March 28, 2024

COMMENTARY: Keep McCoy where it is - Call it Mondor Stadium!

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"A Place to have Picnics and Play Frisbee?"

The Pawtucket Red Sox issued a press statement this week in which they promote their plan to re-design and move the Triple A stadium from its present location to the Apex property near Route 95 in Pawtucket. The release stated that a new park could provide "scholastic activities, community events, concerts, hockey, and access for walking, reading, and picnicking. Residents and visitors can enjoy a Frisbee toss throughout the day on the berm and areas outside the grandstands," said PawSox Chairman Larry Lucchino. Really? A $90 million stadium is needed to provide the public with a place to play frisbee? A place to sit on the grass and have a picnic? Have lunch overlooking the field? Sit on park benches and read? These are nice things to do but I don't think they require a new tax-payer subsided stadium. "We envision this park as a community focal point and gathering place in the heart of our downtown," said Lucchino.

I don't see the need to move McCoy Stadium. However I would remove the name of McCoy. McCoy represents a period in time when McCoy and his political cronies in the 1930's and early 40's ran that city in a dictatorial manner with allegations of voter fraud and patronage abuses. The original stadium received federal funds and had many construction problems and add-on costs. Numerous reports showed that McCoy cost more to build than Notre Dame stadium and more than any other comparable park in the country at the time.

In the 1980's Pawtucket spent millions to improve McCoy Stadium. Much of the money to renovate came from a $2.5 million taxpayer loan which never received voter approval. Former Pawtucket Mayor Brian Sarault would serve time in prison for seeking out and accepting bribes for contracts to rehab McCoy. The history of political corruption in the Pawtucket ballpark continued.

In 1977 Ben Mondor bought the franchise and began an era of honest park renovations and inexpensive professional minor league baseball for families. Ticket and concession prices remained (and still do) very reasonable. The stadium has received many upgrades and has plenty of free parking available. There are countless community promotions and Triple A baseball is the last step before the major leagues.

Even with all the great improvements and fan promotions and cheap prices, the Pawsox have trouble filling seats. Rhode Island sports fans have not traditionally supported minor league ball. A move to the Apex site, with the requisite price increases for tickets, hot dogs and beer, probably won't help.

The current owners want to build a mini Fenway Park. Well they can do that partially by replicating the green monster in the current location. There seems to be room to build a wall on the left field berm, complete with monster seating. Put some funding there. Why not?

I get to one or two games a year at McCoy and the complex is clean, spacious and inexpensive. The 10,000 seat playing field is in top shape, probably the best in the country for minor league ball. It is handicap accessible and easy to get to for fans. Many can even walk. We should learn a big lesson from the millions of taxpayer dollars lost to 38 Studios and other taxpayer funded fiascos. Throughout Rhode Island, school buildings, roads and bridges, computer services within some state offices and other infrastructure are suffering. I think it is a mistake to expend more taxpayer dollars on McCoy stadium. The park has already received millions since its construction. Any further upgrades should be on the team owners.

No one asked me, but I would keep the Pawsox where they are but change the name to Mondor Stadium or Mondor Park. This would honor the man who saved Triple A baseball for Pawtucket and all of Rhode Island and Southern New England. Frisbee at the park for $90 million? Nah.

(Bob Rodericks is a columnist and feature writer for the East Providence Reporter. This commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.)

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