YOUR COMMENTS

I live in Massachusetts, just north of Boston. My husband and I try to make the rounds of most of the minor league teams within a two-hour drive each summer.

I liked it better when it was the Pride. But I saw the writing on the wall a few years ago, when we went to see El Guapo pitch, and hardly anyone was there.

But we gave it a try in '09 as the Defenders, and we were not impressed. I was personally put off by the whole military theme thing. I forget the mascot's name, right now, but it had something to do with 9/11. I mean, sheesh...baseball is supposed to be a relaxing thing to watch, why do we need to have this tragic event thrown in our faces all the time. I know we should not forget it, but I'd rather not see it at a ballpark, unless I am actually there on 9/11. But that would just be the Red Sox and other MLB teams, as all of the minor league teams are all done before then.

We were also very unimpressed with the concessions. We are picky about beer, and I thought that most people in NH are, as well, given all of the great microbrews you guys have up there. But most of the beer was typical swill, like Bud Lite. They did have a Red Hook IPA that I liked, but hubby doesn't like IPA's, so there was no beer that he wanted to drink.

The food was no great shakes, either. But we had eaten at Martha's Exchange before the games, and it was a good thing we did, so we didn't starve during the double-header that we attended.

We had high hopes for the 21+ Diamond Club...we thought it would be a good way to get into some AC on a hot night, and also get away from annoying kids running about. But the only beer they had was swill...Bud, Bud Lite, and Michelob Ultra. In bottles. Would it have killed them to have some Sam Adams, Smuttynose, and such? We turned around and walked out, there was nothing there that we wanted.

The Fisher Cats have done it right. Their concessions are amazing. Their Sam Adams Bar & Grill is excellent...non-swill beers on tap, and the food is really good, too. Many times, we've just eaten there, and not spent money at a restaurant before a game. The selection on the regular concourse is awesome, too...they not only have Sam Adams, but they have Smuttynose, Shipyard, Guinness, and many other good beers on tap. They have fried clams, clam chowder, BBQ, and much more.

The Fisher Cats have their finger on the pulse of what we want, and Nashua did not.

I know it's an indie league. But what about other Can-Am League teams who are doing well? We have been to Brockton Rox and Worcester Tornadoes games. They put on really nice shows there, they attract a lot more fans, and they actually seem to know how to run a baseball team. The people running the Defenders obviously do not. The New Jersey Jackals also seem to have a thriving franchise. I've never been to a game there, but they have been around for years and attract a good amount of fans.

So, even in indie ball...it CAN be done!
- Christine, Malden, MA

Dumb move by mayor...no way you'll get another team, NECBL will line up behind DD...great signal to other businesses looking at relocating in the area...Surprised Mayor Lo-class didn't have Guedo and the knee-cap squad ready when the team showed up!
- Lefty, Lowell, MA

This group was a joke, no insurance, no business plan, no idea on how to run a team...I hope somebody does some invistigative work on the owners and exposes them for what they are.
- Clayton, Boston

Its okay Tom,
I thought it was the pitchers mound when I glanced at it at first too.
- Jim, Manchester

The NECBL would be a much better fit for Nashua. The Lowell team should move there, they can't draw flies competing against the Spinners. I'm not saying they would bang Holman out, but if they could draw 500-1,000 a night, with the volunteer staff as others have stated, they could probably make a go of it.
- Greg, Manchester

The area cannot support this much minor league baseball. With teams in Lowell and Manchester the team was doomed.
They were never going to be able to pay $45,000 for rent and services with an unaffliated single A team and a Red Sox Affliate right down the street.
It is a shame nothing could be worked out, because now the city will get nothing this year, and no team will move in next year.
- Kevin, Tyngsboro

Honestly, I'm surprised that they lasted as long as they did. Not only was the entire premise behind the Defenders flawed from the get go, but the ownership group did a lousy job of marketing their product which was supposed to be baseball, but seemed to be Nationalism.

MikeP, thanks for the heads up about the NECBL. I think I'm going to check them out.
- Frank, Derry, NH

I stand corrected. See, admitting you're wrong isn't that difficult.
- Tom, Dover-Foxcroft, Me.

As a former resident of Nashua I have to say you can't blame the residents or even the negative commenters on the Nashua Telegraph website for the Defenders failure. The bottom line is that the concept was an awkward fit for Nashua and the ownership didn't really try. Their website barely worked, the uniforms were odd, the talent poor, the food vendors not set up right, and many other promises broken. If the Fcats pulled this kind of stuff they'd be gone as well, but fact is they don't. I am saddened to see a business in our state fail, but that being said if Duquette and his boys had given it their all, they still might be around. Cheers to Nashua Mayor Lozeau for doing the right thing and cutting the city's losses.
- Tim, Milford

I grew up in Nashua, and it is sad to see a city with such great professional baseball history not be able to support a successful franchise for the past 25 years. First the Angels, then the Pirates, the Hawks, the Pride, and now the Defenders.

When the Pride first started in '98, it looked as if there would finally be a viable product in Nashua. I think that they would have really taken off if it hadn't been for a certain segment of fans that accused the franchise of "taking Holman Stadium away from the kids." Spike from Brentwood nailed it when he said that it actually created a far better facility (Stellos Stadium) for youth sports as a result.

And Tom from Dover-Foxcroft.... you HAVE to be kidding, right? Tell me you are kidding. Please.
- Brian, Concord

Sad news!! I always enjoyed the Pride's games. I also enjoyed going to the high school, Legion and Pop Warner games there. But they were kicked out to keep the field in pristeen state for the Pride. There used to be a Plaque on the front gate at Holmen dedicating the field to the youth of Nashua. Is that still there???
- Brian Flynn, Bullhead City Az.

I can understand the mayor has a responsibility to the people of Nashua but it is the people from Nashua and neighboring towns who buy the tickets and concessions at the park. What about the employees of the park and the businesses around the park that thrive on people using their services or buying their products during the season. I am sure there will be finger pointing on both sides but seems to me that Mayor Donnalee Lozeau could have waited till after the season was over to lock down the park ...
- Ed, Merrimack

As a former resident of Nashua I have to say you can't blame the residents or even the negative commenters on the Nashua Telegraph website for the Defenders failure. The bottom line is that the concept was an awkward fit for Nashua and the ownership didn't really try. Their website barely worked, the uniforms were odd, the talent poor, the food vendors not set up right, and many other promises broken. If the Fcats pulled this kind of stuff they'd be gone as well, but fact is they don't. I am saddened to see a business in our state fail, but that being said if Duquette and his boys had given it their all, they still might be around. Cheers to Nashua Mayor Lozeau for doing the right thing and cutting the city's losses.
- Tim, Milford

MikeP, yesterday's action by the mayor sends no other message to a future owner than that, when repeated renegotiation leads to repeated non-payment, there will be consequences. The excuse of pay for police details, and yesterday's start of a home-stand, was her last chance to try to put pressure on the Defenders.

The lower-budget NECBL may be a good fit for Nashua. There are 300 Holman die-hards and an intact Booster Club (if an interested party acts soon--and the mayor should be out recruiting one). And the stadium is set up for food service; it doesn't require portable kitchens as at the Lowell and Lynn franchises.
- Spike, Brentwood NH

Thanks Tom from ME for the great laugh. Nothing better than seeing one dope try to make fun of someone else and actually be the one who needs to be ridiculed....again, thanks.
- Brian, in NH

Tom from Dover-Foxcroft, I'm pretty sure that's home plate, check out how close it is to the backstop.
- Josh, Manchester, NH

It's the proximity to the Fisher Cats that has rendered Holman useless. The attendance has been going down for years. Most companies are located near highways and Merchants Stadium is very convenient if you want to go after work.
Perhaps the stadium will be better served as a home to Nashua High School Teams like Gill Stadium is or state championship games. It would be ideal for a good summer baseball camp.
- Carol Ann, Londonderry

The NECBL with their low overhead and mostly volunteer staff would probably be a perfect fit for that stadium...

Unfortunately, yesterday sends a
pretty strong statement to any prospective owner to RUN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE in the opposite direction...
- MikeP, Merrimack

PS to Tom of Maine--In your zeal to turn even this into an attack against the Union-Leader, you neglected to notice the basepaths leading away from the "pitcher's mound." The tractor is in fact at home plate. (And it is yellow, as reported.)

Harry, I got sick of it one year when fans of the college Concord Quarry Dogs complained about competition from Manchester; and I ran the numbers. On nights when the Q-Dogs and Fisher Cats played head-to-head, the Q-Dogs drew BETTER on average. The Manchester Millrats also benefited from success of their "competitors"--When Portland, Maine got its D-League franchise, Union-Leader coverage helped spark a season-high attendance at the Millrats.
- Spike, Brentwood NH

"When you get a sense of the music and pageantry and traditions that we'll create, you'll want to come back." The fans did, most extremely when a game lasted until 9:11 and we were told to stand and remove our hats for a double refrain of Proud to Be an American "to honor the victims of 9/11." Telling us how to be baseball fans did not make us want to come back; and especially the military theme did not take the place of actual sales work. The rest of the season consisted of realizing that fans weren't lined up at the ticket window, and deciding who could be most easily stiffed.

Reaction on the Nashua newspaper web site consists of repeating the perennial untruth that pro baseball in Nashua took Holman Stadium away from the kids (in fact, it was the catalyst for building a new, football-only field). Neighborhood activists hate the noise of the sport and fireworks, and fellow libertarians argue against tax subsidy for recreation. The public glee of some Nashuans to see (to make) a business fail is the worst omen regarding pro baseball returning to the city.

The Pride GM once stated that the new team's first-year goal was "removing the bad taste" of the deadbeat Nashua Hawks. As though Dan Duquette no longer needed trust and his good name, that is the hole in which he and his associates leaves Nashua again.
- Spike, Brentwood NH

Duquette said, "It is a shame that more residents did not take advantage of the baseball and concerts..."

It's always someone else's fault!
- Domenic, Manchester

Not much on the old baseball thing are you? That tractor is in fact parked on the pitcher's mound. Now, shouldn't good 'Mom's Apple Pie Americans' have at least some clue about America's pastime?
- Tom, Dover-Foxcroft, Me.

I think the over saturation of minor league teams (Spinners, Fisher Cats) in the area impacted attendance for the American Defenders
- Harry, Atkinson

This has been a long time coming and while it's sad to see it finally come true there is always good baseball in Manchester for you all to see and hopefully there attendance numbers will benefit.
- Joshua, Manchester