Dukes Retro Night delivers nostalgia for Albuquerque faithful

For Matthew De Volder, it wasn’t much of a question. Or an answer. All he had to do was tug at his red jersey and remember the future Hall of Famer’s turn with the Dukes, Albuquerque’s beloved former Triple A franchise.

“Mike Piazza,” the 42-year-old Albuquerque resident said of his favorite Dukes player, a 62nd round pick that blossomed into a 12-time All-Star catcher with the Dodgers and the Mets. “… oh man, he was really great. Really great. He would jump like, everywhere — jump like, right there to catch a foul ball,” he added, gesturing down the third-base line.

He shook his head. “Just crazy.”

Johnny Santillanes, 43, didn’t hesitate either. Piazza’s up there, to be sure. But Orel Hershiser — a tall, slight pitcher nicknamed “Bulldog” for his competitive spirit — was easily his favorite.

“I’ve just always liked him,” he shrugged and said of the former Duke that went on to win a Cy Young Award and pitch a record 59 scoreless innings with the Dodgers in 1988, “ever since I was a little kid.”

Dave and Emily Behrens, both 64, did hesitate. Not so much because they couldn’t recall some of the greats that graced Albuquerque Sports Stadium when they started going to games in the 1980s and 1990s.

More so because there were too many to remember.

“That was one of the best parts,” Dave said. “We saw so many guys that we can say, ‘he was a Duke, he was a Duke, he was a Duke … tons of players.”

Before torrential downpours washed away a Saturday night game against the Salt Lake Bees, the Dukes were back in Albuquerque for one night in front of a healthy crowd — attendance figures were not available by print deadline.

The game was postponed with the Bees leading 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Gates will open at 2:30 p.m.

The Isotopes donned the yellow and red jerseys and caps of the long-time Dodgers affiliate for Dukes Retro Night, even honoring former Duke player and manager Mike Scioscia — who was the lone inductee into the Albuquerque Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024 — in a pregame ceremony delayed due to rain.

And for at least one night, nostalgia took center stage.

De Volder and Santillanes, both Albuquerque natives, fondly remembered going to Dukes games at Albuquerque Sports Stadium.

Santillanes not only recalled watching some of the greats that graced the ballpark, but the family-friendly atmosphere and how accessible said players were to the fans.

De Volder largely agreed, cherishing the memories of games as much as the heirlooms he took home.

“The autographs, meeting the players,” he said. “Getting autographs on baseballs, a bat, even jerseys and hats.”

The Behrenses have slightly different memories of Dukes games. Like a nondescript game where a player — whether it was a Duke or not, they don’t remember — launched a foul ball that caromed off a light pole and fell neatly into a trash can 20 feet away.

“We think that that’s one of our claims to fame,” Dave laughed, wearing his Dukes hat and gray T-shirt.

There were no fond memories, however, of when the Dukes were sold and moved to Portland in 2000. “It was sad,” Emily remembered. “Because it was entertainment — like it is now. Something to do.”

Even with the Isotopes and Isotopes Park taking the place of the Dukes and Albuquerque Sports Stadium, De Volder said it’s a “whole different ball game.” But the Dukes, be it through retro T-shirts, jerseys, hats or nights like Saturday’s, have endured.

Why?

“I think we’re proud of our baseball, our heritage,” Dave added. “And I think part of it has to do with the fact that we don’t have major league baseball, football, basketball. But for this size of a city, the Dukes, the Isotopes, (it’s) a great option for everybody that lives here.”

At least one former Duke agrees.

Scioscia, a former catcher with Albuquerque, was introduced by Isotopes broadcaster Josh Suchon and promptly greeted by video testimonials from Dukes alumni such as Ron Roenecke, Mickey Hatcher, Dean Treanor, Dave Stewart, Juan Castro and Jeff Williams.

All shared stories about Scioscia, stories about the Dukes. Then Scoscia took the microphone and turned to the Albuquerque crowd for the first time in years.

“The people here in Albuquerque are so welcoming … it’s so rewarding for me to get back here and say thank you, to all the fans,” he said. “All the people in Albuquerque that went out of their way to welcome all of us and make us feel safe,” Scoscia said. “It was very comforting to us, (and) our families, that we were playing in such a great place and great city.

“Like I said, I love Albuquerque … Keep following this team.”

Photos: Dukes Retro Night rained out