Sports Tix/Activities

Item Description

Winning bidder will receive 4 tickets to see a Pawtucket Red Sox Baseball game at McCoy Stadium on either Tuesday, May 6 or Wednesday, May 7, 2014.

The tickets are valid for one of the following:

Tuesday, May 6, 2014 @7:05 vs.Toledo

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 @7:05 vs. Toledo

Tickets are good for General Admission - Blue Seats, Berm or Bleachers. 

History of Professional Baseball in Pawtucket

Professional baseball has been played in Pawtucket, Rhode Island since 1892 and continually since 1970. The first team to call Pawtucket home, the Secrets of the New England League, disbanded on July 26, 1892 with a dismal 17-43 record. The team played its games on the Dexter Street grounds, which housed two other Pawtucket teams in the New England league through 1899. Following the Secrets ('92), the Maroons (1894-95, 97-99) and Phenoms (1896) called Pawtucket home. After the Maroons were expelled in August of 1899, Pawtucket would be without baseball until 1908, although the Colts of the Class C Atlantic Association lasted only 9 games before disbanding and leaving Pawtucket without a team for 6 more seasons. In 1914 the Rovers joined the Class C Colonial League, playing their games at the Sabin Street grounds in the Royal Square area, but were kicked out in August of 1915 because of an affiliation with a competing league.

McCoy Stadium was dedicated just in time for the return of professional baseball in 1946 as the Slaters of the Class B New England League debuted. The Slaters lasted 4 full seasons, but in 1950 the New England League disbanded and 8-year old McCoy Stadium was left without a permanent tenant. That would change in 1966 when the Cleveland Indians' AA Eastern League team relocated to Pawtucket. The Indians left after the 1967 season but professional baseball, and the Eastern League, would return to McCoy in 1970 when the city's affiliation with the Boston Red Sox began. After 3 seasons (1970-72) as a host to Boston's AA affiliate, the Red Sox moved their AAA operation to Pawtucket in time for the 1973 season and the team has remained there since. The 1977 Red Sox were the first Pawtucket team ever to finish a regular season in first place, a feat that has been duplicated since by the '91 and '96 teams.

McCoy Stadium Facts

Built in 1942 and in 1946 was named in honor of Thomas P. McCoy, the Mayor of Pawtucket from 1936-1945.

Capacity: 10,031; General Admission ($5): 6,017; Box Seats ($8): 6,017

The height of the left and right field fences (5 feet) are the lowest in the IL.

When current owner Ben Mondor bought control of the team in 1977, the PawSox drew only 70,354 fans (1,082 per game) to McCoy, which seated 5,800 people at the time.

Easily the oldest stadium in the 14-team International League, with the closest being Toledo's Ned Skeldon Stadium, which was built in 1965. After that, Columbus's Cooper Stadium opened in 1977 and the Richmond Brave's ballpark in 1985.

Until the newly renovated McCoy opened in 1999, it was the league's smallest park. Currently, McCoy's capacity excedes the stadium's of only two other IL teams, and by only 31 seats at that: Durham Athletic Park and Charlotte's Knights Stadium seat 10,000.

Pawtucket averaged 8,733 fans per game in 2000, playing to 87% of the stadium's capacity. No other team in the IL was above 70%. The per game average was a PawSox record, although the season total of 585,107 fans in 67 games trailed the 1999 season's total of 596,624 fans in 71 games. The difference: 4 games were rained out in 2000 and not made up.

Going into 2001, of the Top 25 all-time crowds at McCoy, 24 of the 25 have come in the past 2 years. The one exception, at #23, is from 1982 when 9,389 showed up for the pitching match-up of Mark Fidrych vs. Dave Righetti. That mark was finally broken 17 years later when 10,586 turned out for opening night at McCoy on April 14, 1999.

Link is www.pawsox.com

Item Special Note

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A FUNDRAISING EVENT AND THERE ARE NO REFUNDS.

All winning bidders will be charged a transaction fee of 5%, not to exceed $20 per item, to cover a portion of the auction transaction fees. 

Standard handling and shipping for mailing certificate to be paid by winning bidder.

We thank you for helping with this and supporting the school.