A Nice Thought...

[Berkshirian]

Howdy, all.

Was up in beautiful Maine last week and got a chance to stop by the awesome Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach, which has been saved from almost certain death by a group of amazing volunteers who have done an incredible job. The place looks great! They are even hosting some sort of NCAA tourney there this spring!

I think OOB would be an ideal spot for a team, if not CanAm, then certainly NECBL.

In my opinion, Pittsfield will not be a good move for Nashua. I was hoping for a Trois Rivieres move, myself.....

Merry Christmas to all!!!!

[PaulD]

I read last spring that the volunteers had really done a good job rescuing the place. They talked about the new sod that was supposedly goining to be installed. Did you see the grass? Would it be ready for next spring? In the article the high school baseball coach, also the town's postmaster, is the guy heading the group said he would like to see the high school games there and he said possibly the NECBL.

I think it would be wise to see if the town would support the NECBL first. Then possibly brining in a team in a league such as the Can Am. OOB has not supported professional baseball in the past with a few years of AAA baseball and a few years of NY Penn league.

[GoCyclones!]

Thanks for review of that park. I've heard good things being done there. It's not farfetched to get a team. With the Can-Am moving to Pittsfield, their NECBL team is likely to move (I'm thinking Norwich or New Haven), and this is about 25 miles from Sanford, another team in the NECBL. It is only 20 miles from Portland, however. I wonder if that infringes on any territorial rights the Sea Dogs have.

[Hawk87]

Duquette remains in control of a franchise when his group couldn't reliably finish last season?? No other markets with owners in the NE that want to get into baseball, huh?

[Berkshirian]

Grass looked GREAT, even in December, it was quite a bit lusher (is that even a word?) than I would have thought.

Outfield fences totally repaired, and the burnt skybox removed.

OOB didn't draw THAT badly in AAA actually. The stadium was about 3500 seats too small for the new standards, and the Phillies wanted to bring their team closer to home. I don't think NYPenn was ever there, actually.

I agree that NECBL would work very well. Sanford is not too far at all, and incidently the CanAm has no obligations to stay out of affiliated territory. Not that I'm suggesting it, but they could build a ballpark right across the street from Hadlock Field (Portland SeaDogs) and plop a team there if they felt like it.

I would hope that NECBL and CanAm both stay out of any further forrays into Connecticut. With the possible exception of New Britain, for some reason Nutmeg State teams draw very poorly, and usually end up leaving anyway. They've lost 2 NECBL teams in the last 14 months, to New Bedford and Laconia, not to mention the Defenders to Richmond.

Well, get on up to Maine and see this park! That is, if you even need an excuse to head up to that gorgeous land......

[PaulD]

Your right the Guides were always in the International league. First an affiliate with Cleveland then with Philadelphia. THeir last couple of years they did not draw to well. Imagine 70 home games and drawing 80000. That is not good even for Can AM league teams.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_Phillies

[PaulD]

Old Orchard Beach an expansion team in the NECBL?

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100725/SPORTS13/7250366/-1/SPORTS

[PaulD]

A possibility the Baysox will move from New Bedford?

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbc ... /-1/SPORTS

[Berkshirian]

Look at http://www.ballparkdigest.com.

Lowell NECBL looking to move to OOB!

[BerkshireFan]

[quote=""Hawk87""]Duquette remains in control of a franchise when his group couldn't reliably finish last season?? No other markets with owners in the NE that want to get into baseball, huh?[/quote]

I know this is an old post, but I feel I ought to respond. When Duquette merged his NECBL Pittsfield Dukes with the CanAm Pride to make the short-lived American Defenders of New Hampshire and Pittsfield (plus a traveling Defenders squad that played in both cities when the home teams were on the road) he in essence became a silent partner. I believe there were four partners in the ownership group with one (Alvord?) that did all the rebranding. That particular owner is gone. Duquette remains part of the ownership group, but the team he was responsible for, the former Pittsfield Dukes, was sold to pay off the Nashua team's debts to Nashua. In summary, Duquette isn't involved with any NECBL franchise. It's safe to go back in the water.

But Duquette is not the villain in this piece. There isn't one. I imagine if all the parties could turn the clock back to 2008, they'd take a pass on the whole Defenders debacle. Hell, the Pride might still be in Nashua right now.

A little more on topic: Can anyone think of a better summer collegiate facility than Old Orchard? What a coup for the NECBL!