On Wednesday's Port Night Out, was hopping. The shop now features a solid selection of skateboards and related gear, and professional baseball player Ray Navarrete had stopped by, arranging a display from his Digmi Clothing line, which he runs out of an office in Melville.
A Long Island Ducks superstar and 2009 Atlantic League Most Valuable Player, Navarrete, who plays second base, recently moved to Port Washington. While strolling Main Street during the Dec. 1 Port Night Out, he stopped by Good Things, donning a Digmi sweatshirt and hat.
"They said to me, 'I love what you're wearing. Where you'd get it?'" Navarette recalled. "I tell them and they say, 'This is perfect for us.'"
And so a new relationship emerged. "We did a purchase order, and now they're carrying our product," he said.
Navarrete, who was a minor league free agent with the New York Mets in 2006, is not the first pro-ball player to live in Port Washington. Back in the Mets heyday, nearly half the team resided here. That seemed like welcoming news to Navarrete, who was interested in checking out the rest of Port Night Out, noting the special deals in town, including ones at , which happened to be having a 50-percent off sale.
In between chatting with Patch, Navarette shook hands with fans. He also discussed his five year plan: continuing with baseball, while driving Digmi further, tapping a tie-in between pro-athletes and sportswear. Also on the horizon – another line featuring blazers and jeans.
Kaitlin Puglisi, a Good Things owner, gave the night high marks. "It went terrific, and it was great to have Ray here," she said. "When the kids knew he was a Long Island Duck, they were very excited. It's a great opportunity for us, and a great opportunity for him as he moves forward."
Navarrete seemed to share that sentiment.
He looked around the shop, noting, "This is my first retail spot, and it's my home town."
