NEW BRITAIN - The last traces of the winter’s snow just seemed to melt away as New Britain Rock Cats owner/general manager Bill Dowling and his entourage approached Angelico’s Restaurant for the annual Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance baseball luncheon.

 

Much is going well for the team.

 

Dowling said the new sales force has sold out the 65 billboards that adorn New Britain Stadium. A waiting list is in place.

 

Stanley Works and the Rock Cats have a cutting-edge agreement that makes the Hardware City manufacturing staple a "presenting sponsor" for the season. Over 150,000 game tickets have already been sold as the team seeks to break last year’s franchise attendance record of 311,671.

 

The administrative staff has increased as will the personnel necessary to maintain stadium services on game days so the team continues to grow as a source of employment.

 

Rock Cats radio man Jeff Dooley will have play-by-play broadcasts emanating from five different cities in the state and throughout the world on the Internet. Assistant general manager Evan Levy has a list of vibrant promotions planned from bobble-head doll giveaways to entertainment extravaganzas.

 

The relationship between the Rock Cats and their parent Minnesota Twins couldn’t be much better. The Twins’ commitment to scouting continues to churn out quality players that should make the Rock Cats competitive for years to come.

 

But a deadline is looming in the hearts and minds of the Rock Cats that is causing some concern. The lease with the City of New Britain expires at the end of the 2005 season and negotiations to extend it have reportedly encountered a political stone wall at City Hall.

 

"I would rather talk about last year than next year," Dowling said.

 

"The lease is up at the end of the season. We have the unique situation in New Britain where we have a Republican mayor (Tim Stewart) and a 13-person Common Council who are all Democrats. What seems to happen that if the Mayor says that one and one is two, the Council says it’s three.

 

"As a result of that, I think it might be fairly difficult to negotiate a lease and get something done by the time of the election, which is next November."

 

Since the mayor-elect would take office shortly after the election, Dowling sees a window of opportunity to negotiate before the present lease elapses. The team, under the auspices of the Joe Buzas ownership group that preceded Dowling and partner Coleman Levy, signed a 10-year lease when New Britain Stadium opened for the 1996 season.

 

Stewart is frequently in attendance at games and Dowling senses that he wants to work with the team. But the perceived gridlock of partisan politics between the Mayor’s office and Council chambers could create an impasse between the team and city.

 

"(Stewart) has been a great fan of the Rock Cats," Dowling said. "He’s in our corner. ... We’re prepared to pay whatever we have to pay within reason but the issue really is getting things done and through the Council. I’m a little nervous about that."

 

In an interview last summer, Stewart indicated that he does have strong feelings for the team. He said finding another tenant that aids the community in the variety of ways the Rock Cats do would be nearly impossible.

 

"They’re bringing 300,000 people in there and that’s a big, big number," Stewart said. "There are a lot of side benefits to that. The (public relations) that comes with that is just tremendous. You can’t quantify the public relations aspect of what they do for the City of New Britain."

 

Stewart doesn’t anticipate any problems in re-negotiations but until names are on the dotted line, the Rock Cats can become free agents.

 

"Baseball is a business. I understand that," Stewart said. "A good general manager will make that a profitable business and Coleman and Bill have done a remarkable job marketing that business. ... I think they’ve taken it to a whole new level much to the benefit of the city. It puts us in a good position to have positive discussions with them."

 

PARK IMPROVEMENTS: While the lease is in question, the Rock Cats and the city are pushing forward with a two-phase plan to enhance the New Britain Stadium experience.

 

A 4,000-square-foot "multi-use area" down the left-field line will increase the stadium’s capacity, which currently is 6,146.

 

"We’re calling it a ‘fun zone’ but basically what it is is a collection of activities and games at specific areas of the park where fans and families can go and play various Internet-access video games," assistant general manager John Willi said. "We’re creating somewhat of a park within the stadium."

 

The Rock Cats expect the new area to increase the number of birthday parties the stadium can accommodate.

 

The picnic area that sits high above the first-base line will be covered to protect party-goers from the elements.

 

COMMUNITY IN MIND: Evan Levy’s promotional schedule offers a glimpse into the Rock Cats’ community-minded approach to marketing.

 

The team will continue its program of wearing specialty jerseys, then putting them up for bid to benefit specific charities.

 

Red, white and blue jerseys will be auctioned for the benefit of ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. For one particular game, the Rock Cats will be wearing jerseys that a few decades ago would have been unthinkable.

 

"We’re going to have a Pink in the Park Day," Evan Levy said. "New Britain has its Race in the Park and we’re going to be wearing pink jerseys to benefit breast cancer initiatives. It’s a little different and that’s what we like to pride ourselves on."

 

The local team will also tap into the fierce Red Sox-Yankees rivalry that rages over the state.

 

"New Britain being equidistant between (Fenway and Yankee Stadium) is well-known to be a hotbed for the rivalry," he said. "We’re taking it a step further to see who has the stronger fan base."