With renovations completed in 1999, McCoy Stadium is now a fine Triple-A facility. The park features a large covered grandstand with a majority of the seats under cover. Only the 3000 seats that were added as part of the renovations are not covered. But they did a fine job of blending the new seats in with the old ones so one can not notice that they were added at a later time. All fans enter through an entrance tower in the left field corner. A grass berm is in left field with bleachers in right-center and a picnic tent in right field. So one can walk all the way to the right field corner, but unfortunately not all the way around the park. The concourse area behind home plate features as assortment of concession stands featuring a decent variety and reasonable prices. The history of the park is recognized, both by a large mural commemorating the 33 inning game that was played here, and by paintings of former Paw Sox players which adorn the old entrance ramps. A large gift store near the entrance tower contains tons of Paw Sox and Red Sox merchandise. The one major drawback of McCoy Stadium is the seating - because the grandstand is raised about 10 feet from the field, it makes many of the seats too far from the action and cuts down on the sightlines. The Paw Sox have two mascots, but they are rarely seen. Unlike most minor league parks, there are no on-field contests, and no games of any type for kids to play. The atmosphere is one of the purest you'll find in the minor leagues. One strange thing I noticed about the crowd was that they would boo the opposing team after every run they scored. Usually the home crowd will remain silent - not here. The crowd really seems to be into the game at McCoy, probably because there is nothing else to distract them like there is at other more modern ballparks. The stadium resides in a residential area of Pawtucket, just a couple miles over the Rhode Island state line. Parking is quite plentiful, and free of charge. Overall, McCoy Stadium is both a pleasant and affordable baseball experience - something you can't find at many of the newer parks. Unfortunately, 2019 was the final season for the Red Sox in Pawtucket. They are leaving for greener pastures (a new ballpark) in Worcester, MA.
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