The Ballpark at Harbor Yard Opens
Published on March 17, 2004 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Bridgeport Bluefish News Release
Happy St. Patrick's Day to all! Erin go bragh! And, by golly, don't ferget that Bridgeport's own St. Patty's Day Parade this Wednesday starts (promptly at noon) and ends right here across the street from our ballpark! City Councilman Bob Curwen has done a yeoman's job with this parade!
Hard to believe with this latest snowstorm, we know, but the Ballpark at Harbor Yard has already hosted baseball games this past week. For the record, the University of Bridgeport officially opened the ballpark this past Sunday with a doubleheader split against C.W. Post University. The first game was an 8-3 shellacking from C. W. Post, but the UB Purple Knights staged a 6-run late-inning rally in the nightcap to gain a split 7-6. Erik Barber's grand slam home run was the big hit in the rally. We're very proud to be the home field for both the Purple Knights and also for Sacred Heart University.
Congratulations to former Bluefish pitching legend Al "the franchise" Sontag and Kathy Sontag with the birth of their first child, Emily Rose Sontag, born January 6, 2004, 7 pounds, 9 ounces, 19 ½ inches long! Al, Kathy and Emily are just down the road in Norwalk!
With the opening of the ballpark, you might want to plan on coming to our National Anthem auditions which this year will be held from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, March 27 at the Playhouse on the Green on State Street. Check out the details at our website (www.bridgeportbluefish.com), and remember that you have to register in advance by calling our Promotions Department (203-345-4800, ext. 124). It's our own little "American Idol" gig.
And if you truly believe you've got what it takes to play for the Bluefish this year, then you need to register and show up for our Open Tryout Day on Saturday, April 10 from (:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Once again, visit our website for details. You can actually download a Tryout Application, and remember that you must register in advance (and there's a $50 tryout fee).
Didya know that Connecticut is the most productive state in the entire country with Gross State Product per worker of $91,003? The national average is $70,816. Also, we have basically halted a long-term negative migration trend. That is, the number of persons moving into the state is now about equal to the number moving out, a vast improvement from the early to mid-90s when net outmigration was 20,000-30,000 annually. Source: 2003 Connecticut Economic Review, published by Connecticut Light & Power and Yankee Gas, operating companies of Northeast Utilities.
What do the following four dates have in common: March 21, March 23, April 27 and April 28? Give up? They are "Scalping Dates" at the Arena at Harbor Yard! The March dates are the First Round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, featuring the two-time defending National Champion UCONN Women's Basketball team (as a two seed in the Atlantic Division, can you believe it?). The April dates are the two Elton John concerts, both of which sold out in next to no time. Our own ticketing office is about 200 feet from the Arena's ticketing office, and even though we have nothing to do with ticketing for any of these events, we are being bombarded by folks looking for tix. Who woulda thunk it, here in Bridgeport? We are, of course, selling Bluefish season tickets, and tickets for the Playhouse on the Green from our ticket office. Our individual Bluefish game tickets go on sale at 9:00 AM on April 10.
Don't have tix for the women's games on March 21 and March 23? You can still show up this Saturday, March 20, from noon to 4:15 PM to watch the four teams, including UCONN, practice. And, it's free! There's also a tournament tip-off luncheon on Friday, March 19 at noon at the Holiday Inn, sponsored by the Bridgeport Regional Business Council. You better call first (203-345-4800) to see if they have any tickets left.
By the way, with the Arena packed to the gills for Sunday night's UCONN/Penn game, at 9:30 PM, the question is: when was the last time there was a crowd of nearly 9,000 fans at a sporting event in Bridgeport at 10:00 PM on a Sunday evening? The answer is probably never, especially since the Bluefish don't play on Sunday nights, and we don't believe the Sound Tigers have ever reached 9,000 for a Sunday night hockey game.
Tomorrow is a biggie at the Legislative Office Building at the State Capitol Building. That's because it's Bridgeport Day at the Capitol. You can be sure our mascot, BB, will be there, and there will be lots of legislators sporting Bridgeport Bluefish baseball hats. We'll be displaying our banner, giving out schedules and conducting drawings for Bluefish tix. In addition, there will be 18 Bridgeport organizations exhibiting their wares to the legislators. Our own City Council will be there, and will even be cosponsoring breakfast and lunch. As it has been in the past, it should be a grand day for Bridgeport to "strut its stuff" in front of 200 state legislators!
There's a new report out called "A Preliminary Strategic Marketing Plan for Downtown Bridgeport" which was just presented to the Downtown, Tourism, Retail & Perception Subcommittee of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee for the City of Bridgeport. Is that a mouthful or what? It's a very promising report which details the many assets that downtown Bridgeport has. Here are a few mentioned in the report: "the downtown is convenient, easily accessible from I-95 and Route 8, there is plenty of parking, the train station is in the downtown, the ferry terminal is within easy walking distance and Bridgeport has its own airport. The downtown is safe, clean, compact and easily walkable. There are restaurants, some very good restaurants, and more on the way. The downtown presents an affordable and timely opportunity for development investment, new business and retail in a varied and stimulating urban environment in the heart of one of the most sophisticated and wealthiest areas of the country." The report goes on to make a compelling case for a new website to promote the dickens: out of Bridgeport's downtown, including, of course, the ballpark and the arena. The big challenge at the moment is how to garner the funds to pay for that promotion, but rest assured that there is enormous interest in seeing the downtown grow and prosper. Stay tuned.
Speaking of available and affordable parking, this editor went to a UCONN Women's basketball game in Hartford and had to shell out $10 for parking for the game in the Civic Center. Same parking right next to the Arena at Harbor Yard (even closer than in Hartford) costs a whopping $2!
The Long Island Ducks have just announced their promotional calendar for 54 of their 72 home games this season. For the record, we play over there in Central Islip at Citibank Park on June 3, 4 and 5, on July 19, 20 and 21, and on September 1, 2 and 3. Here are promotions over there while we're playing them: June 3: Team Card Sets (of the Ducks- yuk!) presented to first 1,500 fans; June 4: Travel mugs presented to first 1,500 fans; June 5: Post-game fireworks presented by Grucci; July 19: Those god-awful quackers presented to the first 1,500 fans (stay away from this game or the noise will drive you crazy); July21: Baseball presented to the first 2,000 fans; September 2: Sport bottles presented to the first 1,500 fans; and September 3: Posters presented to the first 1,500 fans. Be forewarned though if you're heading over to a Bluefish-Ducks game. The Ducks sell out most of their games, so make sure you have tix saved for you or you might just end up being on the outside looking in.
If the promotions above have piqued your interest, go to our own website, and check out our own promotions. The list of games with promotions is growing all the time, and right now we have 31 promotions listed on the website. And, if you represent a company that would like to sponsor a night at the ballpark, and perhaps distribute your own wares to our fans, then, by all means, let us know as soon as possible. As for wholesome, affordable family entertainment, you couldn't find a better "demographic" than the Ballpark at Harbor Yard during a Bluefish game.
Atlantic League Stories from March 17, 2004
- Somerset Patriots re-sign Hillsborough native Tony Gsell - Somerset Patriots
- Nashua Pride job fair set for April 10 - American Defenders of New Hampshire
- The Ballpark at Harbor Yard Opens - Bridgeport Bluefish
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