Gov. Ned Lamont has sent a letter to Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred urging him not to go forward with a plan to cut more than 40 minor league franchises, including the Connecticut Tigers, which calls Norwich’s Dodd Stadium home.
“Since 1995, Norwich has proudly been home to a minor league baseball team, and its elimination from the city would be devastating to the thousands of baseball fans in the southeastern region of our state who enjoy attending games each season,” Lamont’s letter said.
Earlier this year, MLB revealed plans to eliminate 42 minor league teams as a way to cut costs and target teams with outdated facilities.
There are currently 176 teams associated with Minor League Baseball, which is currently negotiating a new contract with MLB.
The Connecticut Tigers play in Norwich’s Class A New York-Penn League.
Lamont is following in the footsteps of U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, a Connecticut Democrat who also sent a letter to MLB urging it to reconsider its contraction plans.
Last year, the city of Norwich made an $800,000 investment to upgrade Senator Thomas J. Dodd Stadium, Lamont said, a decision that was made because the city recognizes the advantages of having the league there.
“I am a lifelong baseball fan myself, and it is apparent how beneficial a robust minor league system has been for the game,” Lamont said. “These organizations provide the foundation for the outstanding on-field product we see in major league ballparks across the country.”
Safe from the cutting block is the Hartford Yard Goats, which debuted a new $71-million stadium a few years ago that has drawn record minor-league crowds to the Capital City and has been named best minor-league ballpark on multiple occasions.
The Yard Goats are the Double-A minor-league affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.