Here we are

It was a day many were waiting for anxiously, and quite honestly, as I drove into the business park I wondered if I was dreaming. After all, the way Minor League Baseball operates, you never knew if there would ever be a team at Dodd Stadium after the Defenders left.

Making the day more surreal was the weather -- stunning, really. If this was a year ago, it would have likely been Defenders media day, which always meant 30 degrees and windy. Then again, this was April Fools Day. Maybe we shouldn't read too much into that or that in the Chinese calendar, this is the year of the tiger.

Since this is a baseball blog, and not one for astrology, let's keep things in context before someone calls Dion Warrick for me.

Getting to the business of the day...I liked what I heard, for the most part. My concern is still this: The Tigers say they have eight months of work to do in two-and-a half months. Even if they doubled their production, that's five month's work done and three months left lingering. Not good. This is not the Tigers' fault, this is Major and Minor League Baseball's cross to bear. I asked managing partner E. Miles Prentice what exactly the hold up was -- it was always understood to be the beauracratic snail's pace -- which was more or less what he told me.

Lots of familiar faces on the staff, and there's a chance there might be a few more. These people are going to be the true frontline of all fan relations. Why? Because that's who you recognize, and more importantly trust than the new faces that have yet to settle in.

The uniforms/logo were generally predicatble, but I like them. Classic Detroit Tigers with a Connecticut touch.

The staff seems beyond anxious to get out there and convince you to come to the ballpark; they live for this. It's contagious if you are a fan of that sort of thging.

One thing that set me back was Prentice told me he and his partners agreed to purchase all of the belongings left behind by Lou DiBella and co. By this, I mean concession equipment, tractors/mowers, weights, etc. Prentice said they were taking the good with the bad, but alluded that the concession equipment was in poor condition. I spent a lot of time at the stadium in its final days as the Defenders' home. A lot of work was done to put things in top shape because everyone in baseball knew what the Braves did to Richmond when they left town two years ago (Sherman + Atlanta = The Diamond). This was something the previous ownership/managment didn't want to happen here. Me thinks Prentice might be a little bitter over the purchase price.

I really expect a very attentive staff and partnership group. They are saying all the right things, including what they expect from the players upon their arrival.

FYI: Look for a two-three day training camp at Dodd Stadium a few days before the season begins. I'll let you know if any of it will be open to the public.

Interesting tidbit, team VP/Operations C.J. Knudsen, who was the GM in Vermont, said that the roster will be filled based on how quickly the draft picks can arrive in Connecticut. This much you can count on: Detroit's top draft pick will be in Norwich.

Folks, the first game maybe months away, but it is baseball season.