It's all about baseball at McCoy

PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Veer off I-95 a couple of miles just south of Massachusetts, navigate a few narrow roads, drive through a quaint residential area, and then, nestled in the heart of New England in historic Pawtucket, R.I., you can find one of baseball's gems -- McCoy Stadium.

The first thing any fan will notice when driving up to ballpark is the sign, which reads, "Welcome to McCoy Stadium: Home of Baseball's Longest Game." On April 19th, 1981, the Pawtucket Red Sox battled the Rochester Red Wings to an epic 32-inning tie. The game was finally called at 4:07 a.m. on Easter morning. It wasn't until June 23 that the teams concluded the contest.

The roughly 20-foot high billboard proudly displays the entire line score: Pawtucket 3, Rochester 2 in 33 innings.

Perhaps this rich history, embedded in the park, is what makes McCoy Stadium so special. Besides hosting the baseball's longest game, McCoy has also housed Hall of Famers, Cy-Young award winners and MVPs. Walking through the tunnels outside the clubhouse, young, innocent pictures of Carlton Fisk, Wade Boggs, Jim Rice and Roger Clemens hang from the walls. The batting cage is aptly named Ted Williams Tunnel.

McCoy Stadium's pristine story, however, did not come without bumps and bruises. Baseball began in Pawtucket in 1892. Between that time and the construction of McCoy Stadium 50 years later in 1942, four different teams called Pawtucket home. In 1946, the Pawtucket Slaters made McCoy their home, but they only lasted four seasons.

Baseball didn't return to McCoy until 1966 when the Cleveland Indians relocated their Double-A Eastern League team to Pawtucket. However, they left after a brief one year stay.

Finally, in 1970, the Boston Red Sox moved their Double-A team to Pawtucket, and baseball has been played there ever since. After three seasons, the Red Sox made McCoy the site of their Triple-A team, and that team went on to win the championship, the city's first championship in 81 years of baseball.

The PawSox, though, struggled to stay afloat, literally. The swampy locale coupled with out-of-date facilities caused frequent floods. The team also faced a tremendous amount of debt. But, in 1977, passionate owner Ben Mondor and savvy President Mike Tamburro took over in Pawtucket, slowly turning McCoy into one of the best sites in baseball.

Tamburro and Mondor employed the strategy that in order to build a successful Minor League franchise, baseball should be the show. Everyone should be able to come out to the stadium and take in a ballgame.

"The philosophy we adopted was we wanted to build a fandom," Mondor told Mike Scandura of Minor League News. "We were going to treat them to the best baseball possible ... no cheerleaders, no cow milking contests, no jalopy nights. We were going to show the fans our philosophy of a clean baseball game under the best circumstances you can have."

It worked, making McCoy and the PawSox one of Triple-A's most successful stories.

In 1999, due to growing demand and increasingly out-of-date facilities, McCoy stadium needed some changes. However, instead of building a completely new ballpark like the majority of Major and Minor League teams, the Pawtucket ownership stuck with its proven philosophy and decided to merely renovate the old stadium. According Mondor, this would preserve the mystique and atmosphere that surrounds the park.

After $16 million of renovations, McCoy Stadium does just that. It doesn't have the frills and attractions of other parks, but it's the perfect place to watch baseball. It exudes and exemplifies Mondor's philosophy.

"I tell people it's the best ticket," said John Ruzanski, a security guard at McCoy Stadium for nine years. "Very reasonable rates. The concessions are reasonable, parking is free. We get many families that come in from the Boston area because they can afford it over here, and they're looking at good baseball."

"It's husbands, wives and lots of little kids. I think that's different from the Major Leagues because of the high-priced tickets."

The most expensive seats -- which are constructed in a semicircle so that they're all facing home plate -- are the box seats at $10, but general admission for adults is only $6. Kids and senior citizens can get in for $4 each. At McCoy, showcasing baseball is what matters most.

"I think it's a great place to watch a baseball game," said Dan Hoard, the radio voice of the PawSox. "I think the fans help make it that. They don't come here to see -- as our general manager Lou Schwechheimerlikes to say -- the dynamite lady blow herself up at second base. We don't do wacky, zany promotions. The game is the show here."

Even if the game lasts 33 innings.