Mets Not Moving Affiliation to Norwich

Whew, that was a close one!  Not really.  With all the rumblings about a possible Eastern League shakeup in the affiliation ranks, if the Double-A Binghamton Mets are sold and moved to Ottawa, a rumor surfaced that the New York Mets are interested in having their Eastern League affiliate take up residence at Dodd Stadium in Norwich (CT), the current home for the Single-A Connecticut

Detroit Tigers, NYPL Tigers Extend PDC

The Detroit Tigers and the Single-A Connecticut Tigers (New York-Penn League) have extended their player development contract for another two years.  Read more here.  Thanks to John Cerone for the link.

Connecticut Tigers Gunning for Season Two Turnaround

The inaugural season for the Single-A Connecticut Tigers in Norwich (CT) was not a good one from an attendance standpoint.  The team averaged 1,485 per game over 36 home dates, which amounted to half of the 100,000 fans the club hoped to draw in its first season at Dodd Stadium after relocating from Oneonta (NY).  But with a full off season to market the team, the Tigers are hoping for big improvement in season

The Inevitable Arrives: Oneonta is Gone from the NYPL

In the last twenty-five years the landscape of the NY-Penn League has changed dramatically as Europe did after World Word I: omitting the small town hamlets that were once staples of the league and pushing the boundaries outside the areas of both New York

Tigers’ Owner, League President Discuss Move to Norwich

At at news conference in Norwich, CT on Thursday, Oneonta/Conneticut Tigers’ Owner Miles Prentice and New York-Penn League President Ben Hayes discussed the economic realities of continuing to operate the franchise in Oneonta.  Read more here. 

Oneonta Tigers Moving to Norwich

The New York-Penn League’s Oneonta Tigers are indeed moving to Norwich, CT.  The team will begin play at Dodd Stadium starting 2010.  Oneonta Mayor Richard Miller blamed the league for the Tigers’ quick exit and expressed his displeasure in a statement.  Read the mayor’s terse statment here.  Oneonta may not be without ball for long though, as the Tigers have been working in good faith to bring a summer collegiate team to town, and the city has had an inquiry from an independent league club.

Norwich Announcement Delayed

The press conference scheduled for today to announce the name of the New York-Penn League team that is relocting to Norwich, CT has been rescheduled for next Thursday at 1:oo p.m.  Read more here.

New Norwich Team to be Announced Friday

The Norwich City Council and the president of the New York-Penn League met last night to finalize a lease agreement for the new team coming to Dodd Stadium.  The name of the the New York-Penn League franchise that will relocate is expected to be announced on Friday.  Read more here.

Oneonta to Norwich Rumors Reach Market

Rumors about a possible move of the the New York-Penn League’s Oneonta Tigers to Norwich, CT have stirred up the local market.  With a bottom of the barrel per game average attendance of 691 and a ranking of #264 on our annual attendance Mega-Rankings, a move would be no surprise. 

Entering the Home Stretch in Norwich

The New York-Penn League has proposed a 10-year lease agreement for Dodd Stadium in Norwich at $100k per year, with an  increase of $5,000 every two years.  The Norwich City Council was scheduled to discuss the proposed lease in a late closed-door session last night.  A team has yet to be publicly named.  Read more here.

Dodd Stadium Lease on Docket for Monday

The Norwich City Council is scheduled to meet in executive session on Monday to discuss the lease negotiations for Dodd Stadium.  We assume this meeting is just a formality to approve a final lease agreement that will bring a NY-Penn League club to town in time for the fast-approaching 2010 season.  Norwich Jammers, Lake Monsters, Muckdogs?  Whatever the case, a new nickname will probably in order.  Read more here

Norwich ‘Extremely Close’ to Deal with NY-Penn League

After losing the Eastern League’s Connecticut Defenders to Richmond, VA, the City of Norwich is reportendly close to a deal that would bring a New York-Penn League franchise to Dodd Stadium in time for the 2010 season.  No team was mentioned, but speculation has centered on the Jamestown Jammers and Vermont Lake Monsters.  Read more here.

Committee Officially Named to Bring in New Team

On Monday, the Norwich City Council officially began the quest to secure a new tenant for Dodd Sadium by forming a committee that will begin talks with New York-Penn League officials and team owners as early as next week.  Read more here.

Another Look at Dodd Stadium, Norwich Market

Despite $1 million in renovations over the last five years, Dodd Stadium was not able to hold onto the AA Eastern League’s Defenders.  This article discusses the ballpark’s amenities and the Norwich market.

Reinsdorf Denies Rumor that Senators Wanted to Move to Norwich

Harrisburg Senator’s chairman Michael Reinsdorf stated that there was no truth to the rumor that the Senators were ever interested in moving to Norwich, CT.   The ownership group bought the club from the city of Harrisburg for $13.25 million in 2007, with the promise to keep the team in Harrisburg for a minimum of 29 years.  Read more here.