Remember last season when the Red Sox imminent affiliation with the Sea Dogs was one of the worst kept secrets in professional baseball?

Well, here’s another scoop for you.

The Sea Dogs could (insert obligatory wink here) host the 2005 Eastern League All-Star game.

All parties involved say a decision hasn’t been made yet.

But the pieces are certainly falling into place.

Members of the Sea Dogs’ staff will be in New Britain, Conn., where this year’s All-Star game will be played Wednesday night.

Let’s just say they won’t be there because New Britain’s a vacation hotspot.

Next year’s contest will be in Bowie, Md., with the Northern and Southern divisions alternating hosting the event each season.

Trenton and Norwich landed the game in recent years, leaving Portland, Binghamton and Manchester, N.H., as possibilities in 2005.

Manchester will need a couple of years to settle into its new stadium and Binghamton is, well, Binghamton.

You do the math.

Sea Dogs general manager Charlie Eshbach acknowledged that the possibility of bringing the game to Hadlock Field is being explored.

“There’s more of a chance now that we’re into an Eastern League game as opposed to a Double-A game,” Eshbach said. “I’m going to be watching down in New Britain and see what’s involved and seeing if that’s something we can get priced appropriately to bring it to Portland.”

This year’s game marks the first time the league has held its own mid-season classic since 1990.

The following season all three Double-A leagues, the Eastern, Southern and Texas leagues, adopted a format where one Double-A game was played with at least one representative from all the teams.

That set-up was nixed after last year’s game in Norwich because of travel and financial concerns.

Under the Double-A format, Eshbach said he would have had to charge four or five times the normal price for tickets to make it financially viable.

“I just wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing that,” said Eshbach.

There is a lot more to hosting the All-Star game than just the game itself.

In New Britain for example, the Rock Cats are having a FanFest the day before the game that will include player autograph sessions, baseball clinics, a fantasy photo station and broadcast booth, among other things, and climax with the All-Star Home Run Derby.

There is also an All-Star Gala dinner that night and a luncheon at ESPN in nearby Bristol, Conn., the day of the game.

And all the players and coaches must be put up at hotels for a couple of nights.

“Those are the expenses that kind of mount up,” said Eshbach.

The plus side to having the game is that fans at Hadlock Field will get to see some of baseball young stars all at one time.

Past Eastern League All-Stars include Nomar Garciaparra, Scott Rolen, Todd Helton, Alfonso Soriano and Shea Hillenbrand.

“It’s a memorable thing,” said Eshbach, who recalled seeing the Major League All-Star game at Fenway Park when he was nine years old. “I know I still have people talk about the exhibition game we had here with the Marlins (in 2000). Those are the types of things that really stick in your mind.”

Stars everywhere

Five Sea Dogs will represent the team in New Britain.

Josh Stevens, Jorge De La Rosa, Kelly Shoppach, Kevin Youkilis and Jeremy Owens will all make the short trek from Norwich, where they play on Monday, over to New Britain.

It was be a particularly busy weekend for De La Rosa, Youkilis, and Sea Dogs manager Ron Johnson.

The trio left the team Saturday to be part of today’s All-Star Futures game in Chicago.

After the game, they will fly to Providence and drive back to Norwich, where they’ll rejoin the team in time for tomorrow’s game.

Youkilis and De La Rosa will then head to New Britain, while Johnson will return to Maine to spend a couple of days with his family.

Youkilis, who is from Cincinnati, will have a contingent of family and friends at the game in Chicago.

“I’m really looking forward to that,” said Youkilis. “From what I here, it’s a good time. It’s going to be a lot fun.”

Done deal?

The Eastern League’s hierarchy will meet in New Britain.

At the top of the agenda will be the proposed shift of the New Haven franchise to Manchester.

The discussion appears to be nothing more than a formality, although Eshbach said there are still some issues that need to be addressed.

“I have a bunch of questions I’m concerned about,” said Eshbach. “If they give me decent answers, then I’m fine.”

Eshbach pointed to the stadium lease as one area of query.

“It all seems good, but show me it works,” he said. “If it makes sense financially, then I see it as a pretty good deal.”

Going deep

Owens will participate in the All-Star Home Run Derby.

The Sea Dogs’ No. 9 hitter led the team with 11 home runs heading into the weekend.

Fossum returns

Red Sox pitcher Casey Fossum will make another rehabilitation appearance with the Sea Dogs.

Fossum, who was sent to Triple-A Pawtucket last Wednesday, will join the team today and pitch during tomorrow’s game in Norwich.

Fossum was sent back to the Sea Dogs because Pawtucket was on the road in Rochester, N.Y.

He’ll likely rejoin the Red Sox after the All-Star break and work out of the bullpen.

Bill Foley is assistant sports editor. He can be reached by e-mail at bfoley@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link