Unable to get to Dodd tonight.....

but big news on several fronts...
1.) ESPN will be filming a movie at Dodd after the season ends that will kill the "infield out" deal for a year.
2.) the Norwich Bulletin web site is reporting Dodd will host the 2007 Eastern League All-Star game. Dodd hosted the last ever Double A All-Star Game back in 2002.
3.) A "major announcement" of some sort will be announced on Sept 1 at Dodd.
In other stuff:
The Defs added a reliver to replace Billy Sadler and the Defenders on line roster shows old friend OF Adam Shabala on board so I have more pics to take Sunday. And Nate keeps the hits coming as the streak is up to 21 games!!!

Nate's hitting streak up to a league season leading

19 games with a double tonight! I'll be able to say one day soon, "I saw him when...."

Only 8 games left and I'll

fall short of hitting 50 games this season. Should be there Friday and Sunday for Reading however.

Jason Waddell Connecticut Defenders

Jason in Game 2 8/14/06

Billy Sadler promoted to Fresno!

The Defenders closer is on his way to Triple A today and we wish him good luck. He's been on fire lately and the promo is well deserved. His stats so far this season with Connecticut are:

4-3, 20 saves, 2.56 ERA, 67 Ks, 45.2 IP

Good Luck Billy!

Chris Begg tosses a CG gem, Defenders win 4-1

Nate continues his hot hitting with an opposite field double (he also got a infield single) to open the scoring in the third and extend his hitting streak to 13 games. He lifted a sac fly in the fifth to knock in Begg who had singled of the CF's glove for the second Defender run. Begg's slide was kind of scary as his face caught part of the catcher but he popped up OK. Brian Buscher closed out the scoring in the inning with a two run HR,his seventh of the season.
Meanwhile Begg cruised along giving up two hits over the first 8 innings but gave up three singles and a run in the ninth enroute to improving is record to 12-10.
Misc fan notes: Randy Walter retired. The outfielder was always a fouth outfielder type but carried himself with class. He'll be missed. Good Luck Randy.
Last bobblehead promo of the season tonight. Bernie "Burn baby Burn" Williams bobblehead went off. Smallish crowd on a nice night.
Only eight home games left!!!!

Defs lose Game 1 4-2 to the Curve and trailing Game 2

Defenders were cruising behind James Garcia in the first game up 2-0 thanks to a RBI single by Brian Buscher and a sac fly by Dan Ortmeier in the first but it came undone in the fifth when Erie scored four runs, the big blow a three run triple by Simon Pond. Nate's hitting streak up to 11 games now--he's hammering!
Misc fans note: This will be a short post but decided to give back and upgraded to a skybox tonight (see pic). Also Mohegan Sun t-shirt givaway tonight! One of my favs that I totally forgot about. With the two games tonight, I've hit last year's attendance total of 43 games. Can I make it to 50?
Work's killing me; will have a longer post after Wednesday's game.

Nate's second basehit Defenders 5 Erie 4 (8-11-06)

Defenders 5 Erie 4 (8-11-06) Billy Sadler save

Defenders win 5-4 over SeaWolves

Timely hitting, gutty pitching and defense spell a one run victory over the Tigers' Double A team tonight. Andy Busch, filling in for an injured Todd Jennings (day to day fouled ball off foot) knocked in the first run of the game with a two out RBI double. Dan Ortmeier knocked in a pair with single after the Defs fell behind 2-1 for a 3-2 CT. lead. Tyler Von Schell, subbing for Travis I. (sore wrist in BP, also day to day) knocked in the final pair with a double.
Chris Begg, pitched out of jams most of the game, getting big DPs in the first two innings when in both innings the leadoff hitters got on to notch his 11th win. Scott Munther pitched 1.2 innings and was helped out by a D-Mac fielding gem in the eighth. D-Mac, in for defense, ranged into the hole on a ground ball, flipped no look behind the back to Jake Wald who nipped the batter at first for the final out of the inning.
Billy Sadler, lights out again, stikes out the side for his 19th save. Nate Schierholtz, went 2-4 and scored two runs as his hot hitting continues. Quincy Foster scored twice and had a beautiful bunt single to start a rally.
Misc fan notes: I'm actually loading video clips to YouTube to post to the blog as I'm typing this. A lousy 3 minute clip takes about 45 minutes despite my DSL connection.
The usual 4500 for Friday fireworks. They don't waste any time putting them up after the game ends. Nice display tonight.
The promo schedule said it was a Core-Plus t-shirt giveway and it turned out to be a Back of America t-shirt giveaway. The t's are compressed into those small plastic shaped bricks and when you open them they're are beyond wrinkled.
Thank God it didn't rain. This is the only time Erie is in and with work my only chance to see them this season. The goal is always to see every team at least once.

Moving the infield "out".............

as reported in the New London Day today the team is considering moving the infield "out" towards the fences in an effort to juice up the offensive. This was in response to the Giants asking the team to move the fences in. This means the fans would be farther away and foul territory would increase. Moving the infield is easier then moving the fences in and the team is resodding anyway. ERA's BA's and runs will go up and maybe the numbers in the stands as well. Feels like arena baseball to me.
This whole subject of Dodd being a "pitcher's" park has really heated up in cyberspace against the backdrop of the Defenders offensive woes this season.
Anyway the road trip stands at 4-3. Nate and Travis have their bats going, Brian H. continues to hit. Dan O. got his first Defender HR. And Billy has been great coming out of the pen.
I'll be at Dodd Friday only for Erie and should be at all the Curve games.

2006 player photo gallery is up at:

http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/greg8370/

Sorry hyperlink doesn't want to work but if you type it in it'll come up. Any feedback would be great.