Rock Cats play last game at home

The sightlines weren't good from the press box at that park:

The Hartford Courant had the views but the rest were in the dark.

Yet still we reflect fondly on those bright New Britain days,

And we all look back with smiles even though it's just a haze.

"Move them to the capital!" we heard the Hartford mayor shout,

And let's call them the Yard Goats the bloggers started to blog out.

Be gone with the Cats, though it's been a great ride,

We're only ten miles north, it's barely a stride.

So we take a look back, upon our old N.B. site,

And we lift our heads high, and try to keep spirits bright.

At one time we watched games from Old Beehive field,

The parent club was Boston, future Red Sox revealed.

We saw Bagwell, and Clemens, Todd Pratt and Pete Young,

We cheered Burks and John Flaherty and sometimes we won!

Then winds of change shifted, but we cheered nonetheless,

It was the the Twins of Minnesota who had purchased the crest;

"Go Mauer, Ortiz and Hunter!" we'd blurt.

and rehab some stars who've kinda been hurt.

Then the Rockies took over, with Rocky high hopes,

We trained their youngsters, we showed them the ropes.

The Cats started strongly, they played with such might!

But regression's a beast, and darkened the night.

With Story promoted and Dahl with his spleen,

A pennant in '15 was still just a dream.

We grew accustomed to the Rock Cats,

to their jingles and their songs,

It became second nature, we came out and cheered in throngs.

It was a decent tenure for pro baseball in that box,

The team that had been transferred through the Rockies, Twins and Sox.

We truly saw some baseball stars play catch upon that pitch,

We saw guys make their earnings before becoming rich.

Hartford is the favored land this day, it has thus been decreed,

There wasn't even time to fight or discuss renewal of the deed.

But Yard Goats are exciting! And I'm sure we'll go and shout,

Though there is no joy in New Britain since the Rock Cats have moved out.

***

Steven Martano is a Contributing Prospect Writer for the Colorado Rockies at Purple Row and Editor and Writer at Beyond the Box Score. He spent many a blissful night at Beehive Field and New Britain Stadium, and plans to frequent the Yard Goats new home, Dunkin Donuts Park. You can follow him on Twitter at @SMartano.