The Mud Hens’ all-time winningest skipper is ready to roll for another season of Toledo baseball.

Larry Parrish has returned for his third stint as manager of the Hens, replacing Phil Nevin.

The former All-Star major league player and International League Hall of Famer said the chance to come back was something he could not pass up.

“It was an opportunity presented by the club, and obviously Toledo’s a place I’m very familiar with — nice people, great surroundings,” Parrish said. “It’s a chance as a manager to try to help the guys make the next step, to make the major leagues.”

Parrish, who most recently managed the Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps, is eager to work with a promising group of young players this year, and said strength on the mound will be a highlight.

“It looks like our pitching should be very good,” Parrish said. “I think we’ve got a couple legitimate prospects that are going to be starting for us this year.”

He said Toledo’s current pitching depth provides an opportunity to see possible future stars in action.

“I don’t know if we’ve had that in a long time, where we had this many guys who have a chance to pitch in the big leagues as starters,” he said. “As an organization, we’re strong up and down, pitching-wise.”

He added that some of the pitching prospects brought up by the Detroit Tigers over the past decade — such as Jeremy Bonderman, Rick Porcello and Justin Verlander — often do not stay in the minor league system long.

“They were on the fast track [to the majors], so we didn’t get a chance to see them in Toledo,” he said.

Parrish said his pitchers this year will have some added help behind them in the form of good gloves.

“Defensively, I think we’re going to be a very good club,” he said.

On the offensive side, Parrish noted a lot of potential, but said hitting at the Triple-A level can be unpredictable.

“Offensively, it’s tough to say for the first part of the season, because we’re going to have a lot of first-year guys at this level,” he said. “Sometimes, though, you never know. Guys make big changes from one year to the next.”

Parrish said his roster this year could be unpredictable at times, as early, lengthy injuries to Tigers left-fielder Andy Dirks and shortstop José Iglesias have left the major league club with holes.

“Any time a guy goes down up there, it usually affects us,” he said.

When asked if he finds it frustrating to have to give up players that are going strong for Toledo, Parrish said that he understands the nature of his position.

“That’s just sort of our job,” he said. “Every organization is predicated on how well the major league club does. That’s really what’s it’s all about, getting guys to the major league club. If we’ve got a guy ready to go up and help, then we’ve done our job.”

In addition to working with the players, Parrish said he is also looking forward to working with hitting coach Leon “Bull” Durham, who has been with the Hens for 14 seasons.

“I love the fact that they’ve still got Bull there,” Parrish said. “I hate that he hasn’t gotten the opportunity to be a big league hitting coach yet, but I’m glad they still have him in Toledo with me.”

As for his return to the city itself, Parrish said Toledo has a lot to offer, and he especially enjoys working in the Fifth Third Field facilities.

“It’s got a great clubhouse and weight room for the players. The batting cage is right there by the clubhouse. The groundskeeper, Jake [Tyler], does a great job. It’s just a great place to be.

“It’s a very fan-friendly ballpark,” he added. “Even the people in the upper deck, you can almost have a conversation from the field. There’s really not a bad seat in the ballpark.”

Parrish said, in addition to the excellent fan base, the Downtown business community has also been very supportive.

“Since they put [the ballpark] in the Downtown area, so many places have sprung up.”

Toledo also has a lot to offer in terms of leisure, Parrish said.

“I’m an outdoorsman, so I love to play golf. There are some great golf courses in the area. Then you’ve got Cabela’s up [Route] 23, and Bass Pro Shops down I-75, so that’s great to have those places close by as well.”

Parrish led the Mud Hens to back-to-back International League championships in 2005 and 2006. He was named the International League Manager of the Year in 2005 and was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame last season.

During his playing career, the Florida native saw action in nearly 1,900 major league games. He retired from playing in 1990 and joined the Detroit Tigers organization as a full-time coach.

Mud Hens President and General Manager Joe Napoli said  he is thrilled to have Parrish back.

“As a manager, he’s a great teacher and I know we’ll see improvement in player development,” Napoli said in a news release at the time of the announcement. “For our fans, he’s always been a favorite. They will be glad to welcome him back.”

Parrish and the Mud Hens open the season at home April 4 against the Louisville Bats.

This season marks the 10th year of Toledo Mud Hens coverage by Toledo Free Press. To mark the milestone, we took a trip down memory lane by paging through our old issues and put together this look back on season highlights.

2005

Coming off a 65-78 record in 2004, the Mud Hens had a lot to prove in 2005 and had their eyes on an elusive International League title. The losing season didn’t seem to deter fans, however, as the team reported more than 300,000 tickets sold before Opening Day. Outfielder Curtis Granderson led a “squad of players expected to graduate to major league success,” according to a TFP headline. “This team looks good on paper, but let’s see what we can do between the lines,” manager Larry Parrish told TFP. “I am very excited about the prospects of the 2005 season.” His instincts were correct — as the Hens did go on to win the International League (IL) championship, sweeping the final series 3-0 against the Indianapolis Indians to earn the Governors’ Cup. It was Toledo’s first championship since 1967. “A franchise record 556,995 fans witnessed the Hens go from worst to first,” Toledo Free Press reported. Team president and general manager Joe Napoli later told Toledo Free Press, the team averaged nearly 7,500 attendees per game during the playoff run, which is “really unheard of” in Minor League Baseball and Minor League playoff games, he said. He said typical attendance for minor league playoff games is around 2,500 people. Describing the season, Napoli told Toledo Free Press: “In ‘Field of Dreams,’ someone said something along the lines of ‘the cosmic tumblers clicking into place.’ That happened here this summer. Toledo got to enjoy that where everything just fell into place.”

2006

With Hens fans still basking in the glow of the league championship, TFP’s Opening Day cover in 2006 featured a championship ring and the headline “HENS RULE.” The team, looking to repeat their IL championship, once again enjoyed high attendance, setting an all-time Toledo baseball season attendance record of 569,380. Third baseman Mike Hessman, who led the 2005 squad with 28 home runs and 74 runs batted in, was quickly becoming a Toledo star. The team hosted the Triple-A All-Star Game that July, which coincided with the LPGA Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. Packo’s at the Park opened Downtown. And  the Hens achieved their goal, earning back-to-back league championships.

2007

Opening weekend 2007 featured a celebration of the Hens’ back-to-back championship seasons and a focus on defending their title. Had they succeeded, the team would have been only the second to ever three-peat as IL champions. Batters Mike Hessman, David Espinosa, Jack Hannahan, Kevin Hoooper and Ryan Raburn returned along with pitchers Corey Hamman, Jason Karnuth and Jordan Tata. Hessman pounded 31 homers for the Hens, setting a new Toledo record with 83. Frank Gilhooley started his 55th season as a sports broadcaster and his 21st season with the Mud Hens. The team of Gilhooley and Jim Weber were recognized as the longest-running broadcast duo in IL history.

2008

Manager Larry Parrish returned to the Mud Hens after a year off recovering from ankle surgery and A.J. Sager, a former University of Toledo quarterback, joined the club as pitching coach. Mike Hessman hit .271, crushed 34 homers and drove in 72. He also hit five homers for Detroit and one more at the summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal with the U.S. team. The Tigers trade for third baseman Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis was expected to bump a few good players back to Toledo, making the Hens lineup stronger.

2009

Opening Day 2009 was double the fun with back-to-back games April 16-17. Wilkin Ramirez joined first baseman Ryan Roberson, another slugger from Double-A Erie, and returning third-basemen Mike Hessman, outfielders Brent Clevlen and Ryan Raburn and catcher Dusty Ryan to give the Hens and manager Larry Parrish another powerful lineup. A new video board was installed at Fifth Third Field.

The team also jumped into social media in 2009 and reported “447 followers on Twitter and more than 767 friends on Facebook at press time.” Former Mud Hens star Curtis Granderson, now with Detroit, recalled Toledo fondly, telling TFP he still regularly consulted hitting coach Leon “Bull” Durham. PizzaPapalis had opened Downtown in February and owner Joe Sheena reported being excited for baseball season to start. “We expect to be busy from open to close on game days,” he told TFP. Huntington Center and the new Walleye hockey franchise started their inaugural seasons.

2010

In 2010, the Hens were feeling the pinch of the recession. “Companies and people are spending fewer dollars for entertainment,” Napoli told TFP. “We understand and have made appropriate adjustments.” Ticket sales were also impacted negatively by uncertainty regarding an entertainment tax proposed by Mayor Mike Bell, Napoli said. Still, overall attendance in the history of Fifth Third Field surpassed 5 million toward the end of the season. By comparison, that same milestone took 30 years to reach at Ned Skeldon Stadium, Napoli said. Elliston native musician Crystal Bowersox helped with attendance, drawing a record-setting Fifth Third Field crowd of 13,200 when she visited the ballpark during her “American Idol” finalist hometown tour in May. “When she made the final three, she told the ‘American Idol’ folks, if you’re going to do something in Toledo, it has to involve the Toledo Mud Hens,” Scott Jeffer, former assistant general manager of  marketing later told TFP. Among other celebs to have watched a game at Fifth Third Field are Katie Holmes, Chris Klein, Bret Michaels, Kurt Busch, the Goo Goo Dolls and more. Among the Hens’ promotions was a Royal Wedding theme night in honor of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s upcoming nuptials.

2011

The Hens celebrated their 10th season Downtown with a doubleheader. “It’s interesting because people tend to only remember all of the fond memories around opening Fifth Third Field,” Napoli told TFP. “It took us the better part of five years to persuade the community that this might be a good idea.” 2011 was the first season with the Mud Hens for new manager Phil Nevin, the first year for the Chicklets dance team and the first that Mud Hens games were available via Internet radio, through the iheartradio app. The Hens marked their 25th season as the Tigers’ affiliate. “I can’t say enough positive things about the Toledo organization, about how our relationship works,” Dan Lunetta, Detroit’s director of minor league operations told TFP. Napoli cited statistics that showed half of polled Mud Hens fans indicted no interest in minor league baseball. Instead, they come for the food, the drinks and the affordable family-friendly summer entertainment. Longtime Hens staffer Scott Jeffer left for a job with the New York Yankees, who had specifically sought him out, impressed by his work with targeted marketing strategies in Toledo. Bob Seger wore a Mud Hens jersey during a March concert at the Huntington Center. TFP’s Opening Day issue featured a photo illustration by lead designer James A. Molnar featuring Muddy rockin’ out in the ballpark with an electric guitar.

2012

The big excitement in 2012 was a sold-out exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers. It was the first time since 2000 the Tigers had come to Toledo. 2012 marked the 76th anniversary of the Tigers’ affiliation with its spring training facility in Lakeland, Fla., the longest in minor league baseball. “We’re a smokeless factory in the community,” said Ron Myers, the Tigers’ director of Lakeland Operations. “And our job is to produce major league players.” The season also marked the 85th anniversary of the 1927 championship Mud Hens team led by Casey Stengel, who would go on to a storied Major League career, most notably with the New York Yankees. The Hens debuted their now-iconic Star Wars theme night, May The Fourth Be With You, on May 4. The Hens reported ticket sales were returning to pre-recession levels and the team debuted a signature beer, Broken Bat Kolsch, brewed by Maumee Bay Brewing Co. Penny Collins’ whimsical TFP Opening Day cover illustration featured a “Where’s Waldo?”-style scene, featuring various local celebs in a Mud Hens crowd, including Mayor Mike Bell, former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, Crystal Bowersox, Jamie Farr, Katie Holmes, and more.

2013

Fifth Third Field underwent a series of renovations, including a new suite-level lounge and viewing area that offered a behind-the-scenes experience for club- and suite-level ticket holders. The result was a full-fledged TV studio — rare for the minor league level. Along with the typical slate of new foods, the Hens also debuted a full concourse facelift, featuring new names, signs and renovated facades for all concession venues to evoke the feel of a “downtown streetscape.” The signage at Fifth Third Field also got a facelift, changing colors from the former Fifth Third Bank colors of black and red to its new blue and green signage. Former Hens manager Larry Parrish was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame and Tigers’ No. 1 prospect Nick Castellanos started the season in Toledo. The Hens expanded their popular Star Wars Night to two days, adding Revenge of the Fifth to May the Fourth be with You, and the team’s Chewbacca jerseys garnered national attention. As an “Angry Birds” craze was sweeping the nation, TFP’s Opening Day cover by cartoonist Don Lee featured Muddy the Mud Hen as  an Angry Bird. The team also announced an ambitious Downtown development project, now called Hensville. The project, which is said to include an expanded Swamp Shop, restaurant and rooftop viewing, is expected to be completed by 2016.

2014

Opening Day 2014 will feature the first multisport doubleheader, with the Mud Hens opener April 4 leading into a Walleye hockey game that night. The 2014 winter, one of Toledo’s coldest and snowiest on record, forced the Mud Hens groundskeeping crew, including Sports Turf Manager Jake Tyler, to take drastic measures to make sure the field is in tip-top shape by Opening Day, including a heated tent to melt the on-field snow. Longtime Hens broadcaster Jim Weber will be inducted into the International League Hall of Fame and former Hens manager Larry Parrish is returning to lead the team, which will feature a strong pitching lineup. Also returning is Mike Hessman, who was part of the Hens’ championship 2005-06 seasons and who holds the Hens’ all-time homerun record. The Mud Hens have gained a reputation for creative promotions, said Manager of Online Marketing Nathan Steinmetz. The team’s “Ghostbusters” jerseys, in honor of the 30th anniversary of the film franchise, drew national attention. In December, Fifth Third Field will host the long-awaited Winterfest, featuring an outdoor hockey rink erected on the field.

— Compiled by Toledo Free Press Managing Editor Sarah Ottney

Baseball is a source of fond memories for many. In years past, whole childhood summers revolved around the sport. It is “America’s pastime,” after all. Many adults can probably even remember going to their first baseball game — “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” the seventh-inning stretch, “Popcorn! Get your popcorn here!” Each season, the Toledo Mud Hens go to great lengths to make sure a new generation of kids will have those experiences.

“We have always been active in getting kids involved and promoting a family-friendly atmosphere, but in recent years we’ve evolved to focus on the variety of interests and groups that make up our fans,” said Emily Croll, special events coordinator for the Toledo Mud Hens. “We have people come and tell us the fond memories they have from the old Ned Skeldon Stadium. They remember going to their first baseball game. We want to preserve that. We want the kids in our community to have those kinds of memories as they grow up and then share them with their kids one day.”

One of the most popular ways the Mud Hens get kids involved is through the Muddy’s Buddies Kids Club. Children age 12 and younger are treated to a new member’s packet of prizes when they join and can then participate in special events throughout the season. Notably, members are invited to attend Muddy’s Buddies Field Day where kids can play catch on the field, play in batting cages and have lunch.

“It’s a lot of fun. They get to take over the ballpark before the game,” Croll said.

Kids can register for the club at Fifth Third Field, through the Fan Center page at MudHens.com or at participating Toledo McDonald’s locations. Membership is free.

Throughout the summer, the Mud Hens host several baseball camps: a one-day camp, an adult-child camp, a camp for children with special needs and two three-day camps. The three-day camps are scheduled during the week, one in June and one in August, whereas the others take place on weekends.

The camps last three hours during which attendees practice hitting, pitching and fielding at stations run by Mud Hens players. Attendees also receive a T-shirt, ticket for that day’s game and a baseball they can get signed.

“We’ve had registration for the camps open since December. They’re popular as Christmas presents,” Croll said. “But we’ll keep registration open until the date of the camps or until they’re full. They do tend to fill up fast.”

Specifically for its girl fans, the Mud Hens began the Chicklets dance team four years ago. Girls ages 5-11 can join the Chicklets to perform during one of the Mud Hens’ home games throughout the season, and then once more for a group event in August. The Chicklets practice three times during the week leading up to their performance under the guidance of a professional dance instructor.

Participating girls get a Chicklets uniform and two tickets for them and a family member to both the home game performance and the big event in August.“You don’t need prior experience to be a Chicklet,” Croll said. “We have girls who have been dancing their whole lives and girls who have never danced a day in their lives.”

The team also opens Fifth Third Field to Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops for sleepovers. This season, there will be six sleepovers for Boy Scouts and two for Girl Scouts.

“The sleepovers are organized by the troop leaders, and the scouts come in [and] pitch tents on the field, we put a movie on the big screen and they sleep right on the field. These are popular and tend to fill up quickly,” Croll said.

Opening weekend

The Mud Hens will have a special day geared toward kids April 6 as part of opening weekend.

“We’re always a family-friendly ballpark, but the opening day game on Friday, April 4, tends to have more of an adult atmosphere. It’s Friday afternoon, and we have a lot of people who come straight from work. Keeping that in mind, we’re going to have a special kids day,” Croll said.

On April 6, kids will be able to participate in activities and games on the concourse during the game and spend time with the Mud Hens mascots as well as their friends representing the Toledo Walleye, Spike and CatTrick. Before the game starts, young fans can get autographs from two players on the team and, if they stick around after the game, have an opportunity to run the bases. There will also be a drive at the park for kids to join Muddy’s Buddies and collect their membership prize.

“Sunday is the day we always focus on kids activities. We have pre-game autographs and the postgame base run every week. Our opening weekend kids day on April 6 is really a kickoff for what we do every Sunday,” Croll said. “Our weekend activities will begin to ramp up once kids are out of school for summer.”

Once summer vacation starts, Fifth Third Field will host several themed games, during which fans are encouraged to dress up. Star Wars Night, which was a tremendous hit last year, will be May 10; the Mud Hens will sport special jerseys for Ghostbusters Night on May 30 in commemoration of the movie’s 30th anniversary; and Spider-Man is scheduled to make an appearance on Superhero Night on June 28.

“Kids love to dress up for these days, and honestly, adults do too,” Croll said.

Additionally, between 20 to 30 of Muddy’s fellow mascots, a list that in the past has included mascots from Bowling Green State University, the University of Toledo, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Wendy from Wendy’s and several local high schools, will come to celebrate his birthday July 13. Once again this year, the Mud Hens will host fireworks after home games on weekends.

Other kid-favorite entertainment planned includes the ZOOperstars! on July 11 and BirdZerk! on Aug. 1.

For more information on any of the Toledo Mud Hens’ children’s programs, visit www.mudhens.com.

Every year, a bash is thrown to celebrate the official start of the Mud Hens baseball season.

This year’s celebration comes at the end of a brutal winter.

The official Mud Hens party will grill plenty of burgers and hot dogs to celebrate the beginning of spring. The party, set for 2 p.m. April 4, happens before the Mud Hens Opening Day doubleheader, which will see the Mud Hens kick off their season at 4 p.m. followed by a regular season game for the Walleye hockey team at 7:15 p.m.

This is the first time in Walleye and Mud Hens history that both teams have played on Opening Day.

“It’s the biggest party in town; let’s just carry it off into the evening and be able to hang out with the Walleye that night,” said Andi Roman, communications director for the two teams.

The bash will feature drink specials and an all-you-can-eat buffet, including hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, potato chips and gourmet cookies, Roman said. Live music will be provided by The Bradberries at The Nest from 2-3:15 p.m.

After the Mud Hens game, the University of Toledo marching band will lead people from Fifth Third Field to the Huntington Center for the Walleye game.

Tickets to the bash are $30. For those interested in going to both games, there’s a special ticket price of $25. To attend the bash and both games, fans can purchase the $25 double ticket plus a bash wristband for $17. To purchase tickets, call (419) 725-4367 or mudhens.com.

Happening Downtown

Events celebrating Opening Day will also take place outside of the stadium.

Sarah Mettler, supervisor at Ye Olde Cock n’ Bull, 9 N. Huron St., recently used tagged photos from Facebook as art on the newly designed menus. Anyone who has tagged themselves at the bar on the social networking site just might spot themselves on the menus. Mettler said she has been waiting for the spring season to show them off.

“They’ve been out for a little bit, but it’s been the winter season so sales haven’t really been that high,” she said.

Ye Olde Cock n’ Bull, which will open at noon April 4, will have live music by Flabongo Nation from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Drink specials for the day include $1 Jell-O Shots and, as always, draft beers will be available.

This is the second year the bar will celebrate the start of the Mud Hens season. Mettler said it is the bar’s busiest day of the year and she enjoys seeing the support for local sports.

The Blarney Irish Pub, 601 Monroe St., will open at 10 a.m. April 4 and will feature a hot dog bar all day. Patrons will be able to dress their dogs in their choice of 20 exotic toppings.

Live music will be featured as well, including Last Born Sons at 1 p.m. and Nine Lives at 9 p.m.

Bill Kline, general manager of The Blarney Irish Pub, said after the winter area residents have endured, it’s exciting to begin baseball season.

“We’re looking forward to opening up the patio,” he said.

Gathered Art Gallery & Studios, 23 N. Huron St., will celebrate the new season in an artistic manner, according to Marketing and Events Coordinator Amanda Goldberg.

From noon to 4 p.m., anyone who visits the studio can make a glass baseball glove for $45. A food truck, face painting and live music will also be featured during that time.

After the game, from 6-11 p.m., people are encouraged to return to the studio for public glass blowing demonstrations and to purchase a handmade glass cup.

With funding set to roll in, Toledo residents will soon see parts of Downtown’s Warehouse District become Hensville.

The Hensville project was initially announced in August. Mud Hens President and General Manager Joe Napoli said the original plan involved four buildings on St. Clair Street near Fifth Third Field — two that are actually attached, and two across the street from the right field fence.

“After evaluating the four buildings, unfortunately, we had to demolish one of the buildings.”

Napoli said Chicago’s Wrigleyville was an inspiration for the project.

“What we contemplate going forward is filling the buildings with restaurants, banquet facilities, an expanded Swamp Shop, rooftop dining and rooftop decks akin to Wrigley Field,” he said.

Napoli cited the success of the ballpark’s elevated seating and party decks as one of the inspirations and themes for Hensville.

“The Roost is extremely popular, so we’re going to extend that concept, to permit fans to watch the games from the rooftops,” he said.

“There will be another rooftop deck that will look out over the Maumee [River] and Owens Corning,” he added.

Diane Keil-Hipp, president of the Warehouse District Association, said she is equally excited about the new developments.

“We’re thrilled,” she said. “For St. Clair, there was a time when almost every building on the street was vacant. The block before it has [undergone] a wonderful renovation. It’s just been a section at a time, and [these buildings] that the Mud Hens are renovating are kind of the last holdouts on that entire street.”

Keil-Hipp said the buildings are significant because they encompass so much space on the block.

“We couldn’t be happier about completing, really, the full renovation of St. Clair,” she said.

“There’s a lot of rooftop entertaining going into the Warehouse District. It’s very cool, and it seems like a common thread in the Warehouse District,” Keil-Hipp said.

Napoli said the team originally considered using the name Mudville, but could not, because it is already a registered trademark of another minor league ball team. However, he maintains Hensville is a fitting moniker.

“Everyone refers to the team as either the Mud Hens or the Hens, so we think Hensville has the potential to work out quite nicely for us,” he said.

Napoli said the Mud Hens organization will operate the new businesses in the renovated buildings.

“We already run a robust catering business. When we’re attracting 10,000 people Downtown, to attract another 200 people to a restaurant seems like it would be a natural fit.”

As for the themes of the restaurants, Napoli said the specifics are still being worked out.

“Right now, we’re looking at a variety of different options,” he said. “We’re talking to several people who have ‘celebrity’ culinary backgrounds. We’re exploring that before we move forward.”

According to Napoli, parts of the funding will likely come from sources such as new market tax credits and historic tax credits.

Additionally, the state recently approved $1.5 million for the project from its capital budget.

Napoli added that there are still some local, state and federal funding sources the team is continuing to explore, such as green initiatives and working with several local entities to pursue other funding.

The balance of the project will come from Mud Hens net proceeds. Debt from Fifth Third Field is set to be clear in 2016, and Napoli said that the aim is for net proceeds to grow as a result.

Porter Architects has been working on Hensville’s design concepts, and the Lathrop Company has been brought on board to manage the construction project. Subcontracting will take place closer to the groundbreaking, sometime during winter 2014-15. Hensville is set to be completed by Opening Day 2016.

Napoli said recreation and entertainment facilities are one of the critical aspects for revitalizing a downtown area.

“We’ve been so impressed with the development in the Warehouse District and Downtown,” he said.

Napoli said Downtown development was one of the primary reasons the Mud Hens organization decided to move its facilities Downtown years ago.

“Now, between Fifth Third Field and the Huntington Center, we’re attracting a million people a year Downtown for fun,” he said. “[Hensville] will be something new and different for Toledo and the region. We’re very excited about the potential success for all of this new activity.”

When asked if he would be engaged in a similar conversation about the Huntington Center area in five years, Napoli laughed, but did not completely dismiss the idea.

“One never knows,” he said. “If the right opportunities present themselves, one never knows.”