Editing Portland Sea Dogs (section)

==History==
[[Image:Slugger Sea Dogs mascot.jpg|thumb|Slugger the Sea Dog, the team mascot]]
Minor league baseball returned to Maine on October 4, 1992, when Portland was awarded one of two [[Eastern League (1938–2020)|Eastern League]] expansion franchises (the other being the [[New Hampshire Fisher Cats|New Haven Ravens]]) to begin play in April 1994. The Sea Dogs signed an affiliation agreement with the [[Florida Marlins]] on May 3, 1993, beginning a nine-season relationship.<ref>[https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-507502 Sea Dogs Time Line (Franchise History) – Portland Sea Dogs.]</ref> The city renovated [[Hadlock Field]], transforming a high-school stadium into a professional ballpark. City manager [[Bob Ganley (city administrator)|Robert Ganley]] led efforts to renovate Hadlock Field and return professional baseball to Portland.

The team won its first game, defeating the [[Reading Phillies]] on the road 2–1, with the help of a 14th-inning home run by future major league catcher [[Charles Johnson (catcher)|Charles Johnson]]. The team opened Hadlock Field on April 18, 1994, losing 7–6 to the [[Connecticut Defenders|Albany-Colonie Yankees]].

Cartoonist [[Guy Gilchrist]] designed the team's logo.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/morning-report/theres-a-story-behind-the-sea-dogs-name-and-logo/97-429098196 |title=There's a story behind the Sea Dogs name and logo |first1=Johnny |last1=Mehler |first2=Bailey |last2=Neel |website=newscentermaine.com |date=April 6, 2017 |accessdate=April 2, 2023}}</ref> His comic strip ''[[Mudpie (comic strip)|Mudpie]]'' had a series of strips in which the young cat's family visit the Portland area and attend a Sea Dogs game.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

The team won its sole league title on September 17, 2006, defeating the [[Akron Aeros]] 8–5, in a rematch of the series from the previous year.

When [[Major League Baseball]] restructured Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Sea Dogs were organized into the [[Double-A Northeast]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Mayo|first=Jonathan|title=MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/new-minor-league-baseball-structure|website=Major League Baseball|date=February 12, 2021|access-date=February 12, 2021}}</ref> In 2022, the division was renamed the Eastern League, the name used by the regional circuit before the 2021 reorganization.<ref name=ELrename>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/minor-league-baseball-historical-league-names-to-return-in-2022|title=Historical League Names to Return in 2022|website=Minor League Baseball|date=March 16, 2022|access-date=March 16, 2022}}</ref>

Ahead of the 2023 season, the Sea Dogs' longtime owners, the Burke family, sold the team to [[Diamond Baseball Holdings]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-06 |title=Portland Sea Dogs sold to group that has gone on minor league baseball buying spree |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2022/12/06/burke-family-sells-portland-sea-dogs-to-group-that-owns-several-minor-league-teams/ |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=Press Herald}}</ref>

In August 2024, Portland cartoonist [[Lincoln Peirce]] featured the team in his comic strip [[Big Nate]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peirce |first=Lincoln |date=2024-07-29 |title=Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce for July 29, 2024 {{!}} GoComics.com |url=https://www.gocomics.com/bignate/2024/07/29 |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=GoComics |language=en}}</ref>