After departing Minor League Baseball, the Norwich Sea Unicorns are joining the summer-collegiate Futures League for the 2021 season and beyond.
Formerly in the Double-A Eastern League and then the Short Season-A NY-Penn League as an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers since 2010, the Sea Unicorns were not invited to be part of the new 120-team Minor League Baseball. The addition of the Sea Unicorns puts the Futures League at eight teams.
“We are very pleased to be able to keep baseball here in Norwich and the Futures League is a great home for Sea Unicorns baseball,” said Sea Unicorns Owner and Managing Partner Miles Prentice. “We understand what this team and this facility means to the people of Norwich and surrounding communities. We look forward to providing the same level of affordable, family fun and excitement that fans have come to expect from a night out at Dodd Stadium for years to come.”
The move is one of several offseason changes for the summer-collegiate Futures League, bringing the league back to Connecticut along with the Bees. Norwich is the second former affiliated ballclub to join the FCBL for the 2021 season after the Vermont Lake Monsters made the move in February. The Sea Unicorns are also the fourth new franchise to join the league over the last three seasons. The Westfield Starfires and New Britain Bees began summer collegiate play in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Norwich Sea Unicorns to the Futures League as our eighth team and look forward to showcasing our fun, exciting brand of baseball in a new area in southeast Connecticut,” FCBL Commissioner Joe Paolucci said. “Bringing in another former minor league organization and facility is outstanding for our league. We can’t wait to continue providing high-quality baseball to a great New England community for years to come.”
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