for the franchise. These were unveiled on November 14, and a new mascot (a bald eagle) debuted eight days later. Another contest was held to name the mascot, and on February 11, 2006, "Cutter" was christened. The "Defenders" name, and the bald eagle mascot, are a reference to the United States Coast Guard Academy located a short drive away in New London, and also to the U.S. submarine base also located nearby in Groton. In 2005, the team sponsored several rallies in support of the sub base after it was placed on the Base Realignment and Closure list. The base was eventually removed from the list. In September 2008 the San Francisco Giants renewed their PDC with the Defenders until 2010. The following season, the Defenders won the Southern Division title and qualified for the Eastern League playoffs, defeating the New Britain Rock Cats three games to one in the ELDS to advance to the second Eastern League Championship Series in franchise history. However, the Defenders fell short in the end, losing three games to one to the Akron Aeros. Relocation to Richmond On Friday, February 13, 2009 the Norwich Bulletin reported that a Virginia businessman Bryan Bostic, was interested in purchasing the franchise and relocating the team to Richmond, Virginia in time for the 2010 season. On Monday, March 16, 2009 the Norwich Bulletin reported that the Norwich City Council unanimously approved a request to transfer the lease on Dodd Stadium to Richmond Baseball Club LC, chaired by Bryan Bostic. On Wednesday, April 22, 2009, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that the Richmond Metropolitan Authority (RMA) signed an agreement with the Richmond Baseball Club LC to allow a professional baseball team to play at The Diamond. On September 23, 2009, the Eastern League officially announced that the Defenders were leaving Norwich and moving to Richmond, where they will play in The Diamond while continuing to seek proposals for a new ballpark in the Richmond vicinity. Also, the "Defenders" nickname will not be retained, rather the new team will be called the Richmond Flying Squirrels after a name-the-team contest. Alumni Notable players to pass through the franchise include... From years as a Yankees affiliate: catcher Mike Figga (1995) pitcher Ramiro Mendoza (1995) outfielder Rubén Rivera (1995) outfielder Ricky Ledée (1996) outfielder Shane Spencer (1996) outfielder Tim Raines (1996, 1997) pitcher David Cone (1996) pitcher Dwight Gooden (1996) outfielder Darryl Strawberry (1996)