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After a long wait, Hartford Yard Goats play ball at Dunkin Donuts Park

HARTFORD — Hartford‘s hardcore baseball fans were more than ready to see their home team take the field for the long-awaited Yard Goats home opener ...

HARTFORD -- Hartford's hardcore baseball fans were more than ready to see their home team take the field for the long-awaited Yard Goats home opener Thursday night.

"We've been waiting for the field to open," Manchester resident Gary Castellani said. "We've been long time residents and we wanted to see Hartford baseball again."

Castellani and his family went to the game and were pleased with the family friendly atmosphere.

"Both of our boys love playing baseball, so to bring them here, to see it live is just incredible," his son-in-law Patrick Liss said. "We’ve been looking forward to this for two years, we bought tickets just a couple of months ago, but we bought the shirts and the hats for the boys two years ago."

The minor-league Yard Goats were supposed to be in the park last spring, but construction problems led the city to fire the stadium developer and pushed back the opening by a full year.

"The fact that the stadium was kinda pushed on the Hartford residents, at the time I didn’t think it was gonna be a really good idea," former Hartford resident Claudette Kosinski said. "Now that it's here though, it's built, we spent whatever we spent on it, now we have to embrace it and it has to work."

Kosinski said she purchased season tickets to embrace the experience and be part of the solution for the city.

"I hope that eventually they do some development in this area so that they can take advantage of what I think is gonna be another 6-thousand people coming into this little park," she said.

Hartford Mayor Bronin spoke to FOX61's Jenn Bernstein about his feelings on opening day.

The Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies took on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The Yard Goats lost 7-2 in the sold out game.

For a full schedule, go here. Tickets are available for Friday night’s game.

You can purchase tickets here or over the phone (860-246-4628) or at the Click It or Ticket Box Office at Dunkin’ Donuts Park. Tickets will be $6 in advance and $10 on the day of the game.

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