Event Review: PawSox

PawSox

• 1 Columbus Ave.
• Pawtucket, RI 02860

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."

Jack Norworth 1908

My grandfather “Pa” took me to my first baseball game when I was about seven. It was a big affair; we took Cleveland’s rapid transit (think the MBTA Blue Line) from the suburbs right into Terminal Tower. As an ex-Cleveland Transit System employee, Pa had this strange fork shaped key opening the conductor’s rest room at the Terminal Tower. How cool was that? A short walk later, with Pa smoking a big stogie, and we were in the biggest stadium in my world (the 74,438 seat Cleveland Municipal Stadium), shaped like a giant C (certainly for Cleveland), with the greenest, most perfect grass in the world. Popcorn and peanuts were the meal of the day. Pa said you always sit on the left field side, about third base, because you can see all the action best from there.  

Nearly half a century later, those fond memories are still seared in my head. Things have changed. Pa, CTS, and Municipal stadium are gone. Forked keys have probably given way to key cards. Some fields are painted green. And now baseball is solely watched on television.

Or is it?

Living in Boston, going to a professional baseball game is nearly impossible for a family. Most seats are bought by companies entertaining clients, and buying tickets “normally” requires a mortgage. (According to the Boston Red Sox website, tickets for the next available Red Sox game are $30 each, must be brought in groups of 10, and “Due to high demand for this game, we may not be able to seat you together but scattered seating may be available.”) Parking is a zoo, and the MBTA offers a nice alternative if you can stick to their schedule.

So how do seven-year-olds get their first memories of America’s pastime, baseball, other than TV?

The Pawtucket Red Sox.

The Pawtucket Red Sox (known as the PawSox) are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox. They play their home games at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

How did this opportunity come along? The Program Manager on a project we’re working suggested the entire project team attend a PawSox game for some light team building. Watching the weather, a night was selected when everyone on the team could make it…with some of the team living in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Program Manager handed us tickets earlier in the day, and said, “Let’s meet in the food court at 6:30, the game starts at 7:05. There’s plenty of free parking on the streets around the stadium.”

Getting to the stadium was a breeze. (Paid) parking was available directly across the stadium, in a lot by a mobile home park for $10. “Ten bucks? Ya gotta be kidding.”

Walking across the street and up to the ball park was a bit alarming. Christmas decorations were up on the stadium. “Hmm, this place must be on hard times, they left their Christmas wreaths up.”  No….some of the ushers had on Santa caps. It turns out, it was Christmas in July, one of the many theme events occurring at the park.

Saying, “Merry Christmas,” in July to others (in a socially acceptable context) was just plain fun, and elicited smiles from everyone.

“Wow, look at that, a pallet, yes a whole PALLET of baseball bats.” Yes, the first 3,000 fans 14-years-old and under got a free baseball bat. Pretty cool. My youthful enthusiasm is returning.

A tear really formed in my eye when I saw the field. Darn, it is VERY GREEN, with PERFECTLY MOWED STRIPES.

Then the Christmas music playing throughout the stadium caught my attention, as did Santa and Mrs. Claus. “Hey look, the players are warming up,” one of our group announced. Lots of action!

I made my way to my seat on the left field side, about third base because (you decide):

a)    you can see all the action best from there. <wink>

b)    the seats will be in the shade.

As I settled into my seat, I noticed the rest of the project team sitting around yet not on top of each other. We had general admission seats, and there was plenty of room around us to enjoy the perfect night.

There were a couple families to my left and behind me. All families had their children with them, and everyone had smiles on.

I’ve been to Fenway in the EMC Club, and Fenway private Suites. The heck with that! Baseball isn’t meant to be watched if you need a published dress code (here’s a part of the EMC Club Dress Code, “Casual business attire is recommended. Gentlemen must wear neat and clean dress slacks, khaki pants, dress jeans or shorts, neat and clean sleeved shirts, shoes, sneakers or sandals. Women must wear neat and clean dress skirts, dresses, slacks, shorts, dress jeans, tops, shoes, sneakers or sandals.”)  At McCoy Stadium, our group was in slacks/shorts and Hawaiian shirts. We had hot dogs, peanuts and some Smithwicks in a fun, casual environment where we were able to chatter among our group and nobody around us cared.

And there was a baseball game. The PawSox were playing the Durham Bulls (who remembers the movie Bull Durham?) Alas, Susan Sarandon was nowhere to be found.

Between innings, the fans are engaged in fun games on the video screen (such as guessing the bus winning a three bus race, or find the baseball - think Three Card Monte without money involved) or the Fifth Inning Soft Toss when some toys are propelled into the stands. And nearly everyone in the stadium plays, because it is simple, harmless, engaging fun.

And what was the face value on my ticket? $7. That is not a typo. That’s seven dollars for nearly three hours of professional baseball 45 minutes from Westborough. Yes, in all likelihood you can get to McCoy stadium in less time than Fenway Park in Boston. And there’s plenty of free parking on the streets around the stadium.

If you haven’t taken your children to a professional baseball game, here’s an opportunity close by, relatively inexpensively, with smiles almost certainly guaranteed. For our group, the laughs indicated everyone having a great time.

And to be clear, McCoy’s intimate 10,031 seat stadium is roughly in the shape of a C. I think because the C is for Cleveland…(please don’t tell me otherwise!)

The Pawtucket Red Sox get an enthusiastic:

       Green Light – Go and enjoy

About the RAG scale:

       Green Light – Go and enjoy

       Amber Light – Use caution

       Red Light – Save your time and money

The Author

Gary Kelley has lived in Westborough since 1994. His reviews are what he would tell friends, and are not an academic analysis.