Finally

Two weeks from tonight summer arrives. Pay NO attention to the calendar, trust me, when baseball gets here, it's summer. And baseball arrives at Senator Thomas Dodd Stadium at 7:05 PM Wednesday June 18th as the Connecticut Tigers host the Lowell Spinners, the baby BoSox if you will, under the lights (eventually) in their home opener of the New York-Penn (Short Season Single A) League.

The Spinners have been at this baseball stuff while, getting started in 1996, and have sold out every home game for the last eight years (!). There's a waiting list to buy Spinners' season tickets (and their stadium seats close to five thousand folks).

We here in Norwich have had professional baseball at Dodd Stadium for twenty years. After starting as the Double A affiliate of the New York Yankees and then teaming up (didja see what I did there?) the San Francisco Giants, the Connecticut Tigers moved in for 2010 season and the Boys of Summer have called 14 Stott Avenue home ever since.

Dodd Stadium has been a field of dreams for a generation of professional baseball players whose careers are just beginning and it's a great place to watch a game. As a matter of fact, for serious fans of the game, there have already been opportunities galore to check out how the stadium and the turf survived this past winter as the Northeast Conference (NEC) Baseball Championships were there about two weeks ago with the Bryant Bulldogs repeating as champs, followed last week by the Eastern Connecticut Conference (ECC) Baseball Championships, won by the Waterford Lancers.

The Connecticut Tigers put a 'great product' on the field every game-speaking as a life-long Yankees fan, I sometimes wish they didn't-and are an integral part of the Detroit Tigers farm system.

Before the first tarp came off the field this season, actually back in January, the parent club extended its Player Development Contract (PDC) with the Connecticut Tigers for four more years through 2018.    

In announcing the extension, Detroit Tigers Director of Minor League Operations Dan Lunetta offered,"(T)he superb operation of the team, quality of the facility and the Norwich community along with the Connecticut Tigers desire to remain affiliated with Detroit, has provided us the opportunity to now enter into a four year extension of our PDC... It is with excitement that we look forward to the next five years of continuing the pride of Tigers baseball in Southeastern Connecticut. "

Yes, of course, Minor League baseball is about winning-but it's about learning the trade of a professional baseball player. And we've had opportunities to see some terrific talent just starting on their ride to The Show.

Make no mistake-I love Major League Baseball but I don't love driving to Fenway or Yankee Stadium and spending the equivalent of a car payment to see a game, have a hot dog and a soda and park. Especially when it's a short drive to the Business Park, a pittance for parking and the most expensive seat, appropriately called Premium, costing ten dollars. Baseball at a bargain.

And because Minor League Baseball is family entertainment there's always something happening on the field between innings, be it a base running contest through chicken dancing (or what may be chicken dancing, depends on the dancers to be honest).

It happens right here, in our backyard and don't let anybody tell you we don't have fun, and get change back and support a local business, the CT Tigers, who support a lot of other local businesses (check out the in stadium concessions). Tigers' baseball is a great night out that both you and your wallet will appreciate.
See ya at Dodd!
-bill kenny