They had a roster of promising players. A cute new name and logo. An experienced front office.
They just didn’t have a ballpark to play in.
The Hartford Yard Goats (who until last year were the New Britain Rock Cats) had hoped to move into brand-new Dunkin’ Donuts Park at the beginning of the 2016 season. A series of issues pushed that date until May 31, so I (filled with optimism) booked my travel plans to be in Connecticut’s capital city at the end of May to witness the opening.
While it’s unfortunate for the players that they have to play on the road for the first two months of the season, I’m relieved to report that the team’s fine play-by-play guy, Jeff Dooley, told me this week that everything appears to be on target for the May 31 opener. I’ll be there to cover it, so follow me on Twitter to get your first look at the newest ballpark in pro baseball!