So,I Apeared In The Item Today...

My story on me winning the Telly Award got into the Item today. If you didn't get it or don't usually get it then go to my blog to read it,if you want.

In other news,the Clancy Tournament was great ysterday....even though I wasn't there for all of the games yesterday. It looked like they had great baseball all day,and Joe did a great wrap-up of the day on the official Navs blog. =]

Holoyke Franchise Officially Moving To Lynn

It's official.
The Holyoke Giants are moving to Lynn.

They come here with a new GM most of us will remember.....Robin Wallace.
That's right,the GM of the 07 Can-Am League champion Nashua Pride is retunring to Lynn to help another baseball franchise in the city. I met with her and Phillip Rosenfield yesterday at LynnCAM to talk about broadcasting the games lives,like we did last year with the Spirit. Needless to say,he was happy to know we were interested and gladly said that we could. As to how many games,seeing as there are only 21 home games as opposed to (what?) 46,we don't know.

Like I said,I met with Mr Rosenfield--and I will say this: He seems like a very kind,good man who really wants this team to survive and be really involved with the community.

There's still one problem with this team that should be at least discussed.....a team name. At the moment,Phil said the name choices are down to the Nor'Easters, the Wave OR the Tidal Wave. BUT--fan input is always good. So,what do you guys have for name ideas?
And--I know some of us don't or won't like him,but what about a mascot?

Any other input would be valued =]

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


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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.

State of Fraser / Pride Updates

As I said,I went to Fraser yesterday after work. It was a sad sight.....
all of the outfield padding/ads are gone as is the big video/scoreboard. It looks pretty barren right now cause of those things missing.
Bobby K was able to get some pictures of them taking that stuff down. Here they are,althugh they dont show the fence as it is currently from the parking lot area lookign in........






And now for the Pride Update let's turn to our New Hampshire correspondent,Spike:
Further to the Pride's survival--nashuatelegraph.com has two articles. The Can-Am League has given the Pride extension--until way after the league meeting next week--to decide whether it is in; the owner says it's more than 50/50, but has abandoned selling part-ownerships in favor of a new push to sell season tickets; but Butch Hobson has been given permission to talk to other teams just in case. Whew!
--Spike

Thank you Spike. It looks like the Pride are still clinging to life,but barely. This is decision by ownership/management that looks like it may come down to a last-day choice.
I hope they stay,as do others--but there's no good or bad signs in my opinion (they kind of balance out). Anyone wanna weigh in on this?



IN OTHER NEWS: "North Shore: Sold the contracts of INF Gilbert Gil, INF Gary Roche and OF Joe Hough to Edinburg (United League). OF BJ Weed played out his option in 2007 and is now a free agent."--I think now we have no players left,or 1.....
='[

ALSO: FROM WBZ NEWSRADIO 1030.....

Two weeks.

That's right - just 14 days until the Spirit take the field in exhibition play against the Rox. Nice.

To celebrate, let's talk about game day experience at Fraser Field. What simple, reasonable things can the Spirit do to improve the overall experience, atmosphere, etc. at Fraser Field and surrounding the North Shore Spirit in general? Make your suggestions in a comment.

Here are my simple ideas:

1. Out of town scores from the Can-Am League given over the PA. I have never been able to understand why this isn't done; perhaps it has something to do with Nick not wanting the boys to know the results of other games, I don't know - but either way, every other park does it, and it just simply makes sense to do. It is really convenient for the fans who want to know such information, and it helps foster an attitude that the league's results matter - the players aren't just there to provide a backdrop for Monkey Boy.

2. Free stat sheets given out without having to buy a new program. Every year I buy (or weasel my way into acquiring for free) numerous copies of the same old program because I want to get stats on the opposing team but I forgot to print them out at home. I understand that they do this for a reason, to milk the extra $2 each time someone wants to get the stat sheets, but I think it would be a good gesture to give these out to fans upon entry. Either that, or update the program with an extended insert for every homestand, to make it so that you're getting more than two pages of statistics each time you spend money to buy the same old program.

3. Better announcements over the PA of the situation during rain delays - for example, current forecast information, relevant league rules/policies, etc. It seems like we are generally just sitting around waiting for one of two announcements: 1) the game is called or, 2) we will play in fifteen minutes.

4. It would be really nice if they could put together some sort of weekly highlight package on the Spirit website whenever games are broadcast on Lynncam. Also, get a better announcer on Lynncam, for the love of God and all things holy.

5. Mix up the between innings entertainment. Regulars have seen the same 4 acts 200 times. I propose a sumo wrestling match between Willy and Jack but I don't think that's happening any time soon, unfortunately.

6. EVERY night - or at least every weeknight - should be buy one bleacher seat, get one half-price night --- getting people in the ballpark is always the key, and they have really gotten pretty silly with the ticket price increases. They're not prohibitive by any means, just... odd.

Public Address

So, the Spirit are once again looking for a new Public Address announcer.

I'm halfway-bandying about the idea of applying for the job. Just for kicks, y'know.

What do you think?

P.S. another reminder to check out the message board and post often. :)