The New Britain Rock Cats were a Minor League Baseball team that competed in the Eastern League. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for 12 years, the Minnesota Twins for 20 years, and the Colorado Rockies for one. They played their home games at New Britain Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut. The team moved to Dunkin' Donuts Park in nearby Hartford before the 2016 season, becoming the Hartford Yard Goats.
History The franchise's timeline can be traced back to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where they were a Boston Red Sox Double-A affiliate from 1965 to 1969. The franchise then moved to Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1970, and spent three years in the Ocean State. When the Pawtucket Red Sox became a Triple-A team in 1973, the Red Sox moved their Double-A franchise to Bristol, Connecticut. Known as the Bristol Red Sox, the team played at Muzzy Field for ten seasons from 1973 to 1982. Starting with the 1983 season, owner Joe Buzas moved the team some ten miles east to New Britain. Then known as the New Britain Red Sox, the team played its home games at Beehive Field, which is still standing next to the current stadium.
As Beehive Field became outdated and new facilities began to appear in other cities around the league, Buzas was faced with the choice of staying in New Britain and building a new stadium, versus moving the franchise again. The Red Sox front office, led by Dan Duquette, supported the idea of moving to Springfield, Massachusetts, because it was closer to their fan base and closer to the Western Massachusetts home of Duquette. Ultimately, however, in August 1994, Buzas decided to keep the franchise in New Britain. The Red Sox promptly pulled their affiliation and instead affiliated with the Trenton Thunder in the capital city of New Jersey, which was further away from the fan base. For the 1995 season, Buzas, who owned the Salt Lake Buzz (Minnesota Triple-A), signed a new development agreement with the Minnesota Twins, an affiliation that lasted until the end of the 2014 season. During the 1995 season (their only season in Beehive Field), the team was known as the Hardware City Rock Cats, a reference to New Britain's nickname "The Hardware City". The current ballpark, New Britain Stadium, opened in 1996. The team name changed to "New Britain" Rock Cats in 1997. Stanley Works continues to be a significant sponsor of the team and ballpark.
During 2003 and 2004, the team was involved in several lawsuits over its night game fireworks displays. A group of residents living near the stadium claimed the noise was disruptive, and the ash and debris damaged their cars and homes. In May 2005, after attending a game, Judge Marshall Berger let the shows continue, but ruled they be limited to once monthly and use quieter fireworks.
On July 12, 2008, the Rock Cats established a franchise record for single game attendance. The crowd of 8,115 marked the first time the 8,000 mark was surpassed for a game at New Britain Stadium. This record was broken on June 27, 2009, with a crowd of 8,212. On July 10, 2013, the Rock Cats hosted the Eastern League All-Star Game at New Britain Stadium. The event drew 8,633 fans, shattering the previous single game attendance record. The Rock Cats reached the 8,000 mark once again on May 31, 2014 with a crowd of 8,079. The record was ultimately broken on August 28, 2015, when 8,672 fans watched the team's last Friday home game.
On June 4, 2014, it was announced that the Rock Cats would move to Hartford, Connecticut, in 2016, signing a 25-year lease for a new stadium that would be built. On March 18, 2015, the team announced it would be known as the Hartford Yard Goats beginning in 2016. On June 17, 2014, it was announced that the Hartford Yard Goats new stadium for the 2016 season would be named Dunkin' Donuts Park. The Rock Cats played their last game at New Britain Stadium on August 30, 2015.
On September 16, 2014, the Minnesota Twins severed their affiliation ties with the Rock Cats, and the Rock Cats signed a two-year player development deal with the Colorado Rockies the next day.
Popular culture The New Britain Rock Cats were featured in an episode of ESPN's Mayne Street short comedy series.
An article about the Rock Cats can be seen below an article about the South Carolina Buzz (the fictional AAA affiliate of the Twins) during a bus scene in Major League: Back to the Minors.
Notable alumni
Torii Hunter (1996–98) Corey Koskie (1997) David Ortiz (1997 and 2001) Doug Mientkiewicz (1997–98) A. J. Pierzynski (1998 and 2000) Michael Cuddyer (2000–01) Juan Rincón (2000–01) Justin Morneau (2001–03 and 2015) Joe Mauer (2003) Pat Neshek (2003–05) Francisco Liriano (2004–05) Denard Span (2005–06) Danny Valencia (2008) Yangervis Solarte (2010–2011) Miguel Sano (2013) Danny Santana (2013) Jorge Polanco (2014) Trevor Story (2015)
Season records Season Manager W-L Win % Finish Playoffs Results 1995 Sal Butera 65–77 .458 5th 1996 Al Newman 61–81 .430 5th 1997 Al Newman 70–72 .493 3rd 1998 John Russell 83–59 .585 1st Won SemifinalsLost League Championship Series New Britain 3, Binghamton 1 Harrisburg 3, New Britain 1 1999 John Russell 59–82 .418 5th 2000 John Russell 51–91 .359 6th 2001 Stan Cliburn 87–55 .613 1st Won Semifinals League Championship Series Cancelled 1 New Britain 3, Norwich 1 New Britain 0, Reading 0 2002 Stan Cliburn 67–72 .482 4th 2003 Stan Cliburn 73–68 .518 2nd Lost Semifinals New Haven 3, New Britain 2 2004 Stan Cliburn 70–70 .500 3rd 2005 Stan Cliburn 70–71 .496 4th 2006 Riccardo Ingram 64–78 .451 6th 2007 Riccardo Ingram 69–72 .489 4th 2008 Bobby Cuellar 64–77 .454 5th 2009 Tom Nieto 72–69 .511 2nd Lost Semifinals Connecticut Defenders 3, New Britain 1 2010 Jeff Smith 44–98 .310 6th 2011 Jeff Smith 72–70 .507 3rd 2012 Jeff Smith 75–67 .528 3rd 2013 Jeff Smith 66–76 .465 5th 2014 Jeff Smith 73–69 .514 3rd 2015 Darin Everson 69–71 .493 4th 12001 League Championship was canceled due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Mascots Game Mascots: Rocky the Rock Cat (main mascot) Rookie the Rock Cat (Rocky's nephew) Sandy the Lion Blooper the Walrus Toner the Advance Copy's Copy Cat Sponsored Inning Mascots: The Dunkin' Donuts Trio – Coffee, Iced Coffee, and Donut
See also Professional baseball in Connecticut
References
External links
New Britain Rock Cats official site New Britain Rock Cats' MiLB Page Rock Cats Official Facebook Page Unofficial site for the old Bristol Red Sox club