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Giants name general manager By DAVID REID HOLYOKE - The Holyoke Giants summer collegiate baseball team, which will play its second season of 21 home games at McKenzie Field here next summer, has named Patrick J. "PJ" Moynihan as its general manager. Moynihan, 24, is a city native who played baseball for Holyoke High School and at Columbia University. He is also the co-owner of Digital Eyes Film, a media company that he and Benjamin Sosne began last year. Last season, the two handled marketing, advertising and promotion for the Giants. They also produced "Fight Town," a feature film about Holyoke athletics, for the Holyoke Sports Legacy Committee. Last season, the Giants finished with 17 wins and 25 losses, a record that Moynihan and team owners Calvin and Clint Moffie are determined to improve upon. Last season, the team drew an average of 618 fans for each of its 21 home games, a figure that is expected to increase this season. He and Sosne, who acts as co-general manager out of New York City, where he recently moved, plan to beef up corporate sponsorships, boost ticket sales and improve team play. The two were brought on board early this spring when the Moffies, who run a healthcare business, bought the team and relocated it here from Middletown, Conn. Last season, Moynihan said, was a "crash course in sports entertainment" for the fledgling Digital Eyes, and they learned much of their responsibilities on the job. The short time frame, Moynihan said, was a real problem on many fronts, which the team had to overcome - and it did. Last season, Moynihan said, his goal was to help "make the Giants a known entity in the city and the area." Next season, he said, the goal is to "not just survive, but thrive." Wooden-bat baseball, especially featuring top-shelf college players - some of whom get drafted into the big leagues - "is great entertainment. It's cheap, affordable and it's local. It's quality entertainment. And that's what we're trying to promote." This year, he said, the team hopes to add TV spots to pique fan and sponsor interest. Improving McKenzie Field in conjunction with the city is also a top priority for next year. While some physical changes were made to the viewing areas last season, leveling the field itself and shortening some of the outfield fences - which now compare with some of the larger Major League Baseball parks in distance - are necessary steps, Moynihan said. Unfortunately, he added, "a lot of that work should have been done this fall," but wasn't because of a letdown after the first, hectic season for the Moffies, who bought the team a year ago. Another priority, he said, is to improve the team's level of play to make it more competitive. Toward that end, the team has recruited top collegiate players from across the country and already has commitments from 25 players. Although making the playoffs this season is a team goal, Moynihan said, he and the Moffies see baseball games primarily as family entertainment and a "showcase for the talents of players in the New England Collegiate Baseball League." He said the team will also beef up its contact with kids. "We want to have a full offering of camps and clinics this season," said Moynihan. He predicted the club will sponsor a number of free clinics and set up weeklong baseball "camps" for kids who can pay a fee. Moynihan said the focus will reaching Holyoke kids first, "because this community is our host." The team's Web site, www.nsnavs.com, has logged in 20,000 hits since last spring, he said. It features player profiles, team stats, directions and ticket info. © 2004 The Republican Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
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