The tractor parked on home plate at Holman Stadium in Nashua, New Hampshire, is not there to mow the grass. It's there to keep the American Defenders from playing baseball until they pay $45,000 in rent and back taxes.
The American Defenders of New Hampshire—which is, incredibly, the name of an actual baseball team—are not exactly financially sound. Looking at manager Brian Daubach's water-logged office it's hard to see why. So the city physically locked them out of their stadium this week, until they pay up on the bills they owe. Since they only have six more home games in the season, they might never come back.
Team president Dan Duquette had hoped to work out some sort of payment plan, but the city wasn't having it. Yes, that's the same Dan Duquette who was the last Red Sox GM to not win a World Series. But that doesn't mean it was his fault.
"It is a shame that more residents did not take advantage of the baseball and concerts that were held at Holman Stadium this summer . . . The problems the team is facing are very unfortunate. I had high hopes for what the ownership was bringing to our area."
Yeah, Nashua! Why didn't you take more advantage of all these things that are more entertaining than your minor league baseball team?
American Defenders out at home [Union Leader]
Defenders locked out of Holman [Nasuha Telegraph]