Eastern League Northeast Divisionhartford yard goats Colorado Rockies

Chris Denorfia (3rd year)

DUNKIN’ PARK

Year Opened: 2017 Capacity: 6,121

Field Dimensions: LF: 325’ CF: 400’ RF: 308’ 2022 Record: 77-60

Last Playoff Appearance: 2009 (New Britain)

Titles Won: 2 (1983, 2001) (New Britain)

Years in League: 1983-2015 (New Britain), 1938-52, 2016-23 (Hartford)

Mascots: Chompers & Chew Chew

Top Prospects

1. Ezequiel Tovar, SS

2. Zac Veen, OF

3. Drew Romo, C

4. Adael Amador, SS

5. Gabriel Hughes, RHP

6. Benny Montgomery, OF

7. Warming Bernabel, 3B

8. Sterlin Thompson, 3B/OF

9. Jordy Vargas,RHP

10. Jordan Beck, OF

Field Staff

Manager: Chris Denorfia

Hitting Coach: Tom Sutaris

Pitching Coach: Blaine Beatty

Bench Coach: Luis Lopez

Athletic Trainer: Coy Coker

Physical Performance Coach: Mason Rock

Notable Alumni

Matt Carasiti, David Dahl, Kyle Freeland, German Marquez, Ryan McMahon, Antonio Senzatela, Trevor Story, Raimel Tapia, Pat Valaika

Denorfia played 10 years in the Major Leagues with Cincinnati (2005-06), Oakland (2008-09), San Diego (2010-14), Seattle (2014), and the Cubs (2015). The former outfielder graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford before playing at Wheaton College (Norton, MA), where he was a NCAA Division III AllAmerican, and drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 19th round in 2002. Denorfia, 42, managed the Yard Goats to a franchise record 77 wins last season and had four players from the 2022 club reach the Major Leagues. In the past two seasons under his watch, nine Yard Goats have made their MLB debuts. He was appointed Yard Goats manager in 2021 after spending the 2019 season with the Chicago Cubs as Quality Assurance Coach on manager Joe Maddon’s staff. After his playing career, Denorfia joined the Cubs front office as a Special Assistant to the President/GM in 2018. In 10 seasons in the Majors, he batted .272 with 103 doubles, 17 triples, 41 home runs, 196 RBI and 56 stolen bases in 808 games. He was part of the Cubs 2015 Playoff Roster and appeared in all three rounds helping Chicago advance to the NLCS. Denorfia played for Italy during the 2009 and 2013 World Baseball Classic and batted a combined .387 in eight games across the two tournaments.

Mascot

Chompers is a big, neon green, male goat with large blue shoes, blue horns, and a plaid shirt. Chew Chew is a blue, female goat with green horns, a bow in her hair, green shoes, pink lipstick, and a blue and green polka-dotted dress. Both names were submitted by local 10-year-olds as part of contest, with the team picking the two winners.

The New Britain Rock Cats relocated to Hartford for the 2016 season. A Yard Goat is a serious workhorse locomotive that moves and shuffles cars from track to track. The team moniker honors the rich railroad history in Hartford. | Hartford was first represented in the Eastern League in 1938, and remained in the league until 1952. Hartford never won an Eastern League title, but in 1944 finished in first place in the regular season with a 99-38 record and a .729 winning percentage that is the highest ever in Eastern League history.

2022 Record: 9-15

2022 @ Portland: 4-8

2022 @ Hartford: 5-7

All-Time Series: 56-76