Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium

Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium is a stadium in Norwich, Connecticut. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Connecticut Tigers minor league baseball team. It was built in 1995 and has a seating capacity of 6,270. Named for Eastern Connecticut native Thomas Dodd who was a United States Senator and Representative from Connecticut, and the father of U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd.

Dodd Stadium hosted the 12th and final Double-A All-Star Game on July 10, 2002, in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 8,009. The three AA leagues began holding their own separate All-Star Games starting in 2003, with Dodd Stadium scheduled to host the Eastern League game once again on July 11, 2007. (That game was ultimately canceled in the 3rd inning due to excessive fog.) The facility has also been the site of the New England Collegiate All-Star Game; the Big East baseball tournament; several concerts including the Beach Boys, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, and Clint Black/Dwight Yoakam; and a TNA Wrestling event. During the fall of 2006, the stadium was used as the setting for the ESPN movie The Bronx Is Burning, based on a Jonathan Mahler book of the same name.

The stadium is sunk into the surrounding ground, so that all fans enter at street level and walk down to get to their seats. Each section has 22 to 25 rows of seating, split into box seats (closest to field) and reserved seats. Beyond first and third bases, there is a third category of general-admission seats making up the top 10 rows. A wide concourse runs around the top of the seating area, with concession stands, restrooms, and a gift shop. The press box is also located at concourse level, overlooking the field. Other than behind the press box, fans can continue to watch the game while standing in line or while walking around the stadium.

There are 18 skyboxes, elevated above the concourse and accessible by stairs or elevator for ticket-holders only. The skyboxes and their outdoor seating serve as cover for the main concourse below, and for the top couple rows of reserved seats.

Down the left- and right-field lines are grassy berms which are popular with children because they abut the bullpens. These are also frequent landing places for foul balls. The left-field side also features a large covered picnic area which can be rented out, and a kids’ play area with inflatable slides. One room off the concourse has been made into a video arcade.

The stadium is located in the Norwich Business Park, and parking is free (one dollar of the game ticket price is used to cover it). Season ticket holders park on a paved lot on the first-base side of the stadium; all other parking is in a large gravel area.

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