In today's New London Day:

Norwich

It was late in the afternoon Thursday, the last day in 2007 when Dodd Stadium was open for baseball, and there was Lou DiBella on the concourse with his dog, Chaplin, in tow. Chaplin, a rat terrier which Lou described as a “Jack Russell with satellite dish ears,” was really only looking for food. His dad, meanwhile, had his cell phone affixed to his right ear, listening to the final, painful, pitches of his Mets' meltdown in Philly.

“Let's go upstairs,” DiBella told an inquiring mind, who was there to talk about an encouraging season for the team he owns, the Connecticut Defenders.

And so DiBella, Chaplin and the inquiring mind headed to Lou's Lounge, an oasis next to all the skyboxes, with DiBella, and not Chaplin, barking. DiBella, nothing else if not a show unto himself, was bothered by some of Willie Randolph's managerial decisions.

DiBella sat down and spoke before he was asked a question.

“Well,” he began, “I'm very happy with my staff. Attendance is up. I'm very happy with my G.M. (general manager Charlie Dowd). He's an adult. He has ties to the community that were reflected in his ability to renew some relationships that had gone sour in recent years.”

DiBella admitted that the Defenders didn't make money in 2007, punctuating that with “and that's not good enough.” But he also acknowledged that things with the local Double-A baseball outfit are markedly better in Aug. 2007 than Aug. 2006.

Attendance, which will be somewhere around 195,000 showed a 15 percent increase, the largest single season increase in the history of the franchise. DiBella said that concession income is up as well.

Think about that: A franchise whose product looked to be swirling the bowl last year in an obscure ballpark with a baseball product on its fifth straight losing season actually reversed a trend — declining attendance — here in the Land Of Steady Habits.

That might elicit a yawn from the masses.

But anyone who has lived here long enough, with all the self-proclaimed experts about everything, should know there's reason for optimism.

“In previous years, a lot of what I said was spin. All spin,” DiBella said. “Not anymore. A lot of the crowds this year I liked. I'm comfortable with the direction right now. It's a very good job by our staff.”

Here's where the franchise stands: The Defenders can opt out — buy their way out, actually — of their agreement with Norwich that lasts through 2012, after the 2009 season. But if attendance and other revenue streams increase in the next two summers they way they did in 2007, the Defenders would be profitable, DiBella said.

But can that happen?

The Day's web site ran a question recently entitled, “Why don't you go to Defenders games?” There were an impressive number of responses, about 80 percent of which mentioned one of two factors:

The ballpark's location and a lack of interest in the San Francisco Giants, the parent club.

“I love the stadium,” DiBella said, “despite not loving the location.”

Translation: There's nothing they can do about being at the top of an industrial park.

Part Two of that, however, is something the Defenders must consider. The Giants have one more year here. After that, the Defenders ought to do everything possible to bid them a rousing “arrivederci.”

While it's true that attendance began to swan dive with the Yankees here, there was far more buzz about the erstwhile Navigators, because there was either a Soriano here or a Cone/Strawberry rehabilitation stint.

Most of the fans who watch the Defenders root for the Yankees or Red Sox. They have no attachment to the Giants, who play most of their games after bedtime.

And so if the Defenders could at least attract an American League franchise, the people here would have some familiarity. What they've got right now is five years of teams that lose 2-1 too much, five years of baseball that has been more boring than chemistry class.

The future of the franchise is tied to perpetually increasing attendance and attracting more and different advertisers. DiBella said, for instance, that while Mohegan Sun has been “a great friend to us,” he needs Foxwoods to renew the level of commitment it once had. At least the Defenders have something encouraging to sell.

There's not much more depressing than a ballpark closing for the season. But to think where the Defenders were a year ago at this time and where they are now ...

As DiBella said, it's not good enough. But it's a whole lot better.

This is the opinion of Day assistant sports editor Mike DiMauro. He may be reached at m.dimauro@theday.com or 701-4391.