Dodd Stadium offers an All-Star setting

NORWICH, Conn. -- Going to a Connecticut Defenders baseball game almost feels like taking a camping trip. Situated on top of a hill, the path to Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium is filled with sharp turns, dips and green Southern New England forest.

After 10 minutes of meandering through the two-lane road and a quick right turn, Dodd Stadium appears out of nowhere. It is Connecticut's version of "Field of Dreams," except instead of making his way through cornfields, "Shoeless Joe" would have to navigate amid dense trees.

This idyllic location in Norwich, Conn., makes watching Defenders baseball games special. It's also why Dodd Stadium is set to host the Eastern League All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 11.

"Hosting the All-Star game is a testament to the improvements that we are making here in Norwich with the Connecticut Defenders," said Lou DiBella, president and managing partner of the Defenders. "We have taken great strides this season, and the residents of Norwich and Connecticut are being rewarded with us serving as host for the 2007 Eastern League All-Star Game."

This marks the second time in just five years that Norwich has been the site of an All-Star Game. Dodd Stadium hosted the last Double-A Association All-Star Game which featured players from all three Double-A leagues (Eastern, Texas, and Southern).

The ballpark doesn't take rests in between All-Star Games either. In the last year, the Dodd Stadium has been the subject of feature stories on CNBC and ABC's "World News Tonight." In October and November, it served as one of the film sites for ESPN's new series "The Bronx is Burning," which documents the 1977 Yankees.

"We really have something going on here everyday," Defenders director of corporate sales Johnny Gill said.

Dodd Stadium is also, quite simply, a great place to watch a ballgame. The stadium is sunk into the hill so that all fans enter at street level and must walk down toward their seats. A lush line of trees provides the backdrop for the game, and the concourse runs around the top of the seating so that fans never miss any part of the game.

"You can be in line at a concession stand, turn back around and still have a perfect view [of the game]," said Gill. "There are no obstructions."

Fans' entertainment is always part of the game at Dodd Stadium. In-game music is a science in the press box, trying to appease all music tastes from Frank Sinatra to Smash Mouth. The screen in center field is a must watch during the game as the Defenders media brass will play clever clips from "Family Guy" to "Looney Tunes."

"Fans can expect a lot of entertainment from us," said Gill. "We can't really control what happens on the field, but we can control the music, the video clips and certainly the on-field events."

One in-between-inning contest pits two selected volunteers against each other in a tug-of-war game. Connected by a bungee cord, one fan represents the Yankees, the other the Red Sox, as they try to collect tennis balls and place them in their respective buckets at opposite ends. The contestants struggle with all their might, pulling each other to the ground, which draws laughs from the heavily divided crowd.

There's also plenty to do away from the field at Dodd Stadium. Options range from an inflatable obstacle course to a video arcade, while promotions include kids getting in for free if they wear a sports jersey.

Gill explained the Defenders' philosophy: "When fans leave the game, I want them to say that they can't wait to come back."

Most fans can't. Neither could the All-Star Game.