An Afternoon at McCoy Stadium Watching The Pawtucket Red Sox

Today I ventured to Pawtucket, Rhode Island to watch the Pawtucket Red Sox play the Durham Bulls at McCoy Stadium at the behest of my former roommate Christopher Kain who now resides in Providence.

He invited me to attend the game several weeks ago. His timing was most remarkable as today's game came only 48 hours after the team announced it would be leaving Pawtucket for Worcester, Massachusetts in 2021. The PawSox have been seeking a new ballpark since former Boston Red Sox Larry Lucchino took over the team shortly buying it from the widow of longtime owner Ben Mondor. After a new ballpark in Providence fell through, the city of Pawtucket sought to build a new stadium and got approval from the state legislature. Only the PawSox thought the terms insufficiently generous (not enough corporate welfare) and shall leave the Ocean State without a professional baseball team for the first time since 1970.

I thought there would be a pall cast over the ballpark. A fellow sitting in front of us said aloud he had no intention of seeing a game in Worcester. I asked him if it was pride. He replied that he had been living down the road from McCoy Stadium for 12 years and this was the first time he had ever been to a game. As for going to Worcester, he admitted he was intrigued with the new ballpark being built was there as it was being designed by Janet Marie Smith, the visionary behind Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore and said he might go to the new ballpark.

I suppose this isn't like when the Colts were moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis in the dark of night. Rhode Island fans will have the rest of this season and two additional seasons to appreciate the PawSox. The question is what happens come 2021. Will Rhode Island be able to attract another minor league team? Will the new stadium be built or would the new team have to play at McCoy which will turn 80 in 2021.

Yet McCoy Stadium is not without its history. It is the site of the longest game in the history of professional baseball. The PawSox and the Rochester Red Wings played a 33 inning game which began on April 1981 and concluded two months later. The game included future Hall of Famers Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken, Jr. Even if there is no more baseball to played there must be some way to acknowledge the history which was made there.

As for my own history, this was my first trip to McCoy Stadium since 2005. The last time I was there, Dustin Pedroia was an up and coming prospect. A lot of time has passed since. Indeed, this was the first minor league game I attended in at least 6 or 7 years. I used to go to see minor league games in Manchester, New Hampshire and Portland, Maine fairly regularly. In fact, I came oh so close to becoming the PA announcer for the Portland Sea Dogs in the fall of 2012 when I attended an open audition and was among the finalists. Alas this did not come to pass and I've not been back since. Sometimes I do hold grudges. But I need to get out more.

Now that Christopher is in Rhode Island we have discussed going to see games at McCoy next season and the year after. Whether we follow the team to Worcester together remains to be seen. But there are a lot of other minor league ballparks to visit and revisit.

Minor league baseball is great, low cost entertainment. For less than $15 you get to see the best up and coming baseball players up close and personal. Today was no exception as the PawSox lost 1-0 to the Bulls in a well fought contest.