The Hartford Yard Goats are looking for people to step up to the plate and grab the mic to take part in singing the national anthem for this year's season.
Hundreds of people of all ages sent submissions in online and dozens tried out in person at Dunkin' Donuts Park on Saturday morning.
There are only a little over 20 spots and General Manager Mike Abramson is looking for something special.
"Something that’s a little bit different something, that’s a little bit stronger, something that’s a little bit unique," he said. "Poise is important because things do change when you get down on the field and you have 6,000 eyes on you."
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Brian Jones is a classically trained choral teacher from Southington. He said he's used to pushing students to follow their dreams and now he's doing the same.
"It’s always been a bucket list item for me, something that I always wanted to push myself to do," Jones, of Southington, said. "I would say maybe 2,000 is the largest audience I ever sung for, but this would be a completely different type of game."
For some, it's about more than just singing.
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"Today sparks a new landmark," said Gwenath Douglas, of Hartford.
For Douglas, it's been a long road. She said as a child, she suffered a severe bout of asthma. Growing up in the church, she had this prayer, "God if you heal me, I will sing for you all the days of my life," she said.
Since her prayers were answered, she said even through difficult times, she is using her gift of song to serve and be a blessing.
"So when I sing, I’m giving love hope, trust, encouragement to people who are coming just to say 'I wanna laugh a little bit,' 'I wanna get that almighty pretzel and Pepsi cola,' Douglas said.
She would be able to share her gift with thousands. "It would be like me being lifted up, it would be like me lifting up my fellow Americans," Douglas said.
The Yard Goats will open the 2022 season on Friday, April 8, against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.
NBC Connecticut is the official media partner of the Hartford Yard Goats.
