WBOB Original Reads

Take Me Out to the Ballgame: New England's Must-Visit Ballparks

2/21/2018

Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, Mass. immediately following one of the park's infamous "Sun Delays"

Kevin Aherne

Baseball season is around the corner, but the Red Sox are not the only game in town.

New England is a baseball mecca. The region lives and breathes America's pastime, and is home to some of the best professional, semi-professional, and amateur baseball leagues in the world.

From the Cape Cod Baseball League to the International League, taking in a great ball game is as simple as a car ride, and the list below features nine of the must-visit parks in New England. From Vermont to Rhode Island, From Maine to Connecticut, it's nearly time to play ball!

Hadlock Field
Portland Sea Dogs
AA Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox (Eastern League)

Location: Portland, ME
Built: 1994
Capacity: 7,368

Notable Feature: In 2003, when the Sea Dogs affiliated with the Boston Red Sox, a replica Green monster, called the Maine Monster, was added to left field to match the original at the Red Sox' Fenway Park. A replica Citgo sign and Coke bottle were added as well to make the field look even more like Fenway Park.

Historic Event: 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. The team opened Hadlock Field on April 18, 1994, losing 7–6 to the Albany-Colonie Yankees.

Wahconah Park
Pittsfield Suns
Independent - Futures Collegiate Baseball League

Location: Pittsfield, MA
Built: 1919 (Current Structure) - 1892 (Original Park)
Capacity: 3,500

Notable Feature: As the park was built facing due west, most evening games experience a "Sun Delay" lasting several minutes to prevent batters from becoming blinded by the sun as it sets over the centerfield fence.

Historic Event: On July 3, 2004, a record crowd of 5,000 attended a vintage baseball game that he organized at Wahconah Park between Pittsfield and Hartford, a game telecast live for over four hours on ESPN Classic as America's Pastime: Vintage Baseball, Live. Commentators included Bouton, Bill Lee, actor Tim Robbins, and baseball historians John Thorn and David Pietrusza.

Centennial Field
Vermont Lake Monsters
Short-A Affiliate of the Oakland A's (NY-Penn League)

Location: Burlington, VT
Built: 1906
Capacity: 4,415

Notable Feature: Centennial Field in the summer of 2005 was the Vermont stop on ESPN's "50 States in 50 Days" tour. In 2007 it was recognized by ESPN.com's Jim Caple as one of the top 10 ball park destinations in the U.S. It is also featured in the 2008 book, "101 Baseball Places To See Before You Strike Out" by Josh Pahigian.

Historic Event: Among the outstanding players who have graced Centennial's diamond are Larry Gardner, Ray Collins, Tris Speaker, Jesse Hubbard, Robin Roberts, Kirk McCaskill, Barry Larkin, and Ken Griffey, Jr.

Cardines Field
Newport Gulls
Independent - New England Collegiate Baseball League

Location: Newport, RI
Built: 1908
Capacity: 3,250

Notable Feature: Cardines Field, having been built in a residential neighborhood has unique outfield dimensions including a 285-ft right field porch, and a center field that ranges from depths of 395 feet to 315 feet.

Historic Event: Built for unofficial sandlot baseball games by railroad workers from the adjacent Old Colony Division of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Line, the field hosted many barnstorming all-stars, including Negro League teams like the Baltimore Elite Giants, Boston Royal Giants and the New York Black Yankees. Satchel Paige once played at Cardines. The original backstop dates back to as early as 1908, when the city organized its first six-team league at the park.

Fitton Field (Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field)
Worcester Bravehearts
Independent - Futures Collegiate Baseball League

Location: Worcester, MA
Built: 1905
Capacity: 3,000

Notable Feature: In 2006, Fitton Field hosted the 100 Inning Game benefit for Curt Schilling's charity Curt's Pitch for ALS.

Historic Event: In a 1939 exhibition game between Holy Cross and the Boston Red Sox, Ted Williams hit his first home run in a Red Sox uniform.

Dunkin' Donuts Park
Hartford Yard Goats
AA Affiliate of the Colorado Rockies (Eastern League)

Location: Hartford, CT
Built: 2017
Capacity: 6,121

Notable Feature: Due to construction delays and budget problems, the Yard Goats played their entire 2016 innaugural season on the road.

Historic Event: On April 13, 2017, New Hampshire defeated the Yard Goats 7-2 to officially open the ballpark.

McCoy Stadium
Pawtucket Red Sox
AAA Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox (International League)

Location: Pawtucket, RI
Built: 1942
Capacity: 11,800

Notable Feature: One of the unique features of the ballpark is the expansive foul territory. The foul area forms a complete semicircle between first and third, and in order to fit the baselines in between the ends of the seating areas, the area behind home plate is quite vast. This is especially notable since the major league Red Sox' home park, Fenway Park, has the smallest foul territory in the majors.

Historic Event: On April 18, 1981, the Pawtucket Red Sox began the longest game in professional baseball history. For 20 innings, the PawSox battled the Rochester Red Wings in a 1-1 tie. The Red Wings would finally score in the top of the 21st inning to take the lead. The PawSox then scored a run in the bottom of the inning. The game was far from over. The game went on until 4:07 a.m. because the umpires did not have a curfew rule in their copy of the rule book. Finally, the league president was reached and demanded that the game be suspended. The score was tied, 2-2 after the 32nd inning.

When the game finally did resume on June 23, it took only 18 minutes to complete, as Dave Koza of the PawSox drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 33rd inning. Two future Hall of Famers were part of the historic game. Cal Ripken, Jr. went 2-13 on the night playing third base for Rochester. Wade Boggs played third base for Pawtucket and went 4-12 with a double and an RBI. 19 fans remained in the stands when the game was called for the night, and they received lifetime passes to McCoy Stadium.

Northeast Delta Dental Stadium
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
AA Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays (Eastern League)

Location: Manchester, NH
Built: 2005
Capacity: 7,722

Notable Feature: The park was built on the former Singer Park in the Manchester Millyard, a soccer (and occasionally rugby) stadium that was also used for circuses, carnivals and a summer concert series. At least a portion of the ballpark is located on the site where bricks recovered from the demolition of the Arms Textile Mill were buried. The Arms Textile Mill was the site of the deadliest outbreak of anthrax in United States history.

Historic Event: On May 26, 2009, the ballpark set its attendance record with 8,903 fans. Red Sox pitcher John Smoltz started the game for the opposing Portland Sea Dogs in a rehab start.

Campanelli Stadium
Brockton Rox
Independent - New England Collegiate Baseball League

Location: Brockton, MA
Built: 2002
Capacity: 4,750

Notable Features: During Sunday afternoon home games, family fun festivals are held prior to the first pitch. Activities include face painting, balloon artists, and catch on the field. After the game, children are able to run the bases and receive autographs from the Rox players, who stand along the warning track on the third base side. On Kids Eat Free Mondays, children receive a voucher for food with the purchase of a box seat. The Rox also host Thirsty Thursday at the ballpark, with specials on draft beers in the Right Field Beer Garden for $2. Also, the Rox host Friday Night Fireworks after all Friday night games.

Historic Event: The team's only retired numbers are those of men who didn't play baseball professionally. The retired numbers represent the number of fights won by two famous boxers from the area: undefeated heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano (#49) and middleweight champion "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler (#62). On May 23, 2005 the club gave a roster spot to former Boston Red Sox pitcher and colorful personality Oil Can Boyd. Boyd was not re-signed in 2006, and is currently out of baseball.