The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine. They play in the Eastern League, which is a Double-A class. The team's colors are navy blue, red, and white, and their mascot is Slugger, a large bipedal harbor seal. The Sea Dogs are affiliated with the Boston Red Sox and became part of their system for the 2003 season. Previously, they were affiliated with the Florida Marlins.
The Sea Dogs play their home games at Hadlock Field, which is located between Oakdale, Libbytown and Parkside within the city of Portland. The stadium has a seating capacity of 7,368 and is named after Edson Hadlock, a longtime Portland High School baseball coach. One of the most interesting features of the stadium is the Maine Monster, a 37-foot-tall replica of Fenway Park's Green Monster in left field. The stadium also has a picnic pavilion available for group outings and a new pavilion above the right-field wall modeled after the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park.
The Sea Dogs have had several notable achievements throughout their history. In 2006, the team achieved a significant milestone by securing their inaugural championship. They clinched the title by prevailing over the Akron Aeros in an exciting 8-5 victory, marking a rematch from the series of the previous year. This triumph held special significance as it marked the first Double-A championship for a Red Sox farm team since the New Britain Red Sox in 1983. The team has since been a consistent contender in the Eastern League, making it to the championship series several times.
The team has had several notable players throughout its history, including Charles Johnson, who hit a game-winning home run in the team's first-ever game in 1994, and Kevin Youkilis, who played for the Sea Dogs in 2003 and went on to win two World Series championships with the Boston Red Sox.
