With the American Defenders of New Hampshire going down in flames, historic Holman Stadium is without a tenant. What comes next?
With the American Defenders of New Hampshire going down in flames, historic Holman Stadium is without a tenant. What comes next?
It certainly won't be affiliated baseball, despite the feelings of some in the community. With Manchester and Lowell in close proximity and the ballpark not meeting affiliated standards, this just ain't gonna happen.
We're also not too sanguine about the prospects of indy ball returning, either. The aforementioned proximity of Manchester and Lowell to Holman Stadium makes any baseball a hard sell, as the owners of the Nashua Pride found out in separate stints in the Atlantic and Can-Am leagues.
That leaves college ball. Quite honestly, we're a little surprised Dan Duquette — a minority partner in the American Defenders — didn't push that in the first place. With a little promotion and an experienced GM, a NECBL team in Holman certainly could have attracted 800 or 900 so fans a game — and that's enough to turn a profit in a summer collegiate league. Ironically, the most exposure the American Defenders owners have had has been with the summer-collegiate game, where two touring teams drew decent crowds in Florida while barnstorming. It is a business model that can work, especially in a venue like Holman Stadium.
RELATED STORIES: Defenders locked out of ballpark; future in doubt
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