McCoy Stadium

by Brendon Rosenau
Love of Sports Correspondent

Sadly, the inflation of ballpark prices are horrendously out of tune with the economic status of the average person.

Nowhere is that more evident than in Boston where Fenway Park has become the most expensive ticket in baseball. Coupled with its intimate (read: limited) setting, going to a Red Sox game is an expensive treat that most fans do not have the chance to enjoy. Instead tickets are gobbled up by ticket-brokers and those with pockets deeper than the Black Sea.

Fear not baseball lover. For today, there is good news for those that cannot afford to see the big club.

45 minutes away, in the town of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, lies McCoy Stadium. McCoy Stadium is home to the Red Sox Triple A Affiliate, the aptly named Pawtucket Red Sox or PawSox. The beauty of McCoy Stadium is it’s major league look with minor league prices.

A general admission ticket to see the PawSox is just $6.00 for an adult while kids and seniors are only $4. Reserved seating (box seats) jump to $10.00 for a ticket but that is still a bargain. Concession Stand prices are also pocket friendly. For $5.00 you can get the youngsters a hot dog and soda while Dad can grab a beer for just $4.25.

McCoy was originally built in 1942 and was named for Thomas P. McCoy, who was Pawtucket’s Mayor from 1936-1945. In March of 1998, renovations began on the deteriorating park and in 1999 the new and improved McCoy Stadium opened.

McCoy Stadium is tailor-made for the younger fans and provides a great family atmosphere. Think about it, baseball games can be long and tedious. Instead of hauling the family of four on the T and trying to navigate your way through the zoo that is Fenway, you can drive to McCoy and park for free. Players sign autographs before and after the game and there is plenty of room to wander and take in the stadium’s sites.

The stadium’s first row of seats overlook the dugout, which gives fans a unique opportunity to “fish” for autographs. Fans tie things (balls, cards, paper) to a line of string and dangle them over the dugout for players to sign. And yes, they usually oblige.

For the more serious fan there are collections of murals and paintings depicting some of the team’s former players. This year, life size murals of Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Manny Delcarmen and Cla Meredith joined the likes of Roger Clemens and Wade Boggs. 

There is also an area dedicated to the longest game in baseball history. Way back in the day, the PawSox and Rochester Red Wings took the field for a Saturday evening affair. At 4:09 A.M., 32 innings later, the game was still tied. The game was suspended and resumed on June 23 where Mary Barrett scored in the bottom of the 33rd for a 3-2 win. Cal Ripken was 2-for-13 in the game for the Red Wings and Boggs went 4-for-12 for the PawSox.

Of course the real reason to go to a game is the action on the field - and McCoy does not disappoint.  The Red Sox have developed a talented farm system and many of the players are primed for the big league. Buchholz, Jed Lowrie and Bobby Kielty are just a few on the current roster that have played in the bigs. The Red Sox are also good at publicizing when one of their stars will be making a rehab start. This is a golden opportunity to see Curt Schilling or David Ortiz up close and personal.

If you are looking to feed the baseball jones but can’t get a ticket to the Holy Land, head down to Pawtucket and McCoy Stadium. You never know what you might see; A 33 innings game, a perfect game (there have been two), or the next major league star.