Voters Approve Destruction of McCoy Stadium

Pawtucket voters have spoken. The end of an era is coming. The results of yesterday's election are in, and in addition to giving a nod of approval to their fairly new Rhode Island governor, voters have approved a plan to knock down McCoy Stadium.

In McCoy Stadium's place, a brand new high school will be built. The new school will be big enough to consolidate the two current Shea and Tolman high schools. Voters gave a thumbs-up yesterday to greenlighting more than $330 million to be used for the project.

The vote sets in motion the end of an era in Pawtucket, which had been, up until 2019, best known for hosting the AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The Paw Sox, as they were affectionately known, picked up and moved to Worcester. When the new AAA team moved to the new Worcester digs, it also changed its name to the Worcester Red Sox, or Woo Sox for short.

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It's hard to believe, but Pawtucket students will soon be walking the same hallowed grounds as names such as Wade Boggs, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens.

I have to admit, however, that the grounds are the perfect site for a large high school.  In addition to the building, there is plenty of room for parking and athletic fields.

As it stands now, the former minor league stadium is wasting away in its current location.  Last summer, we showed you photos of the once-lush infield grass, now burnt to a crisp because of the extreme drought and lack of irrigation.

One of the most famous games in baseball history was played at McCoy Stadium.

According to the Paw Sox, the longest game in baseball history took a record 33 innings and over eight hours of play stretched over two days to complete. The Paw Sox won in the bottom of the 33rd.