Portland Sea Dogs Founded in 1994 Portland, Maine |
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Minor league affiliations | |||
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Major league affiliations | |||
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Minor league titles | |||
League titles | 2006 | ||
Division titles | 1995, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2006 | ||
Owner(s)/Operated by: Dan Burke | |||
Manager: Arnie Beyeler | |||
General Manager: Charlie Eshbach |
The Portland Sea Dogs are the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Established in 1994 and based in Portland, Maine, the Sea Dogs play in the Northern Division of the Eastern League.
The Sea Dogs became part of the Red Sox system for the 2003 season; previously they were affiliated with the Florida Marlins. The change in affiliation brought success in the 2005 and 2006 seasons as the Sea Dogs went to the Eastern League championship series both years. They won their first-ever title on September 17, 2006, defeating the Akron Aeros 8-5 in a rematch of the series from the previous year. It was the first double-A championship for a Red Sox farm team since 1983 when they were based in New Britain, Connecticut.
The Sea Dogs' home stadium is Hadlock Field, named after long-time Portland High School baseball coach Edison Hadlock. It currently has a seating capacity of 7,368. Hadlock Field is often visited by vacationing celebrities, such as former NFL coach Bill Parcells, former U.S. President George H. W. Bush, and his wife Barbara. In left field stands the Maine Monster, a 37-foot-tall replica of Fenway Park's Green Monster, complete with Coke bottle and Citgo sign. Along the right-field foul line just beyond first base, a picnic pavilion is available for group outings from 20 up to 300 people. In 2006, a new pavilion opened above the right-field wall over the Sea Dogs bullpen. Modeled after the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park in Boston, it seats up to 393 people and gives fans an opportunity to catch a home run ball. Currently all games are carried on a network of radio stations with Mike Antonellis providing the play-by-play, with the flagship WVAE/WBAE and select TV games on NESN and ABC affiliate WMTW.
Sea Dogs games are frequented by the team's official mascot Slugger the Sea Dog. Slugger, dubbed "Baseball's Hardest Working Mascot," works the crowd, races children around the bases, dances to the YMCA and generally has a good time. [1]
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Minor league baseball officially returned to Maine on October 4, 1992, when Portland was awarded one of two Eastern League expansion franchises (the other being the New Haven Ravens) to begin play in April 1994. The Sea Dogs signed an affiliation agreement with the Florida Marlins, beginning what would become a nine-season relationship. The city renovated Hadlock Field, transforming what was once a high-school stadium into a modern ballpark. The team won its first game, defeating the Reading Phillies on the road 2-1, with the help of a 14th-inning home run by future major league catcher Charles Johnson. The team opened Hadlock Field on April 18, 1994, losing 7-6 to the Albany-Colonie Yankees. It was the late Robert Ganley, Portland city manager at the time, whose vision led to the construction of the ballpark in a previously run-down section of Portland.
Cartoonist Guy Gilchrist designed the team's logo as well as logos for the Connecticut Defenders, Binghamton Mets, and New Britain Rock Cats. Gilchrist's comic strip Mudpie had a series of strips in which the young cat's family visit the Portland area and attend a Sea Dog game.
(Player currently on the Red Sox in BOLD)
Portland Sea Dogs roster
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Players | Coaches/Other | |||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager Coaches
† Disabled list |
(Place is finish in Northern Division)
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Boston Red Sox Minor League Affiliates | |||
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Triple-A | Double-A | Class A | Rookie |
Pawtucket Red Sox | Portland Sea
Dogs |
Salem Red Sox Greenville Drive Lowell Spinners |
GCL Red Sox DSL Red Sox |
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