By Sapna Pathak
Staff Writer

Courtesy Photo One major reason many local teens are interested in following the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Manchester-based minor league baseball team, is the club plays in a splendid second-year stadium.

Neighborhood teens know the Queen City is home to hardball's New Hampshire Fisher Cats. But they have a difficult time providing an accurate definition of the club's mascot.

The task had teens taking many guesses.

What's a fisher cat?

Goffstown High senior Josh Decknick said he thought he once saw a fisher cat. He said the animal resembles a fox, and knows fisher cats pose a threat to domestic cats.

Sam Marquis, a Pelham High junior whose father works for the company that built the ball club's stadium, had a different take.

“(It's) a cat the size of a bobcat that makes a moaning sound,” she said.

Like Marquis, Hopkinton Middle School eighth-grader Oakley Garlow had a similar assumption.

“It's a cat with whiskers,” he said. “But they changed the logo so it would look cooler.”

Meanwhile, sixth-grader Taylor Murray of Bedford made a logical guess. She said a fisher cat, quite simply, is a cat that likes to fish.

According to several locals, discovering the true identity of a fisher cat is just one reason to attend a 'Cats game this season.

Affordable attraction

As the Granite State's only Minor League team, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Fisher Cats are exposing local youth to a new brand of professional baseball.

“Minor League ball is such a different world,” said John Zahr, media relations director for the Fisher Cats. “It's so family oriented.”

Low cost plays a pertinent role in attracting the whole gang, particularly adolescents, to the park. And a fun time for fewer dollars isn't lost on Manchester Central sophomore Lindsey Jarnutkowski of Hooksett.

When the team first came to town in 2004, Jarnutkowski said she wasn't interested in going to a game. Learning she could buy tickets for $6, however, helped change her mind – fast.

GHS senior Sean Beaudoin agreed with Jarnutowski. The cheap seats draw teens.

“Nothing beats Fenway,” said Beaudoin. “But if I can catch a live ball game in the afternoon for less than 10 bucks, and then go home and watch the Sox on TV, I'd say it's been a good day.”

Bedford's Murray said the 'Cats' low costs provide some independence. She doesn't have to ask mom and dad for money.

“I can save up and probably go to a game every week with my friends for so little money,” she said.

Following future stars

Knowing Fisher Cats players may some day wear a Major League uniform is part of the team's appeal. Already, the Fisher Cats have promoted players to the big leagues.

“You can see how hard the guys work,” Contoocook's Garlow said. “They are so nice to talk to kids because they're just trying to make it (to the Majors).”

“Because they're all trying to make it to the big leagues, no one's slacking off,” Goffstown High's Decknick said. “Everyone's giving it their all. You get each guy's best effort.”

Still, some fans, like Pelham High junior Amanda Barry, prefer to remain true blue to the Boston Red Sox – and the parent club's farm teams.

“I saw Shea Hillenbrand play when he was in Lowell,” Barry said of watching the Spinners, Boston's Single-A squad in Massachusetts. “It was so cool to see him playing in Fenway and know we saw him here first. I think I would cheer more for Fisher Cats guys if they weren't going to be on the Blue Jays.”

Sensational stadium

Watching games in the Fisher Cats' new ballpark enhances the experience, according to several young fans.

Opening last year, the stadium provides fans with a fantastic view of the city. It's a luxury Gill Stadium lacked when the team took the field for the '04 campaign.

“The new park is awesome,” Hopkinton High sophomore Caitlyn Calley said. “It's bigger and cleaner, and more comfortable for everyone.”

“I like the new ballpark better than Gill Stadium,” said Central sophomore Angela Gosselin of Hooksett. “I usually go with my sister, so it's a family thing for us. The new park's easier to get to, we get food right after, and you can just walk around Elm Street because it's so close.”

Again, what's a fisher cat?

Bedford's Jeremy Rochefort took his cuts at guessing correctly, but ultimately admitted he was stumped.

For teens like Rochefort and Pelham's Barry who otherwise wouldn't attend a 'Cats game, learning the answer provides an excuse to go the park. Featuring a life-sized stuffed fisher cat inside the gates, fans can, well, find out for themselves.

“It's a good idea having one there so people can see what the heck it is,” said Rochefort, not the biggest baseball fan. “Maybe I'd go just to see what a fisher cat looks like.”

– Staff writer Marc Thaler contributed to this report.