VISIT THE OFFICIAL NORTH SHORE NAVIGATORS BLOG
HTTP://NSNAVS.BLOGSPOT.COM

Friday, November 09, 2007

NECBL Might Move Team Into Fraser ; Decision As Early As Tuesday

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item
LYNN - Fans who feel the void left by the departure of the North Shore Spirit may soon have a new team to follow.

The New England Collegiate Baseball League - which consists of players culled from various college teams around the country - is on the verge of agreeing to move its Holyoke franchise to Lynn in time for next season, Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr. said Thursday.

The new team could be officially approved Tuesday, if the Lynn Stadium Commission votes in favor of the proposed lease, Clancy said. The New England league, Clancy says, is analogous to the Cape Cod League, which is a wood-bat league consisting of the most promising college players in the country. The Cape Cod League was the subject of the movie "Summer Catch" a few years ago. Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan is a graduate of the New England Collegiate League.

Clancy said the lease compares with the one the city gave the Spirit: $1 from June 1 through Sept. 30.
"We're not in this to make a dime," he said. "We want to have the facility used, and kept in pristine condition, and be available for a people to go out and have nice, affordable family entertainment."

That was the Spirit's objective too. And Clancy said that the city's experience with the Spirit and its owner, Nick Lopardo, is one of the reasons that the NECBL and Holyoke owner Phil Rosenfield, a Swampscott native, were so anxious to enter the Lynn market.

"The Spirit's presence, and what Nick did, and what the city did in partnership, speaks volumes about the marketability of Fraser Field," Clancy said. "Fraser Field has been deemed a safe, family-friendly location for sporting events for people and families all summer long."

Rosenfield said he thought of Lynn immediately after the Spirit left. "First," he said, "I'm from here. I know Fraser Field and what kind of a place it is. And I go way back. Lynn always was a great baseball town. Second, it's a lot closer to where I work in Woburn (as the owner of J.M. Phillips Glass). And third, that is an absolutely gorgeous field."

Moreover, he said, Lynn is the type of community that might attract college-age kids. "It's on the waterfront, and I think there are a lot of attractions for the players we have."

The NECBL operates a lot like the Cape League. Families house players and the teams attempt to get them jobs in the community. "That's actually the hardest part of the operation," Rosenfield said. "Getting the kid situated is very challenging."

But, he says, it also makes them more of a part of the community, "and that's one way to get the whole community involved."
Games for the NECBL begin in early June and end around Aug. 1, Rosenfield said, with playoffs to follow. The league plays a 42-game schedule, split evenly home and away.

Like the Spirit, the NECBL team will have first rights to scheduling, which Rosenfield feels is necessary "because we're in an organized league, and we have to have a schedule in place, as we have teams from (all over New England) coming in. It won't be quite as intense, though," Clancy said, noting that the new team will play only half as many games as the Spirit did, and end a month sooner. "So if there's a chance we can get some other games in there, we might be able to.

"We're very pleased that someone is going to come forward and fill the void that the Spirit left," Clancy said. "And we'll all go forward, hopefully


==============================
Well.....I told you guys I heard rumblings. What do you guys think about this?
And will you go to the games if they come in?

I think that this is a good thing for the city. For one,the field will have upkeep and be in use regularly.
Another thing is that it.liek the Spirit,promotes the city in a positive light.

And if this team comes in,I'll be sure to both attend games and try to help this franchise with video things much like I did with the Spirit--but hopefully moreso.

104 comments:

Joe Grav said...

Awesome! We have a team! It won't be the same, but it will be baseball...at Fraser. And a chance for everyone to hang out together.

What's not to like

Wooden U. Lykteneau said...

I'd say thought this might happen ;-)

That's great news for you guys!

DaveCo said...

Well,if you look at past posts and news articles we probably should've seen this coming.

LynnCAM is already abuzz about them coming to Lynn,and we are already looking into filming these games.....because the way the article put it,it sounds pretty done.

I'm gonna have to agree with Joe 100%....it won't be the same,but it's close enough--and we all get to hang out at the ballaprk again. =]

Anonymous said...

Count me out. We had a class act with the Spirit and Clancy ditched them for second rate ball. If I want college ball I'll go to Salem State or BC.

beenthere said...

Had this team in Holyoke.Not a very good brand of baseball.Don't be fooled.Shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as the Cape League.

Anonymous said...

I also heard the NECBL uses aluminum bats not wood. Anyoen know if that's true?

Anonymous said...

If Lynn Stadium Commission approves it. LMAO. The Item should have written WHEN NOT IF These are the Stadium Commission members-- ALL CLANCY'S PEOPLE!!!
CHAIRMAN Mayor Clancy
Donald Cole - Mayor's Appointment
Superintendent of Schools - Nicholas Kostan
DPW Commissioner - Michael Donovan
Principal Classical
Principal English
Principal LVTI
City Councilors - Jane Teal, Ward 1 and James Cowdell, Ward 5
Police Department Representative - Deputy Kevin Coppinger

Wooden U. Lykteneau said...

NECBL is a wood-bat league, and yes, it's not as prestigious as the Cape Cod league, but it's definitely better than 95% of the collegiate baseball in N.E (i.e. both teams previously referenced). No surprise that someone would want to ditch the dump in Holyoke for Fraser.

Anonymous said...

Better than 95 % of college baseball in New England isn't saying much. If you can't produce a quality product why bother? But then again this is Lynn so we should have expected this. I can't believe people are excited about this. If the Red Sox were booted out of Fenway would everyone be jumping for joy if the Pennsylvania Road Warriors decided to set up shop in Fenway because of corrupt political mauevering? Somehow I doubt it.

Anonymous said...

Holyoke Giants were ranked # 7 in the country Summer League team in the USA for the month of June by Perfect Game

Anonymous said...

Holyokke Giants had # 2 Pro Prospect in the NECBL Kyle Bellows, who is headed to Chatham on the Cape next season.

In 2006 Holyoke had Scott Barnes of St. John's U who pitched no-hitter in Big East past season. Barnes is projected as top 6 round pick in MLB draft. Also had three roster players drafted.

Anonymous said...

NECBL is all Wood-Bat

Anonymous said...

Someone posted this link on the Springfield Republican website so all the Holyoke Fans are here posting now. So what's the Big Deal #7 in the NECBL for the month of June? Who cares? How many games did they play in June? Whatever... It's a much lower quality baseball than Lynn fans are used to and deserve. Clancy said. "Fraser Field has been deemed a safe, family-friendly location for sporting events for people and families all summer long." It was Nick Lopardo & his staff that made Fraser Field all these things. They had monitored playgrounds, etc. I doubt the Giants will do the same. Hell the big news on their website is they contracted with a vendor to sell hot dogs, burgers & fries. IMO this is a lower class operation than the Spirit and bargain basement ball. As a Lynner I want more. Why settle for crumbs when we had the whole pie with Nick & the Spirit?

DaveCo said...

Why settle for this? Because,summed up, the people around here are fucking retarded.

We had the whole pie.....some of us had watering mouths for it.....but most of us just ignored it. I don't blame Nick for leaving and I appreciate all he did.

This may not be the best thing that could happen--but it's something. It also shoupldn';t be too bad....they seem like a good team with some goood players. This is probably the best we'll get for a while around here.....seeing as the residents of this area are moronic

As a Lynner,I'm still ashamed & am thankful someone is giving it a shot.
As a Lynner,I'm hooping we can take THIS pie and enjoy it--not toss it aside

Anonymous said...

good to here that a team is coming

check out www.freewebs.com/njjackals

fan site of the new jersey jackals

DaveCo said...

Here's how goood this team is....
The Giants finished 1st in the northern division with a 26-16 record. They maded it in the playoffs to the Northern Division Championship Series, but lost a best 2 out of 3 round to the even tual champs.

The Giants had the starting pitcher and manager of the year & the NECBL first team consisted of 3 Giants.

This sounds like a pretty good team to me.....what you guys think?

Wooden U. Lykteneau said...

As a Lynner I want more.

As a Lynner, you're probably getting more than you deserve -- it's still organized baseball with players that are talented enough to play in affiliated ball

Why settle for crumbs when we had the whole pie with Nick & the Spirit?

Um, because beggars can't be choosers? This is why I am so glad to have left Lynn. People are so delusional about where it stands in the pecking order.

Anonymous said...

Lynn is a sewer anyway so we should be happy for anything we get.My guess is 2 years and see ya.This town can't support anything.

Anonymous said...

responsding to : So what's the Big Deal #7 in the NECBL for the month of June? Who cares?

Number 7 in the COUNTRY for all Summer Ball Wood Bat Leagues. I thought that was pretty cool, no ?

Anonymous said...

just beware of Philip Rosenfield he is not the most honerable or loyal person... one other question Why did the spirit leave if this location is so great??? just an observation...

Anonymous said...

as a local person i will give you the gods honest truth. we did not support the spirit. and we most likely not going to support the giants either. that is why the spirit left. i think the giants are amking a mistake by comming here. it will just fail like the spirits did here. the field is beautiful but without support can not succeed.

Anonymous said...

Hello Lynn we in the "DUMP" of Holyoke do wish you luch it was a great team with a great couch however BE WARE of Phil Rosenfield the owner he is a man with Money and doesnt care about the people in fact up until last night we "DUMPERS" WERE putting lots of time and effort and our hearts into building a perfect season and we found out ONLINE that they werent even coming back and when called Phil on it "as he was napping" he quickly shot us a genaric email to aware us of this done deal!! If only he was half a man with a little respect for others we would not blame him for relocating as the team deserves the best but a heads up to the GENERAL MANAGER AND HOUSE CORDINATOR would have been nice after we bent our backs helping him!!! FUNNY THING THE DAMN PLAYERS WHO SIGHNED CONTRACTS TO PLAY IN HOLYOKE DONT EVEN KNOW THE DEAL YET!!! just be ware to volunteers he will run you down and dont expect a sencere thanks!!!

Anonymous said...

sorry that was great coach!!! in all worked up dont mind the mis spelled

Anonymous said...

I am Philip Rosenfield, owner of the Giants that have been the subject of this blog's discussion of their move to Lynn's beautiful Fraser Field. We feel Fraser will be a great place, that Lynn will be a great host and that NECBL Ball at Fraser will be a nice evening of Baseball for the family.

The other 11 teams on the NECBL come from all over New England and have devoted followings. It's normal to have 2300 people watch our games in Newport, and 1800 in Keene and 2500 in Montpelier. This is a great, well-respected and well appreciated League by our fans. We look forward to giving you a reason to get excited about our Baseball team.

I have been reading the blog with interest and I have occassionally contributed.

I want to let you know that last season we had a very exciting team and a very competitive team. Thanks to the efforts of our Baseball scouting folks, Head Coach Jason Falcon and Head Scout Mike Wilson, the Giants finished with the best record in the League at 26-16.

We were honored by the League for Manager of the Year Jason Falcon, Pitcher of the Year Shawn Gilblair, who was D-3 Co-Player of the Year. Two IF'ers were named first team All-League, Kody Hightower and Kyle Bellows.

Starting pitcher Mike Thompson was named 2d team All-League. Mike pitched a no-hitter in our next to last game to clinch a first place finish with the League's best record.

The NECBL quality is superior. Pitching nightly is between 82-90 MPH. Competition is pitched as players are gaining the experience, the confidence and the contacts they need to further their careers by playing in front of MLB scouts every night. The NECBL is considered a Premier League throughout Baseball.

Our 2006 team had three players drafted into pro-ball and a fourth from that team will be a top pick once he graduates college.

Everyone in the organization worked extremely hard. It takes a commitment of people who contribute their time and effort to make the team operate every night.

I grew up in Swampscott and I am looking forward to seeing old fiends and making new friends as well. We look forward to having fun, putting a great product on the field and enjoying the summer watching Baseball. I look forward to meeting you all.

Anonymous said...

Feelings have been hurt by our departure. I do feel I should respond to the previous blogger impugning my integrity.

Fact is that I invested my personal treasure in baseball because I loved every minute of it. I nvested hundreds of hours of my time at the expense of my other business and other peronal relationships, because I loved the idea of bringing a Baseball team to a commnity. That is why every owner in the League puts in monstrous hours and monies to see that the game goes on.

I commutted from Wayland to Holyoke every night and I made personal commitments that were hard to fulfill but not from a lack of effort.

I am sorry that this discussion has degenerated.

But I needed to let those of who are reading that I contributed 1000% of my energy to this organization in Holyoke. And that all Volunteers including Host Family coordinators contributed selflessly of themselves to see that the players were taken care of.

I understand that feelings have been hurt by this departure.

However, I have upheld each and every commitment I made and I and still endeavoring to do so. I hope that we can all move on in peace.

Joe Grav said...

Thank you very much for contributing to the blog, sir, I appreciate it. Stick around.

As for the person who said 'how can we support this team when we couldn't even support the Spirit' - correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Rosenfeld, but it probably doesn't take as much to support this team. I'm guessing the costs are significantly lower, there are fewer games, tickets are cheaper, etc.

I'm guessing if attendance can be 1,000+ 9 times out of 10 the team will stick around for a few years.

The 2003 attendance numbers were as follows:
Vermont 1666
Keene 1633
Concord 1214
Newport 1200
N. Adams 874
Torrington 829
Sanford 474
Manchester 398
Middletown 268
Danbury 221
Thread City 183
Mid City 159
Riverpoint 88

The only teams that aren't still around 4 years later are Middletown, Thread City, Mid City and Riverpoint.

I would imagine that averaging over 400 would be easy.

Most of the dingbats in Lynn didn't even pay attention to the game, so I doubt they'll even notice the difference in play. As long as this team's marketing crew does a decent job of making it feel like an 'event' like a minor league game and not a sleepy high school-like environment, we should be fine.

Plenty of people like the idea of going to the ballpark with their kids 10 times during the summer - not enough to support a big budget team like the Spirit, but enough to keep the NECBL around, I think.

Suggestion for the owner: any chance you can keep the Spirit name?

Anonymous said...

Joe;

Your assessment looks right on target. Here are the attendances from last year as compiled by a quick run through the garden:

Newport 38,000
Vermont 31,000
Keene 27,000
Pittsfield 27,500
N. Adams 23,000
Torrington 20,000
Sanford 10,900
Holyoke 9,800

I thought that the previous owner had trademarked the name so he owns the name going forward.

Yes, the Minor League entertainment model is what we do. Something for everyone in between innings. Pickle eating contest, ice cream contest, running the bases, fastest pitch from among the fans and my personal favorite...trivia for prizes.

Also looking for a mascot this year. Any suggestions are welcome. Bottom line Joe was that people got excited about watching the players and then they cared about who won. Bellows was a pleasure to watch. Like an artist. Same with Gilblair. Team looks pretty good this year as well. Justin Little is coming back and he patrols CF like Coco Crisp [or should I say Ellsbury?]. Nothing gets past him. In Holyoke CF was 410 and the foul poles were 340. Lots of room to run around out there. We built with speed and contact hitters. Hitter Low K ratios. Pitchers High K numbers. So far so good.

philip

Anonymous said...

i live in lynn and has some fiend from college that live in holyoke. i talk to them last night and the average fan base in holyoke was over 400 a night the previous poster suggested and that did not keep the giants in holyoke. i think that the OWNER is making a big mistake bringing the giants to a area that really can't support them. like i said i'm from lynn and would like to have baseball in my town but i'm also realistic and i just don't thing lynn will support the team.

Anonymous said...

Joe;

We were actually the Middletown team. Moved from M'town to Holyoke in 2004 I believe by previous owner. Been in playoffs every year. Fraser one of best sites in NE for Baseball. No need to go elsewhere. Let's have fun get 1000--1500 people a night. Get to schools and community groups with activities...reading contest in schools for kids to get tickets...groups in stadium...sports club up on 3d base pavilion with the Sox on the TV there. What could be better. Better than home.

Host families are needed. And now, if you know anyone interested.

Joe Grav said...

Sounds good to me!

Guys, we've all developed a real attachment to the Spirit, Can-Am, etc., and it's going to be hard to accept anything else. But think about how you felt 5 years ago. I don't know about you, but I was just excited to have a place to go during the summer and watch baseball. I'm sure we'll all come to love our new team as well.

Plus, Tony C's will be open by then, people can make a night of it! I'm excited. :)

icesk8ingtrezzafan said...

No don't let the Giants take the Spirit name! Please don't let them use the Spirit name. To me that's like swearing and would be very very bad. There will only be one Spirit. That's like having the Red Sox leave Fenway & naming so Mickey Mouse team that decides to use it Red Sox. It would be terrible.

Anonymous said...

The Spirit are CanAM League not school boy baseball. I don't care what anyone says I'm not grateful to have some raggedy old college team playing in Lynn. This city will never be a decent place to live because people here think we don't deserve anything nice and should just take whatever rancid scraps the mayor and his cronnies want to give the residents of Lynn. The truth is ther city took the Spirit away from us and are replacing it with something that is no where near as good. I wouldn't be surprised if this deal was in the works a year ago & that's why Clancy forced the Spirit out either.

icesk8ingtrezzafan said...

Joe is wrong about people not watching the game. I went to every Spirit game for 5 years except 2 games. I watched every game and paid attention. I know the players stats. I'm only 9 but I'll notice the difference in the way they play ball. I'm seen college baseball games before too--- BORING and the umpires in college ball stink too. And how can you be a fan of a team that has a whole new set of players every season. That's lame.

Joe Grav said...

Alright fine, let's make this team know that they aren't welcome. Then, we can have NO team and Fraser can go to ruin the way it did before.

That would be a GREAT option.

Listen, I'm not foaming at the mouth for the season to start or anything, but I'm happy that I'll be able to go to Fraser Field 20 times, meet up with the friends I've had so much fun with for 5 years, and watch baseball.

Ideally, the Spirit would have stayed forever, but that's just not the way it is.

I'm happy to have what we have.

If you really want pro ball to come back, SHOW UP FOR THESE GAMES. If we average 1,500-1,800, there will be a pro team here within 3 years.

Anonymous said...

I find it very odd that they are negoiating & expect to reach deal LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AFTER NICK'S LEASE ON FRASER RAN OUT! I SMELL A RAT! No way am I supporting this team! Supporting this team is supporting Clancy. This guy is probably a buddy of his & that's why Clancy wanted the Spirit out.

icesk8ingtrezzafan said...

I'll meet you at Tony C's My "Aunt Darlene & Uncle Richie" own it :)
Hey how come the Red Sox still haven't retired Tony's #25?

Joe Grav said...

Like I said, fine. Do your thing. I'll enjoy just having a team to go watch.

I don't know where we get the idea that the city FORCED them out - I agree that the city could have done more to be supportive of the Spirit, but all indications are that this was Nick's call.

Anonymous said...

Hi Joe,

We are going to the Nu-BU hockey game tonight. Are you going?

Joshua

Anonymous said...

I found it interesting Mr. Rosenfeld wrote "We were actually the Middletown team. Moved from M'town to Holyoke in 2004." Now they want to move to Lynn? Why should fans in Lynn invest in and support a team that already has a track record of picking up & moving every few years.

Wooden U. Lykteneau said...

When did it become unusual for a team to move when people don't show up to see them?

Anonymous said...

There are lots of reasons people don't go watch a particular team including bad management & lousy caliber ball playing. Teams also leave not because of fnas but because of poor relationship with the city it is located in. If this team couldn't make it in Middletown & Holyoke regardless of the reaosns & I'd be curious to know what they are I doubt it will make it here. My point was I'm not willing to make any investment-- emotional, financial or time-- in a team that will probably pull out in a few years.

DaveCo said...

Mr Rosenfield-Thank you for posting on this blog and contributing some feedback. It makes me glad to know that the ownership is already reading this blog and giving feedback.

Currently there is no scorebaord or videoboard,at last check, but I want to tell you right now that if you need a camerman for in-between inning games I'm your man. I did it with the Spirit for a few years and am willign to do any other help in the promotion department,and produce videos. It's what I do and love to do.

Now i wanna put in more input.......firstly all these posters having conspiracy theories,kindly shut up. If you wanna talk about that find the UFO & JFK people.
Secondly,Joe's right--we may be used to "better level of play" but this is a pretty damn good level of baseball and we shoudl watch.
thirdly, we need to support this team. Ok,say this team DOES move out in like 4 years--if we average even 1,000-1,500 a night for a NECBL team then a pro team might look in and say "hmmm....maybe lynn's a good place..."

ALSO: I would like to make a suggerstion. If you truely want to market this team, Mr Rosenfield, then I suggest doing what the Spirit did. Use the name North Shore in front of whatever name you choose (Spirit,Giants,whatever) and try to have community nights and get the mascot into the schools and whatnot.
it worked for the Spirit--they're marketing was just a lil lacking.

icesk8ingtrezzafan said...

Dave is an AWESOME camera man! He has some cool videos on U Tube & his other blog. My favorite is still Hobson taking the base :)

DaveCo said...

Ya,if you wanna see them click HERE

Fox liked it as well. We got a call at LynnCAM from the Best Damn Sports Show period asking for a copy to use in a tp ejections show. XD

icesk8ingtrezzafan said...

Dave
Let me know when it's on TV I'll watch it! If it gets in any contests I'll vote for it too :)

Anonymous said...

All this for 21 Games of bargain basement baseball?.
Where was Mr. Rosenfield when the Spirit were failing?, He's s interested in laying out his fortuine for a baseball team.. let's see him bring a Quality product; not.....THIS.

Anonymous said...

Damn... I'm dying to know who all these anonymous posters are & where they came from. I haven't seen this forum this busy since the Spirit away gamesduring the playoffs
Anon #1
not to be confused with the anon Mottram Fan :)

DaveCo said...

I'm wndering where they all the anonymous posters came from too.........cowards....

Anonymous said...

Not to fuel the fire here but does anyone know what transpired between Rosenfield & Worcester? According to info I found Rosenfield & Boston Atty Alan Stone founded Worcester Professional Baseball LLC & got a franchise in the CanAm League but
Documents filed with the Secretary of State's Corporations Division show that Worcester Professional Baseball LLC was incorporated on Nov. 19, 2004 with Philip Rosenfield listed as a principal. On that same date, Rosenfield also registered Perfect Game Baseball Clubs LLC. But I can't find any mention of him on the Worcester Tornadoes Website.
Anon #1

Anonymous said...

I love the amount of energy devoted to seeing Baseball in Lynn. I hope that can live up to expectations. I am looking forward to having some fun.

Daveco; we would love to have your camera work on the teams games. We do a streaming online broadcast over which people all over the country watch to see their sons and boyfriends and grandchildren play every night. Shoot me an email and we can discuss marketing, too. philip@holyokegiants.com

philip

Anonymous said...

Team owner Philip Rosenfield met in April 2007 with Glucester Mayor John Bell and City Councilor Bruce Tobey to discusa relocation of the Giants to Gloucester. What happened with those negotiations

DaveCo said...

That pst above could sort of indicate this wasnt a long-term conspiracy with Clancy to oust to Spirit.

Bewteen that and it REALLY seeming like Nick's call to leave I just wanna say,to those still saying it was that way.....
SHUT UP & GO AWAY!
Also,have a nice day =]

Joe Grav said...

Mr. R. has done more to interact with and involve the diehard fans than the Spirit did in 5 years. I appreciate you being here.

I'm looking forward to a good summer. It won't be the Spirit, but it will be something.

Joe Grav said...

And don't forget, Indy ball was pretty low on the pecking order too. There are plenty of people who would rather have driven to Pawtucket than gone to see the Spirit. If you're going to be picky then you're only going to be satisfied by big time baseball. This is decent quality.

Anonymous said...

Hey Dave-
I have a kid suffering baseball withdrawal so I rented Field of Dreams for her today. It was the first time she's seen it. She wants to move to Iowa now and buy a cornfield. She likes Shoeless Joe Jackson and said maybe Tony C's ghost would come play baseball there too. She said she'd buy some real players including Trezza to round out the team. I thought you'd get a chuckle out of that. I know I did :)
Anon #1

icesk8ingtrezzafan said...

Grandma 4got to tell you I'd buy Vic Davilla, Shilling,Papelbon & Lowell too. Actually I'd probably have to buy BJ Weed too. Not because he's the best player but he's such a nice guy :)

DaveCo said...

Agreed with Joe 100% again.
Never once did someone in Spirit managment OPENLY post here. We KNOW they potsed,but it was sometimes negative and always under an anonymous name. I too thank you for what you are plannign on doing Mr Rosenfield.

And once again Joe's right with his comments.....the Indy ball we had was AA-low AAA (on occasion) level. This is a pretty damn good sub to Can-Am league action. You want great quality baseball? drive to lowell or pawtucket or shell out $100 in Boston. This isn't great baseball,but it's pretty d@mn good.


And yes,I did find that amusing. XD
That'd be a kick-ass team......and yeah,BJ's pretty amazing-as both a player and person.

icesk8ingtrezzafan said...

I still plan on taking road trips this summer to Worcester or someplace closer when Worcester is playing there. I hope some of you guys are still in :)

Anonymous said...

I founded the Worcester team and then brought in Atty. Alan Stone as a partner. Good work researching !!! Wow, you are thorough. The financial burden was too great for me. Atty Stone helped bring in partners who were financially sophisticated enough to get the job done there. They have done a great job. I subsequently sold out my shares and went to Holyoke to a smaller entity that I could run financially and have some fun with.

DaveCo said...

I still wanna go to Worcester and Nashua at least once next season.
I may be devoted to this team when it moves in,but I still love the Can-Am leasgue and the players in it.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Rosenfield
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question re: Worcester.
Anon #1

Anonymous said...

Hey Guys-
Is anyone still in on the float for the parade? I HATE meetings but maybe we should have one. Victoria got the use of tree, a Santa Suit & two Spirit banners donated for the float. Dave offered use of a "box Office Open" sign. She also has contact info for BJ Weed & a couple of other players, who she hopes might be interested in riding on the float. A group of 10 freshman at Classical volunteered to help along with several families. The idea she has is to see if someone can paint a huge backdrop of Fraser Field (we're still working on the truck aspect, a Christmas tree, Santa wearing a Spirit jersey and lots of people riding and singing baseball signs. If anyone has any other suggestion we'd love to hear them.
Anon #1

Anonymous said...

I hosted the Holyoke giants three of the four years they were in Holyoke and It was the BEST experience of my families life I would do it again in a heart beat here is my issue I am a mom of a seven year old and an elleven year old my 7 year old son was a part of the team he hung with the four boys that lived with me every home game he traveled to the home games with them for bp and stayed with them after the games to eat he idolized these boys and the entire team loved him this was his dream! Now I had taken on Host family co-ordinator for 2008 for Phil whom I trusted and via email he supported me finding homes allready and jobs for over 85% of his team and mind you the Holyoke Giants did not put a good name on them selves in prior years with living situations so finding people to find homes was not an easy task! Now I had asked Phil if the team was leaving as rumors were flying and he assured me they werent so my issue is how can anyone trust a person who is off making a deal to move a team while he has a 7 year old boy home holding so much hope for this dream b/c Bubba was a big part of finding homes and jobs with me!!! I am saying I would not have set my son up for this devestation had I had only been told If the deal was only an explored avenue that is fine as well but I was receiving emails of support to house these boys It would have been a moral thing for this grown man who LOVES ball to consider my sons feelings and just tell me to hold off while he explored his options that would have been a noble thing!! Now I am concerned that his lack of dissreguard to the true love of the game which is through the childrens eyes will hurt others as it did my son!!! I found out while talking to the GM who also was investing Lots of heart and time in the Giants (via support from Phil bc the gm himself didnt know) by reading Mass live!! that is a shame the world new befor his own volunteers and GM! So now I am trying to explain to my children that It was not true that the boys will NOT be back and my son cant understand b/c they know Phil was right here in my home telling us while picking up uniforms last season that they would be back!!! People need to know we knew the team could be moved at any time as nothing is a garantee and in previous years we waited till last minute in fact very last minute to tell our children the BIG BROTHERS of the summer would be back but this time we were assured and I set my son up for a HUGE fall and when my kids hurt I hurt! Lynn fans you are lucky so be thankful of what you have as that bargain baseball team gave my son the summer of his life especially last year and dont be surprised if you see a little carrot top 7 year old BUBBA standing by your bullpen in aw b/c this was his dream and you do what it takes to make your kids happy! so enjoy but beware!! shellywalker12@comcast.net

Wooden U. Lykteneau said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Joe Grav said...

I'll miss the flow of the homestands, and being able to bitch about who we should keep and who we should cut, but otherwise I'm reasonably happy

Anonymous said...

As the parent of a former Spirit employee I have some concerns. The first being my kid is out of a job because this team uses volunteers. My second concern is the owner said players get jobs in the area during the day & play ball at night. So not only have the jobs at Fraser been taken away but our kids will have to compete with out of town college kids for the few existing jobs.

Anonymous said...

McDonald's isn't hiring?

DaveCo said...

I can egt where you're comign from with your comment about jobs.......but if your kid doesnt get a job before these kids do,your kid being local,that's pretty sad to me.
And if they don't have a job now and are waiting for the summer than that's just stupid. I think they should have a job by now,so there should be no conflict here.

As for the jobs at Fraser....I am not overly happy with the fact that most work is on a volunteer basis,but I'll still help--as long as I can watch the games. =]

Anonymous said...

From an ex volunteer in Holyoke, make sure you eat first befor going to the game three hours early just outa work to bust your ass and set up b/c as we were told "if there is any food left after the players we can eat" the scraps! So be sure to appreciate the game b/c ownership will not appreciate you! LONG LIVE BUBBA

Anonymous said...

Paint backdrop you say?? I've done pleny of backdrops in the past for the LEHS drama club, we can talk more about that if you like.

-Cathy McDonough

Anonymous said...

My kid is away at college & when he left he thought he had a job next summer with the Spirit. There was no talk of them pulling out until after he had left for school. He'll be job hunting when he's home for Christmas.

Anonymous said...

I am familiar with both the Spirit and the Giants. The NECBL is a fun and exciting league where college players come from across the country to play. They are not as mature (mind and body) as Independent league players, however they don't have the ego. In terms of talent. Some of these players are better than ANYONE in the CAM-AM others couldn't hold the jock strap of players in the league.

However, these kids are not paid and come from all over the country to play for the love of the game. Give them a chance, it is quality baseball...it may not be quite as good as the CAN-AM, but honestly its not that much worse. So give this team a chance, NECBL teams rely on volunteers and community support. If you want baseball to succeed in your town, step up now, this is your chance to work with baseball and improve your town! I'm sure the owner would love your help

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DaveCo said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Joe Grav said...

The argument ends here.

The new ownership group obviously is reading this blog, and I don't want anyone's personal feuds to make us look like a bunch of idiots.

Comments deleted.

I'll be making a new uber-thread discussing all of the NECBL-related issues today or tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

why is admin removeing post???? you afraid to let everyone see the truth????

Joe Grav said...

I posted my explanation.

icesk8ingtrezzafan said...

Joe
Could you make a post where we can discuss the parade plans?
Cathy, I am SO HAPPY you might be able to help with the float :) I got emails from 8-10 people, who want to help. This should be fun

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Joe Grav said...

Yikes, that's just wrong. Deleted.

People, behave. I don't want to have to turn on comment moderation

Anonymous said...

Dave,

Just as a follow-up.... I disagree with your statement about "noone from the Spirit management writing on the blog, except writing always anonymously and sometimes of a negative nature" . (I'm paraphrasing here).

I posted on here several times and always used my real name to post. It was always important to me to establish and develop a connection to our loyal fan base. I also always attempted to post in a positive constructive way.

It was important to me to make my feelings known on this , I hope you understand.

Anonymous said...

Comment moderation would have been a good idea, back when there was still some integrity here. Too late

icesk8ingtrezzafan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DaveCo said...

No offense John,
I always though of you as the radio announcer--not really managment.
When I said that I was refering to people like Marty,Nick,Anne...sorry.

And good move Joe. Stuff like this does demean us and look like fools,moreso than usual :-p

icesk8ingtrezzafan said...

Hi John
I Miss You! We're going to have a Spirit float in the Lynn Christmas parade to thank you guys for 5 years of baseball

Anonymous said...

Keeping the "crap" off here is a great idea, I apologize for my part, however will NEVER allow anyone to besmirch me w/o reply.
Unsolicited and unwarranted attcks will not be ignored. It is fools like Wooden that blatantly, wantonly attack others character w/o provocation that should be banned for the blog Joe.
If it is allowed, it will continue.
I for one am done w/ this bullshit, you may now delete my comments, none further shall be coming.
Fuck off
Sparky

icesk8ingtrezzafan said...

Cathy, Dave & Joe
I'm so excited. My Grandma talked to BJ Weed and he said he'd ride on the float on Christmas Eve. He's going to call other players & see if they will ride on the float too. My Grandma knows someone related to Johnny Pesky & she's going to see if he'll ride on the float too. I'm going to ask my Uncle Richie Conigliaro too. I'm so excited. Cathy has the job of painting a backdrop.

Wooden U. Lykteneau said...

Since Joe doesn't delete indiscriminately, I'm guessing Sparky finally went off the deep end last night. Let's hope he keeps his promise.

Anonymous said...

For those of you who feel that the Can Am League is such a giant leap above the NECBL you are so wrong. Most of the players in the Can Am League are washed up A ball players and others who weren't good enough to get drafted. Spend a few years watching players in this league and you can follow some of them as they compete in REAL ORGANIZED baseball. Yes the NECBL is not the Cape, however you have players that are playing for a dream and bring everything they have to impress the scouts in the stands.
Every team is different in this league and based on how Holyoke put their team together, it's a safe bet that the 2008 team in Lynn is going to have some players worth watching.
What's going to impress you? Some 30 year old throwing 86MPH or a 19 year old topping out at 93MPH.
When the team releases their roster, follow the players and see how they are doing before they come here this summer.
It won't take long before the HATERS are peeking around the corner to see the some of pro prospects playing in Lynn this summer.
If they stink this summer than you can post all the blogs you want but until then I think you'll be be pleasantly surprised.
Put all the politics aside and go watch some real baseball.

Anonymous said...

FUCK OFF Wooden, you are my new mission, show your head and it comes off.

Anonymous said...

And You can put on the comment moderation Now Joe.. I pledge to Ruin this blog as long as you allow this Fuckhead to speak to and about me any way he wants.
Cocksuckin motherfuckers

Anonymous said...

Sperm burpin cocksucker ..Wooden is his name.

Anonymous said...

Wooden diddled his kids. that's why he left the state

Anonymous said...

WOW THESE ARE GROWN MEN????? WONDERFUL I better knowing the boys I grew relations with have been moved out of the DUMPS of Holyoke to stay in such a welcoming place with people as these! We here in Holyoke are wondering what we are going to do this season b/c the honor of having this family event has been taken away and you grown men are fighting over wether it'll be or not! bE THANKFUL if you dont wanna go dont but dont doupt it for those who do!!! Shelly

Anonymous said...

Knock it off you guys. Joe & Dave work hard on this blog and it's a great forum for local baseball fans. Remember there are several kids that read this blog. Your behavior is totally unnecessary.

Anonymous said...

Shelly-
You have to remember fans in Lynn are still reeling from the loss of their team the North Shore Spirit, which has been in Lynn for 5 years. We are as devestated at the loss of the Spirit as Lowell fans are at the loss of their team. Bringing in another team doesn't heal the pain of losing the team we love so emotions are pretty high. As for Wooden & Spike- I don't think either of them even live in the Lynn area.

Wooden U. Lykteneau said...

Shelly - For the record, Holyoke is not a dump, but McKenzie field is, compared to most ballparks these days. I know because I grew up in that area (Greater Springfield) and went to Millers games back in the day. That's not an excuse, mind you, but perception is reality, never mind how accessible HHS is from 91 and how ample the parking is, etc, etc. Clearly, there were plenty of philistines (or Noho-like snobs) that agreed with my nemesis and never bothered to come out and see for themselves.

Anonymous said...

Dave,

Apology accepted. For the record, I was just as much a management staff as anyone else was, even though I did not work there year round.

And to Victoria, we all miss you too! Best of luck with the Parade, I am sure it will be awesome!!!

Anonymous said...

If I'm gonna paint a backdrop, I'm going to need more info about this whole thing. Someone wanna get in contact with me so we can talk more?

-Cathy McDonough

Anonymous said...

To you.. believe me I know Holyoke is not a dump but if you were paying attention to the blog a Lynn resident called it one thats why it was in quotations!!! I LOVE HOLYOKE!!!It needs work but what city doesnt really!!! Thanks for the compliments on my hometown and if you are in Lynn now enjoy the team and keep an eye on Brandon Aiche the pitcher he lived with us last year and he is an awesome player and wonderful kid!!! And to you who wants me to understand where lynn is coming from now you understand me we just lost 21 reasons to spend at the field with our family and friends you in Lynn have gained them and are complaining at least you have something is all Im saying and let me tell you to my son that "something" gave him the 3 of the best summers of his life!!!! I am just envious of the fact that they are there and the welcome committee isnt very warm! I think you will be surprised at the talent this team has really I do!! I cant wait to read this blog next year!!! Good luck Shelly