Connecticut Defenders

Connecticut Defenders
1995–2009 Norwich, Connecticut
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes	Double-A (1995–2009)
League	Eastern League (1995–2009)
Division	Northern Division
Major league affiliations
Previous teams	San Francisco Giants (2003–2009) New York Yankees (1995–2002)
Minor league titles
League titles	2002
Division titles	2002, 2009
Team data
Previous names	Connecticut Defenders (2006–2009) Norwich Navigators (1995–2005)
Mascot	Cutter (2006–2009) Tater the Gator (1995–2005)
Previous parks	Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium (1995–2009)

The Connecticut Defenders were a Minor League Baseball team based in Norwich, Connecticut. The team, which played in the Eastern League, was the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major-league club from 2003 until following the 2009 season, when the Defenders relocated to Richmond, Virginia and are now known as the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

The Defenders played in Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium, located in Norwich; opened in 1995, it seats 6,275 fans. The Defenders had been known as the Norwich Navigators from 1995 until October 2005. Prior to the 2003 season, the Navigators had been an affiliate of the New York Yankees.

The Defenders were last managed by Steve Decker, who was announced as the team's new skipper on December 28, 2008.^[1]

The Defenders were scheduled to host the Eastern League All-Star Game at Dodd Stadium on July 11, 2007, but the game was ultimately canceled due to fog. The fan activities and home run derby went on as scheduled, with over 6,500 fans attending events throughout the day.