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The Moffies have apparently purchased the franchise from Ron Lucia, who owned the rights to the Giants for two seasons after securing the team from original owner Buzzy Levin. The Giants are one of two founding franchise remaining in the now six-state, 13-team league.
Lucia did not return phone calls Friday night seeking verification.
Throughout last season Lucia expressed a strong interest in seeking an alternative venue for the franchise, citing loss of revenue partially due to no access to concession and billboard fees sometimes available in other cities. Lucia was seeking a sale or relocation to alleviate that and poor attendance figures in Middletown.
Reid said MacKenzie Field is home to the local legion team and has been used by the Pittsfield Mets for some home games and by other similar operations in the past. The field, including lighting, needs some upgrading, but there are plans in the works for that regardless of whether the Giants relocate there or not.
Cal Moffie told the commission the Giants would pledge funds to help in the refurbishing at MacKenzie and other city fields as a gesture of their willingness to work with the city.
The NECBL usually has its schedule in place by the end of the calendar year, but Moffie said all he needed was the commission’s vote to tell the league the move is a "go."
He indicated that the NECBL had already given its approval for the relocation.
Tom D’Aquila, whose son played on the Giants in 2003 and is a member of the Middletown Parks & Recreation Commission, said that the Giants have not re-applied for usage of Palmer Field for the 2004 season.
Moffie, the general manager of the franchise, is president and owner of Connecticut Health Care Facilities Inc., a company that develops and operates senior living projects in the state. A Harvard graduate, he set a school record of 165 yards in punt returns in a 1948 football game against Holy Cross. He is also in Ripley’s Believe It or Not for a 93-yard punt in a 1945 high school game.
His son, Nathan, is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania and was a member of the 2003 Giants who was tied for the team lead by playing in 39 games. The left-hand hitting outfielder has two more seasons of eligibility in the league.
