Opening Day Giants SS......

with Omar Vizquel out for the next 4-6 weeks. I actually have one of these uniforms.

Check out this Giants spring training blog....

"San Francisco Giants Jottings" --the link is on the right. Great posts and pics from spring training.

Future Giants 1B?......

or maybe....

or even...

Lots of discussion over on MCC about the future first baseman for the Giants. Cast your votes!

Box score of the first MLBB game I ever saw....

Baseball Almanac Box Scores
Baltimore Orioles 5, Boston Red Sox 4

Game played on Saturday, June 12, 1965 at Fenway Park

Baltimore Orioles ab r h rbi
Snyder rf 5 0 1 0
Aparicio ss 5 1 1 0
Powell 1b 5 1 2 0
Robinson 3b 4 0 1 0
Blefary lf 4 1 2 3
Blair pr,cf 0 0 0 0
Orsino c 3 2 1 0
Brown c 0 0 0 0
Brandt cf,lf 3 0 0 0
Adair 2b 4 0 1 1
Palmer p 3 0 0 0
Hall p 1 0 1 1
Totals 37 5 10 5

Boston Red Sox ab r h rbi

Green cf 3 1 0 0
Jones 3b 4 2 2 0
Yastrzemski lf 4 0 2 1
Mantilla 2b 4 1 2 3
Thomas 1b 3 0 0 0
Conigliaro rf 4 0 1 0
Bressoud ss 4 0 1 0
Tillman c 3 0 0 0
Lonborg p 3 0 0 0
Totals 32 4 8 4

Baltimore 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 – 5 10 0
Boston 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 – 4 8 3

Baltimore Orioles IP H R ER BB SO

Palmer 5.1 5 4 4 3 5
Hall W (4-2) 3.2 3 0 0 0 4
Totals 9.0 8 4 4 3 9

Boston Red Sox IP H R ER BB SO

Lonborg L (4-5) 9.0 10 5 5 3 7
Totals 9.0 10 5 5 3 7

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E–Jones (5), Conigliaro (4), Lonborg (4). DP–Baltimore 2, Boston 1. 2B–Baltimore Orsino (8,off Lonborg), Boston Yastrzemski (13,off Palmer); Mantilla (10,off Palmer); Bressoud (5,off Hall). HR–Baltimore Blefary (9,1st inning off Lonborg 2 on, 2 out), Boston Mantilla (10,4th inning off Palmer 1 on, 1 out). SH–Brandt (3,off Lonborg). HBP–Orsino (3,by Lonborg). WP–Palmer (3). HBP–Lonborg (1,Orsino). U-HP–Ed Runge, 1B–Bob Stewart, 2B–(none), 3B–Joe Paparella. T–2:35. A–8,864.

Game played on Saturday, June 12, 1965 at Fenway Park


A snow day post. I was 10 years old and it was a YMCA bus trip. Still remember how green the grass was. I remember both homers and running around in our section.
Sadly a bunch of these guys are no longer with us.

"Thirsty Thursdays" return!!!!!

I know one happy fan.....from the Def's website:

Mark your calendars
Connecticut Defenders


Planning that beloved family vacation during the winter months provides warm thoughts during the cold. Well, that planning just got a little warmer and a lot cheaper. The Connecticut Defenders have announced their 2008 Promotional Highlights.
"We continue to strive to add value for our fans so it's not just about baseball," said Defenders General Manager, Charlie Dowd. "Our staff has been working hard all off-season to help make Dodd Stadium the place to be this spring/summer".

For starters, the Defenders have provided a reason to come up to Dodd Stadium any day of the week. Even if you're not an avid baseball fan, it all begins on Thursday, April 3rd for Opening Day. The festivities include an Eastern Federal Bank Schedule Magnet Giveaway, Professional Speed Eater Ed "Cookie" Jarvis introducing the newly created All-You-Can-Eat package sponsored by Courant ValuMail, and a post-game fireworks display that is sure to send you home smiling. The season kicks-off with a bang, but the excitement level is sure to increase from there.

There are multiple giveaway dates in store for the 2008 season; some key ones are an AT&T Giants Calendar, Playstation Giants Cap, Dunkin Donuts Beach Towel, Putnam Bank Thunderstix, IMT Real Estate Solutions Judi McEwen Giant Foam Finger, Savings Institute Mike Lowell Bobblehead, Core Plus Federal Credit Union Tee Shirt, and Charter Oak Credit Union Pencil Case. A list of awesome promotions compliment the giveaways. Citizens National Bank Cash Giveaway will allow fans an opportunity to fill their pockets with some cold hard cash. Bernie's Father's Day Big Screen Dig provides adult males a chance for the ultimate prize, but they'll have to get dirty to claim it. Falvey's Fireworks Extravaganza in honor of 4th of July is sure to get the crowd going. Bob's Stores Special Olympic Day featuring The Famous King of Bling, Rally the mascot will entertain the fans with his flashy acts. Salute to the Military will honor our troops who defend our freedom. Big Y Apple Giveaway offers fans a delicious treat that will hopefully turn out to be a sweet winner. Napa 50" TV Giveaway will give one lucky fan a reason to make space in their living room. Dodd Stadium is a one-stop destination for fans of all ages and every day there's something special going on. Season long promotions are as follows:

 Mondays- $1 Hummel Hotdogs/MySpace Mondays (Friends of the Defenders receive discount)

 Tuesdays-2 for Tuesday (Buy one premium ticket, get one free)

 Wednesdays- Senior Citizen Days ($3 Tickets in any section)

 Thursdays- New for 2008, Courant ValuMail All-You-Can-Eat Package/Sam Adam's Pint Glass Giveaway (1st 500 adult fans 21 or older)

 Fridays-XtraMart FIREWORKS!!!

 Saturdays-Can't Beat Bernie's Saturdays (Guaranteed win night & if the Defenders lose you still win)/Budweiser Specials

 Sundays- Sundae/Fundae/Rundae (Kids 12 & under receive FREE ice cream and get to run the bases after the game)

For a listing of the entire 2008 Promotional Schedule in the works, visit the new Connecticut Defenders website at www.ctdefenders.com.

The Defenders kick-off the 2008 season at Thomas J. Dodd Stadium on Thursday, April 3rd against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at 6:35 p.m. For tickets or more information call the Defenders front office at (860) 887-7962 or at www.ctdefenders.com.


This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

A few different promos from LY; the Mike Lowell bobblehead promo will attract the eBayers and guaranteed win Saturdays are new.
Rally, the defunct New Haven Ravens mascot(?) returns. Rally was "adopted" by the team when the Ravens left New Haven to go to New Hampshire, giving the Norwich franchise three mascots (Cutter, Tater and Rally--has to be a record) but I don't think has ever appeared at a game.
And I'm sure the team will add diffferent promos thru the course of the season.

I'm bummed....picked up a pocket schedule

for 2008 the other day and read it. yes I know the on-line version has been up forever but having the pocket sked it my hands made me look over the schedule really for the first time.
No weekday games at ALL except for Memorial Day and a camp day in May and July? I can't understand why the April 9th and April 23nd both getaway days weren't day games like prior years? May 1st could be a day game also but it's a stuffed Thursday so...
Don't get me wrong I'm happy about season long 6:35 night starts and 1:05 Sunday starts but I really liked those early season game days and the attendance difference that early in the season isn't that big a deal.
Bowie and Reading make their only Dodd appearances in April and Erie and Akron show up for their only appearance the very last homestand. Always feel shortchanged with the Southern Division teams.

Defs website changes......

it now seems hosted by milb.com

In today's New London Day.....

Renovations At Dodd To Be Done By Opening Day Controversial Parking Fee Decision Still Looms

Norwich — The Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium is expected to open on schedule April 3 for opening day of the Connecticut Defenders 2008 minor league baseball season after a frantic month of renovations in March.
Whether fans will be paying $2 to park or paying more for a ticket is still undecided.

Defenders General Manager Charlie Dowd asked the Baseball Stadium Authority Wednesday for public assurances that repairs to the failing sprinkler system would be done on time, citing several phone calls he has received from concerned fans that the stadium would not open.

Fire officials determined last September that the sprinkler system did not have sufficient water pressure to meet state fire suppression regulations. Deputy Fire Marshal James Roberts issued an order and a warning that the system be repaired before opening day or he would not allow the stadium to be occupied.

After working with sprinkler system engineers throughout the fall and winter, the authority received approval from the City Council Feb. 4 to forgo the normal competitive bidding process and spend up to $46,290 to hire Liberty Mechanical Inc. of Waterford, the firm that services the sprinkler system, to correct the problems. The firm will split the system into three segments to ensure that high-pressure water reaches all points.

Stadium Authority member Gary Schnip, who oversees stadium operations, said Wednesday that the company has ordered parts for the job. But the authority is still waiting for the city finance office to issue a purchase order for the work, Schnip said. The work is expected to take about five weeks but should be done by the end of March, Schnip said.

The authority also is waiting for a city purchase order for the work approved last year to renovate public bathrooms at the stadium — long a source of fan complaints. That work cannot take place until spring, and likely will run through the first month of the season.

Dowd said that should be OK, as the stadium could keep open one set of bathrooms for men and one for women while closing other facilities. Crowds in April typically are light after opening day, and the team is playing on the road from April 10 to 16 and again from April 24 to 28.

Dowd also told the authority that team officials have not made any decisions on whether to charge for parking for Defenders games this year. Ticket prices and advertising rates have remained the same for the past three years, and concession stand prices were dropped last year. Dowd said the team is considering charging $2 per vehicle for parking.

Authority members, however, were not enamored with the idea. Chairman Michael Jewell said he was concerned about potential traffic jams that plagued busy nights in the early years when parking fees were collected at the gates. He also feared that the stadium might need additional police to direct traffic — a cost the city bears under the lease.

Authority member Harry Jackson suggested the team consider adding $1 to the price of a general admission ticket this year to raise the needed revenue. Jackson speculated that fans would accept that fee more readily than a new parking charge.

Dowd said the team would consider the suggestion but said charging nominal fees for parking is so widely prevalent in sports and entertainment that Dodd Stadium is the rare sports venue that doesn't charge a parking fee.

c.bessette@theday.com


Norwich

The only Defs pitcher with a perfect zero ERA in 2007..

yeah, OK, 2 games and inning each.

A warm picture on a cold day.............

pitchers and catchers soon

Wonder where TJ will land and only 2 months...

now to go!