When the Portland Sea Dogs were established in
1994, they were the first professional
baseball team in
Portland, Maine in 45 years. Playing in the
Eastern League, they are the Double-A affiliate for the
Florida Marlins. The Sea Dogs play in
Hadlock Field, a tiny
stadium that is right next to
I-295 and is just around the corner from some giant, shiny tanks full of
milk that belong to a local
dairy.
The Sea Dogs' mascot is Slugger, a furry dog/seal sort of thing who is beloved by all small children. Also adored by any children in attendance at a Sea Dogs' game are the orange and green trash monsters who periodically roam the crowd in search of garbage.
At the game I attended in the summer of 2000, the Portland Gay Men's Chorus sang the national anthem. When the group was announced, people got up and sang along with them with not a single negative comment or catcall. Portland is a nice place.