OT - Yard Goats Update

[Deepster]

Its rooting against if Hartford built a new state of the art arena, somehow got the Whalers to come back and revitalized UConn basketball in Hartford.

Ugh. Not this again.

 

[AreBee1969]

Went last night. Goats lost 7-0.

Got a $17 ticket and sat in the RF Hartford porch. It was nice and they give you access to the YG club behind home plate. More options of beer and food up there. Man, great place to grab a foul ball. One went in someone's beer right behind me. Couple more over my head. Bring a glove if you sit up there.

It seems that I sitting to your right. I was in the front row of that section on the aisle. The beer shot was to my left.

I really enjoyed it. The club was beautiful. Nice seeing UCONN alum Mike Olt too!

I work on Pearl Street, so I'll definitely be back for more.

 

[UCFBfan]

I disagree with the above statement totally. I was at the game on Sunday with some friends who haven't been to Hartford in years. It was getting chilly so we left at the bottom of the 7th. My friends wanted to get something to eat and drink so we took a stroll down Trumbull St. to Vaughn's Pub on Pratt St. where we had dinner and drinks. There were a few people there when we arrived. But once the game ended a flood of people came into the Pub and the place got quite crowded. I asked the bartender if the crowd was usual for a late Sunday afternoon. He said no. He attributed it to the ball game crowd.

When we left, my friends who hadn't been to Hartford in years said Thanks for opening their eyes to Hartford. They said they felt an exciting vibe going on in the city and they will definitely return. They didn't realize there was so much to do in the city.

This Sunday experience unquestionably is a direct effect of the ballpark being located in the city. It's inexpensive to park, see a ball game and have some family fun. In addition, no one felt unsafe at any time. I don't know if they will complete the plans around the ballpark but for know its a lot of fun.

I think if stories like this keep happening you'll see growth around the ballpark rather quickly. People wanna stick around and if they're willing to walk to Vaughns or TK that's awesome.

The stadium will only be a success if the area around it grows like it was intended to do. Like someone else said, that growth has stalled because the developers were the ones fired. Once that lawsuit clears I bet theyll have a lot of interest.

Would be curious if Hooker would entertain their original proposal again. I thought I read somewhere that it never happened because of rent or land cost disputes with developers. With Centerplan gone, maybe they'd come back in. That would be a big get.

I also think that those apartments they are making on the top 4-5 floors of the hotel overlooking the stadium must be awesome!

Going to my first game next Friday and I can't wait.

 

[ct06111]

Nice editorial in Hartford Business Journal by a downtown apartment developer

Ballpark can be a magnet for Hartford

Plus this:
Dunkin’ Donuts announces home run donation program

DD will donate $100 for every yard goat dinger to Hartford area Habitat for Humanity.

 

[uconnbill]

I am rooting for the team, just didn't like the way things went down with New Britain and how long the stadium took to build.
They need to develop the area around the stadium with private money.

 

[Waquoit]

I am rooting for the team, just didn't like the way things went down with New Britain and how long the stadium took to build.

Spilt milk.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Would be curious if Hooker would entertain their original proposal again

Seems unlikely, they're opening a tasting room in the Colt building, which is also a huge gain for Hartford, so they're doing their part.

I think as soon as the whole lawsuit gets resolved, someone is gonna wanna build there. Building next to a minor league stadium is a no-brainer. Especially with real estate prices as they are in the North End. Someone's gonna take that risk and do just fine.

 

[uconnbill]

Spilt milk.

True but it was a crappy move and the way Hartford and center point handled it early on was a disaster, to say the least.

I root for the Yard Goat's, Bluefish, Norwich, and the Bee's

 

[Buffett10]

I'll be interested to see if that happens. Keep in mind, going to New Britain was much different than leaving Hartford, fighting traffic on 84 through to Glastonbury or Southington, getting your kids loaded back up and fighting the traffic back in the other direction.

What traffic fighting to get back to Hartford? if you live in Hartford county and don't know the backroads then you shouldn't be driving. Been to Hartford plenty of times and never have more then a 5-10 minute traffic delay even in heavy traffic. The stadium is VERY easy to get to without going downtown exits. Heck you can get to the stadium going backroads in West Hartford and same with East Hartford. Traffic and "violence" is just an excuse for someone who doesn't want to go..

 

[Deepster]

What traffic fighting to get back to Hartford? if you live in Hartford county and don't know the backroads then you shouldn't be driving. Been to Hartford plenty of times and never have more then a 5-10 minute traffic delay even in heavy traffic. The stadium is VERY easy to get to without going downtown exits. Heck you can get to the stadium going backroads in West Hartford and same with East Hartford. Traffic and "violence" is just an excuse for someone who doesn't want to go..

How would you get there from Southington at 5:30?

 

[Deepster]

Agree to disagree. When I bring up commuting in, I'm not talking about folks who can take back roads in from WH or Wethersfield. I'm looking at the Southington, Bristol, Chesire, New Britain side of the river. Any road in using 84 is a nightmare in and out of Hartford on weekday rush hours. Find me ONE family who'd take 84 to New Britain to the bus route on a Wednesday. People in Newington that can walk to the bus line don't even take it.

The answer will play out in the attendance as the season wears on.

 

[Deepster]

Agree again to disagree. For every strawman I might build, you put one up right next to it. A group of 20-somethings taking the bus in to a weeknight game, huh? Sure.

 

[Deepster]

Back on topic.....

Man Critically Injured In Hartford Shooting

Shooting was at 10:00 pm, less than a mile from the park. Game time was 7:05 pm, time of game was 3:26.

 

[Stainmaster]

Back on topic.....

Man Critically Injured In Hartford Shooting

Shooting was at 10:00 pm, less than a mile from the park. Game time was 7:05 pm, time of game was 3:26.

Wow, I bet attendance will plummet because of this.

 

[JSM1970]

Attendance will fall off after the novelty wears off and people realize they are spending time and money to watch terrible baseball in a total dump of a city

Wow, I bet attendance will plummet because of this.

 

[Stainmaster]

Attendance will fall off after the novelty wears off and people realize they are spending time and money to watch terrible baseball in a total dump of a city

Normal people's thought processes aren't like yours. What you described will not happen.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Attendance will fall off after the novelty wears off and people realize they are spending time and money to watch terrible baseball in a total dump of a city

Until they realize their alternative is to hang out in their apartments in Southington.

 

[Waquoit]

Back on topic.....

Man Critically Injured In Hartford Shooting

Shooting was at 10:00 pm, less than a mile from the park. Game time was 7:05 pm, time of game was 3:26.

Ugh. Not this again.

 

[8893]

Ugh. Not this again.

I see what you did there.

Am I the only one starting to think that @Deepster may actually be orchestrating these shootings in order to kill the franchise?

Call the Courant. We need to get Jacobs to investigate Deep's ties to New Britain.

 

[Robertelamin]

Amazing that people have been going to weekday evening UConn games in Hartford for decades but all of a sudden its nearly impossible to get downtown.