As public debate continues over whether to build a new Hartford stadium for the New Britain Rock Cats, there's this news: the club's affiliation with the Minnesota Twins is over, and it is now linked with the Colorado Rockies.
Tim Restall, the club's general manager, said the Rock Cats have signed a two-year deal with the Rockies. "We recently found that the Twins wanted to move on and that we were able to find a new partner with the Colorado Rockies," he said.
For the baseball fans out there, that will mean some differences on the diamond.
"It's going to be exciting because the Colorado Rockies are in the National League," Restall said. "When the Rock Cats Play other National League teams, like the Reading Phillies or the Altoona Curve, those are National League teams with the Phillies and the Pirates. So the pitchers are actually going to hit."
The deal with the Rockies expires after the 2016 season. Restall said the Rock Cats will either renegotiate with the Rockies, or find another team to affiliate with. But Restall said the Rock Cats won't be without a major league team. "We have a Double A franchise here, so we will always have an affiliate with a major league team," he said.
Meanwhile, the Hartford city council is considering the $350 million proposal to build the stadium and other projects on Wednesday, with both a committee meeting and a public hearing.