Rumor: Say goodbye to Dodd... and Connecticut?

by AngelintheInfield on Jul 18, 2008 4:25 PM PDT Comment 21 comments

While actually doing work (search: lease, san francisco) I ran across this article:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-07-18-0224.html

In the article, it names the Defenders as one of the possible teams eyeing a move to Virginia. I whole-heartedly support this move, and hope that it gets done before Angel and Noonan make the eventual move to AA. Granted, Pablito is kinda destroying the ancient "Ye Giants prospects shalt not hit whilst at Dodd" declaration.

P.S. When I saw this, I thought that they meant Richmond, CA. Why would anything ever willingly move to Richmond? (Sorry, you Richmondites out there).

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I sure hope,

That they keep the name though, that submarine hat is the fiercest cap in all of MiLB.

Angel Villalona: Treatin' all pitches like fastballs since '07.

by AngelintheInfield on Jul 18, 2008 4:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

If they move to Newport News, it... SO... works...!

Fred Lewis can stand under my umbrella.

by S.F. Giangst on Jul 19, 2008 12:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Awesome, I’m about an hour and a half out of Richmond.

Bay City Ball

by xanthan on Jul 18, 2008 4:36 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

road trip!

i call dibs on the couch

Billy Hayes: His job is better than yours.

by delorean on Jul 18, 2008 4:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cool, so that means that “in bed with xanthan” is still free, right?

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jul 18, 2008 5:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I second that awesome! And that hour and half ride.

My boy ain't fat, he's just big boned. Big bat, too.

by Roger on Jul 18, 2008 7:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1 for East Coasters

Bay City Ball

by xanthan on Jul 19, 2008 7:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

for future East Coasters!

BROCK BOND LIKES HIS MARTINIS PUNCHED IN THE FACE, NOT STIRRED.

by SloIsLonelyForTheOrange on Jul 19, 2008 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Texas league ???

I also heard some talk that the Giants might be looking to move the AA defenders to the texas league? anyone else hear anyting about this ? I know there have been a few articles in the papers in Norwich CT not too loving of the Defenders. So the move, if it happens, sounds like a good thing.

by misterE on Jul 18, 2008 5:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I've never seen a legitimate rumor on the Texas League...

...but a lot of idle speculation that it would make the most sense. However, the Texas League, with just eight teams, and a few of which have close ties to their major league teams (Frisco is part-owned by the Texas Rangers), it’s unlikely the Giants could switch to one of those teams.

The Giants have no control over moving the franchise itself, that’d be the team owners. They definitely are interested in moving the team, but the owner is a New York native, so he does have ties to the Eastern League. Also, a move to another league would require all sorts of permissions, and another team to move to even things out. Erie might, but it’s likely they’re looking at Eastern League qualifying options.

SFDugout.com is BACK! See the Top 50 Giants Prospects!

by BruteSentiment on Jul 18, 2008 11:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's actually a small ownership group

and while they are New Yorkers, I know that at least one of them went to George Washington U so there are some ties down this way. More importantly, of course, is the idea that Richmond is a good minor league market waiting to be exploited that woud whet the owners appetities. I don’t that that’s true, but it certainly is one of the biggest markets left that doesn’t have a minor league entity, so it makes sense.

My boy ain't fat, he's just big boned. Big bat, too.

by Roger on Jul 19, 2008 7:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would agree that Richmond makes a ton of sense as a baseball market, though it would be the most southern team in the Eastern League, which may stop MiLB from allowing Connecticut to move down there.

The comment about the New York owner(s) is that a move out of the Eastern League to Texas may not be likely.

SFDugout.com is BACK! See the Top 50 Giants Prospects!

by BruteSentiment on Jul 19, 2008 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dodd

If Noonan and Villalona are good enough to be productive big leaguers, they will be able to hit in Dodd Stadium. Their numbers might take a slight dip, but their development certainly won’t be hindered. John Bowker and Fred Lewis both survived, it can be done.

by SBcaptain2 on Jul 18, 2008 6:34 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

But why force these players to survive? Why not maximize the number of guys who could succeed given a more productive situation, rather than continue in a situation that eliminates all but, up to now, two guys from having a normal development curve.

As Chris Rock says: Yeah, it can be done. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.

And then Chris Rock would say it two or three more times, with varying levels of profanity, but I won’t.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jul 18, 2008 11:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dodd is misunderstood

It isn’t that Dodd is a pitchers park. It is actually a fairly nuetral park from about June 15 on and is a mind blowingly horrid hitters park before that, depending on when the weather changes. On day games in mid summer, with dead air and no wind, it actually can play like a hitters park. That being said, I would be very surprised if the Giants are still playing in Dodd by the time Angel hits AA- why should the Giants put up with a park that provides noi useful development for the first two months of the season? . The ownership group in Connecticut really isn’t happy with the Giants and the Giants really aren’t happy with them- I’m not sure where they will end up going, but joining the affiliate shuffle next off season for the AA team really isn’t a reach.

by ProspectHound of the Baskervilles on Jul 19, 2008 11:34 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Dodd's problems are a lot like Candlestick...

At least, this is my belief.

It’s built in the wrong place. If it were not on top of a hill, the wind issues wouldn’t be such an issue. I can honestly say that, as a Candlestick native, the wind blowing into the dugout (visitors) was freezing, and that was a day game in late May. Also, attendance-wise, it’s more than a little ways from Norwich’s population center, and the drive to it from the freeway is more than a bit twisting down two-lane roads, which (when it is crowded), can be a big bottleneck leaving.

As a baseball field, it’s not as bad as people make it out to be. But as a baseball home, other factors are pretty much dooming it. Honestly, I think it’s just as likely that Norwich will lose the Defenders as it is the Defenders leaving the Giants organization; and I think both happening within two years is very likely.

SFDugout.com is BACK! See the Top 50 Giants Prospects!

by BruteSentiment on Jul 19, 2008 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Brute--It was supposed to be built in Groton which would...

have been a ton better from a popuation/attendance POV but there was a hangup with the land deal and they built in Norwich instead on the outskirts of town. Getting to Dodd from Rt 2 or I-395 isn’t that bad as you know. Worst part of the whole deal is getting out of the parking lot when the game ends and there is a crowd on hand.
You’re right in that there is a disconnect between to town and club which will likely doom it the whole deal. There’s a bunch of things wrong with Dodd’s physcial plant that STILL need to be addressed.

http://gregsconnecticutdefenders.blogspot.com

by greg8370 on Jul 19, 2008 1:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

defenders contract with dodd runs out at the end of 09

not sure what this rumor is about…is the stadium in va ready already?

by bacci40 on Jul 20, 2008 1:24 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Show me the splits

that shows that Sandoval is hitting well in Dodd. Even Bowker last season was rendered ordinary when viewed by his Dodd stats vs. his superman (Barry Bonds-ish) road stats, but overall he looked above average.

Adoptive parental unit of Kevin "Most Spectacular Pitcher" Pucetas.

"I'm a Giant now... I like watching the ball get up there" - Wendell Fairley
"I'm really proud to be on this team." - Nate Schierholtz

by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Jul 20, 2008 10:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs