieri earned 48 caps from 2004 to 2008, goalkeeping for the Argentine national soccer team. In the 2006 World Cup, Abbondanzieri was forced to leave with an injury in Argentina's quarterfinal loss to Germany.

Bill Quackenbush

AP

In 1949, Quakenbush became the first defenseman to win the Lady Byng trophy. He also was a three-time First Team NHL All-Star (1948, 1949, 1951) and a two-time Second Team All-Star (1947, 1953). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976.

Joe "Ducky" Medwick

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Medwick, a leftfielder, won the 1937 N.L. MVP and Triple Crown for the St. Louis Cardinals. In his 17-year career, Medwick made 10 All-Star teams and won one World Series, in 1934. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1968.

Long Island Ducks

Gregory A. Shemitz/AP

The Ducks baseball team has won three championships in the Atlantic League, including 2012 and '13. Hall of Famer Gary Carter managed the team in 2009. The 2013 roster included former major leaguers Bill Hall, Ramon Castro and Dontrelle Willis. Willis pitched well for the team, posting a 2.56 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings, which earned him a selection for the Atlantic League All-Star team.

Beijing Ducks

ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images

The Ducks are a Chinese professional basketball team known recently as a haven for American players looking to prolong their careers. The team signed Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury, and Marbury, who helped bring the team its first first Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) title in 2012, is still on the roster.

CelebriDucks

AP

CelebriDucks is an American company that manufactures rubber ducks featuring celebrity likenesses. Notable athlete-based Celebriducks include Allen Iverson, Sammy Sosa and Moisés Alou.

Madison Mallards

The Mallards are a collegiate summer league baseball team based in Madison, Wisconsin. Notable former players include Ryan Spilborghs, who hit 42 home runs in six seasons with the Colorado Rockies.

Quad-City Mallards

John Schultz/Quad-City Times/ZUMAPRESS.com

The Mallards are a minor-league hockey team located in Moline, Illinois. The team is affiliated with the Minnesota Wild.

T.J. Duckett

Bob Rosato/SI

Duckett had a propensity for getting into the end zone during his NFL career, illustrated by his 44 career touchdowns in seven seasons spent with the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks.

Kevin Duckworth

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Duckworth was a two-time All-Star center with the Portland Trail Blazers and the winner of the 1987-88 Most Improved Player award. He also played for the Washington Bullets, San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers.

Dick "Ducky" Schofield

David Mathias/Denver Post, Frank Jansky/Southcreek Global via Getty Images

Schofield had a 19-year career as an MLB infielder, highlighted by winning the World Series in 1960 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. A career .227 hitter, Schofield is also the grandfather of Nationals outfield Jayson Werth.

Brandon Duckworth

Chris Pizzello/AP

Duckworth was a starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals from 2001-2008. He had 23 wins and a 5.28 ERA for his career.

Ducky Holmes

Chicago History Museum/Getty Images

Holmes' 10-year MLB career, which began in 1895, included stints with the Louisville Colonels, New York Giants, St. Louis Browns, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox. He was a .281 hitter.

Gerald Diduck

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Diduck played 932 games in his NHL career, which included time with the New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Hartford Whalers, Phoenix Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars. Diduck, a defenseman, finished with 212 career points.

Josh Mallard

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Mallard was an NFL defensive lineman from 2002-2008. In his seven-year career, he played for the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals. He recorded 8.5 sacks as a pro.

Wesly Mallard

David J. Phillip/AP

Mallard was an NFL linebacker and former sixth-round pick of the New York Giants. He played for the Giants, Patriots, Buccaneers, Broncos and Seahawks before retiring in 2008. Fittingly, he played for Oregon in college, where he was Second Team All-Pac 10 in 2001.

Bobby Duckworth

Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Duckworth was a wide receiver in the NFL from 1982-1986. In his career with the San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, he caught 82 passes for 1,784 yards and 13 touchdowns.