Bees Announce Spring Training Sked

The New Britain Bees will open their 2019 Spring Training with an
exhibition game against the Long Island Ducks at New Britain Stadium.

By Bob Phillips

NEW BRITAIN—The New Britain Bees today announced dates and starting times for their 2019 Spring Training schedule. The Bees will hold Spring Training at New Britain Stadium for the 2019 season.

The Bees Spring Training schedule will include five exhibition games— two contests against the cross-sound Atlantic League rival Long Island Ducks, one versus Post University, one against the CT Twilight League, and one vs. the Milford Hunters. Four of those games will be held at New Britain Stadium.

Bees fans looking for a sneak peek of their hometown team before the regular season begins are welcome to attend free of charge. General admission tickets for all home Spring Training games will be complimentary. In addition, the concessions will be open, and food and beverages will be available for purchase. However, no outside food or beverages will be allowed inside the ballpark.

2019 Spring Training Schedule: (Gates open one hour prior to game time)

• Fri. 4/19 – vs. Long Island (1 p.m.)
• Sat. 4/20 – @ Long Island 
• Mon. 4/22 – vs. Post University (1 p.m.) 
• Tue. 4/23 – vs. Milford Hunters (noon) 
• Wed. 4/24 – vs. CT Twilight League (6 p.m.)

“Spring is finally here and that means the official start to the 2019 season at New Britain Stadium,” said Bees General Manager Brad Smith. “These spring training games we have scheduled will give all our fans a preview of what to expect this season.”

In addition, the New Britain Elks Lodge will host a special “Meet the Players” Dinner on Tuesday, April 23, starting at 5 p.m. with a player meet and greet. A social hour follows at 6 p.m., then dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance by visiting New Britain Stadium or the New Britain Elks Lodge. The New Britain Elks Lodge is located at 30 Washington St., New Britain, CT 06051.

About the Bees

The New Britain Bees, members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (APBL), play their home games at New Britain Stadium. With eight teams in the Mid-Atlantic and Texas, the ALPB is a leader in baseball innovation and a player gateway to Major League Baseball. The Atlantic League has sent over 900 players to MLB organizations while drawing more than 40 million fans to its affordable, family-friendly ballparks throughout its 22-year history. For more information, please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.

The Bees open the 2019 season on a six-game road trip beginning Apr. 26 against the Somerset Patriots, charter members of the ALPB. The Bees’ home opener is slated for Fri, May 3, against the Patriots. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m. For ticket information, .

For information on tickets packages, group outings and sponsorships, click HERE, call 860-826-BEES (2337), or visit NBBees.com. For a complete 2018-19 schedule, click HERE.

Update on MLB-Atlantic League Experimental Rules

Major League Baseball and the Atlantic League ofProfessional Baseball announced on Wednesday that adjustments have been made to the preliminary list of experimental playing rules and equipment initiatives that MLB wishes to test during 2019 ALPB games. They include:

• The use of radar tracking technology to assist the home plate umpire in calling balls and strikes will be implemented gradually over the course of the 2019 season rather than on ALPB Opening Day.
• The plan to extend the distance between the pitching rubber and home plate by 24 inches has been delayed from the second half of the ALPB’s 2019 season to the same point in 2020.

These changes reflect the dynamic nature of the partnership, as well as a joint desire that the upcoming technology upgrades at ALPB ballparks be fully installed and calibrated prior to implementation of these experimental playing rules.

“Our partnership with Major League Baseball calls for ongoing mutual consultation,” said Rick White, President of the ALPB. “As we conduct discussions and work together, certain adjustments will need to be made on an ongoing basis in order to serve the partnership’s priority of providing the best possible data to Major League Baseball in the highly competitive Atlantic League environment.

“This is, and will remain, a thoughtful relationship intended to best serve the future of the game of baseball.”

—with staff reports