Baseball Fans Line Up for New Britain Bees

Baseball fans lined up early outside New Britain Stadium to welcome a new team to town on Thursday.

Members of the new team, the New Britain Bees, warmed up for the season opening game against the York Revolution.

“They’re a very good team from what I heard and it’s just the first time being here, so I’m excited to see them,” Nina Peterson, of Southington, said.

The team is a startup of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and the players are still getting to know each other. For some this was a bit of a homecoming.

“I was born in Middletown and I grew up in Farmington for the most part. So, I came to these games as a kid,” Shawn Haviland, the pitcher for the New Britain Bees, said. “I think it’s going to be great to get out on the field, be on the field instead of watching the game. I remember being 10, 11 years old just dreaming about being out here someday.”

Besides building the team, the Bees worked to improve the stadium and grown business and fan support.

The team promises good quality baseball during their 140-game schedule, which begins Thursday night.

“It feels like you’re a kid again. It feels like the first day of ever putting a uniform on at the professional level,” Stan Cliburn, the manager of the New Britain Bees, said.

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