Heading into the final weekend of minor-league baseball's regular season, Connecticut has wrapped up the Eastern League Northern Division championship. But the Defenders are last among 12 league clubs in attendance.
Connecticut, an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, is the Class AA franchise expected to relocate to Richmond next season. An announcement is expected next week.
Entering this weekend's activity, the Defenders were 81-56 but averaging 2,966 fans at Dodd Stadium. The Eastern League regular season closes Monday, and playoffs begin Wednesday. Connecticut will meet either Trenton or New Britain in a best-of-five series. The Eastern League championship series also is best-of-five.
The Connecticut franchise hadn't made the playoffs since 2002, when it was affiliated with the New York Yankees and called the Norwich Navigators. The Defenders' first-year manager is Steve Decker, a former Giants' catcher. The Connecticut franchise and the Giants have been linked since 2003 and are contractually bound through next season.
The Gwinnett Braves, the Class AAA International League affiliate that relocated from Richmond, also seems headed to the postseason, though the G-Braves hadn't clinched a spot before last night's games. Gwinnett ranks 13th among 14 IL clubs in home attendance (5,783).
Connecticut Defenders will win Eastern League championship
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