:Hartford Yard Goats
{{short description|Minor League Baseball team in Hartford, Connecticut}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox Minor League Baseball
| name = Hartford Yard Goats
| founded = 2016
| city = Hartford, Connecticut
| misc =
| logo = Hartford Yard Goats primary logo.svg
| uniformlogo = Hartford Yard Goats Cap.png
| class level = Double-A (1983–present)
| past class level =
| current league = Eastern League (1983–present)
| division = Northeast Division
| past league =
| majorleague = Colorado Rockies (2015–present)
| pastmajorleague = {{plainlist|
- Minnesota Twins (1995–2014)
- Boston Red Sox (1973–1994)
}}
| nickname = Hartford Yard Goats
| pastnames = {{plainlist|
- New Britain Rock Cats (1997–2015)
- Hardware City Rock Cats (1995–1996)
- New Britain Red Sox (1983–1994)
- Bristol Red Sox (1973–1982)
- Pawtucket Red Sox (1970–1972)
- Pittsfield Red Sox (1965–1969)
- Reading Red Sox (1935–1968)
}}
| colors = Royal blue, kelly green, tan, white{{cite news|title=Hartford Yard Goats Release Logo and Colors|url=https://www.milb.com/hartford/news/hartford-yard-goats-release-logos-and-colors/c-135477102|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|website=YardGoatsBaseball.com|date=July 8, 2015|access-date=October 12, 2019|quote=Royal Blue and Kelly Green make up the club's new official colors, paying tribute to Hartford's rich sports history.}}
{{color box|#1E376D}} {{color box|#2C8E4F}} {{color box|#BF965C}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}}
| mascot = Chompers and Chew Chew
| ballpark = Dunkin' Park (2017–present)
| pastparks = {{plainlist|
- Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium (2016)
- New Britain Stadium (1996–2015)
- Beehive Field (1983–1995)
- Muzzy Field (1973–1982)
}}
| leaguenum = 5
| leaguechamps = {{hlist|1975|1978|1981|1983|2001 (Co-Champion)}}
| divnum = 2
| divisionchamps = {{hlist|1998|2001}}
| firsthalfnum = 1
| firsthalfchamps = 2024
| owner = Josh Solomon
| manager = Bobby Meacham
| gm = Mike Abramson
| website = {{URL|https://www.milb.com/hartford|milb.com/hartford}}
}}
The Hartford Yard Goats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hartford, Connecticut. The Yard Goats, which play in the Eastern League, are the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. The team was founded in 2016 when the New Britain Rock Cats relocated to Hartford. The Yard Goats' home stadium is Dunkin' Park.
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, where they spent three years. The Pawtucket Red Sox became a Triple-A team in 1973, and 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, the team was moved {{convert|7|mi}} east to New Britain, Connecticut. Then known as the New Britain Red Sox, the team played its home games at Beehive Field, which stood next to New Britain Stadium. Renamed the Rock Cats in 1997, the team remained in New Britain through the 2015 season. In 2016, the team moved to Hartford and became the Yard Goats.{{cite web
| title =In Training: The Story Behind the Hartford Yard Goats
| url =https://news.sportslogos.net/2017/05/28/in-training-the-story-behind-the-hartford-yard-goats/baseball/
| website =sportslogos.net
| date = May 28, 2017
| access-date = December 8, 2020}}
The Yard Goats were unable to play any games in Hartford in 2016 due to construction delays at Dunkin' Park, and instead played all of their home games on the road.{{cite web|title=Courant Community|url=http://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-yard-goats-eastern-league-no-hartford-games-0723-20160722-story.html|website=www.courant.com|publisher=Hartford Courant|access-date=July 23, 2016}} These delays resulted in a lawsuit between the city of Hartford and Centerplan, the park's developer. Both sides later agreed to mediation.{{cite web|title=Dunkin Donuts Park Architect Back On The Job|url=http://www.courant.com/sports/baseball/yard-goats/hc-dunkin-dounts-architect-guarantees-opening-day-20160804-story.html|website=www.courant.com|publisher=Hartford Courant|access-date=August 4, 2016}} After the city called an insurance bond with Arch Insurance, the firm replaced Centerplan with Whiting-Turner which resumed construction in October 2016.{{cite web|url=http://ballparkdigest.com/2016/12/21/dunkin-donuts-park-aims-for-april-13-opener/|title=Dunkin' Donuts Park Aims for April 13 Debut|last=Spedden|first=Zach|date=December 21, 2016|website=Ballpark Digest|access-date=December 21, 2016}} The new developer completed the ballpark for the team's 2017 home opener on April 13, which they lost to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 7-2.{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/yard-goats/news/cats-walk-all-over-yard-goats-in-park-opener/c-224191678/t-196097242|title=Cats Walk All Over Yard Goats in Park Opener|author=Hartford Yard Goats|date=April 13, 2017|website=MILB.com|access-date=April 15, 2017}}
The name "Yard Goats" was selected as part of a "Name the Team" contest which drew over 6,000 submissions. "Yard goat" is a railroad term for a switcher, a locomotive that moves rolling stock within a yard. The stadium is adjacent to Hartford Yard. The logo features a goat chomping on a baseball bat and the team makes heavy use of animal imagery and symbolism.{{cite news|last1=Doyle|first1=Paul|url=http://www.courant.com/sports/baseball/hc-rock-cats-name-0319-20150318-story.html|title=What's a Yard Goat? It's a baseball team coming to Hartford|work=Hartford Courant|date=March 18, 2015}} The blue and green colors are a nod to the Hartford Whalers team that played in the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1997.{{cite news|last1=Doyle|first1=Paul|url=http://www.courant.com/sports/baseball/hc-hartford-yard-goats-logo-0709-20150708-story.html|title=Hartford Yard Goats Unveil Logo, Pay Tribute To Whalers With Colors|work=Hartford Courant|date=July 8, 2015}} The team stages an annual Whalers Reunion weekend, with special uniforms resembling the hockey club's and the logo has the goat chomping a hockey stick. The logo font replicates that used by the former New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad.
In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Yard Goats were organized into the Double-A Northeast.{{cite web|last=Mayo|first=Jonathan|title=MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/new-minor-league-baseball-structure|website=Major League Baseball|date=February 12, 2021|access-date=February 12, 2021}} In 2022, the Double-A Northeast became known as the Eastern League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/minor-league-baseball-historical-league-names-to-return-in-2022|title=Historical League Names to Return in 2022|website=Minor League Baseball|date=March 16, 2022|access-date=March 16, 2022}}
In 2024, the Yard Goats clinched their first playoff berth since relocating to Hartford in 2016. The Yard Goats are set to play one game in the 2025 season as the "Hartford Leaf Peepers".{{cite web|last=Caputo|first=Paul|url=https://news.sportslogos.net/2025/02/07/hartford-yard-goats-to-play-as-leaf-peepers/baseball/|title=Hartford Yard Goats to play as Leaf Peepers|website=SportsLogos.net|date=February 7, 2025|accessdate=February 9, 2025}}
Mascots
The team has two mascots, a green male goat named Chompers and a blue female goat named Chew Chew. The names were selected as part of a "Name the Mascot" contest. Chew Chew's name is designed to reflect both the railroad meaning of the nickname (as in choo choo train) and the goat logo, which is chewing on a baseball bat.{{cite news|last1=Polansky|first1=Rob|last2=Dixon|first2=Mark|title='Chew Chew' and 'Chompers' unveiled as Yard Goats mascots|url=http://www.wfsb.com/story/30391911/chew-chew-and-chompers-unveiled-as-yard-goats-mascots|publisher=WFSB-TV|date=October 30, 2015}}
On April 21, 2016, Hartford Police reported that an individual had tackled Chompers outside the Connecticut Science Center after an event there. The man inside the costume, who was not named, was uninjured. Police are unsure whether it was an intentional assault or a prank that went too far.{{cite news|title=Hartford Police Investigating Incident Involving Yard Goats Mascot|url=http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Hartford-Yard-Goats-Mascot--376520921.html|publisher=NBC Connecticut|date=April 21, 2016}}
Broadcasts
Season records
(Place indicates finish in Eastern/Northeast Division)
- 2016: 74–67 (3rd), manager Darin Everson
- 2017: 62–77 (5th), manager Jerry Weinstein
- 2018: 65–71 (3rd), manager Warren Schaeffer
- 2019: 73–66 (3rd), manager Warren Schaeffer
- 2020: Season canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021: 39–79 (6th), manager Chris Denorfia
- 2022: 77–60 (2nd), manager Chris Denorfia
- 2023: 57–76 (6th), manager Chris Denorfia
- 2024: 76–60 (2nd), manager Bobby Meacham
=Playoffs=
- 2024: Lost to Somerset Patriots in Divisional Round, 0-2
Roster
{{Hartford Yard Goats roster}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commons category|Hartford Yard Goats}}
- [http://www.yardgoatsbaseball.com/ Official website]
{{Hartford Yard Goats}}
{{Colorado Rockies}}
{{US Eastern League}}
{{Connecticut Sports}}
Category:2016 establishments in Connecticut
Category:Baseball teams established in 2016
Category:Colorado Rockies minor league affiliates
Category:Double-A Northeast teams
Category:Eastern League (1938–present) teams