Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field

Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field is a baseball stadium in Worcester, Massachusetts. Primarily used for College of the Holy Cross sporting events, the baseball stadium also served as the home field for the Can-Am League Worcester Tornadoes, and the current home of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League Worcester Bravehearts. The stadium is named after Reverend James Fitton, who donated land to the Archdiocese of Boston to found the college.[1]

This article is about the Holy Cross baseball stadium. For the football stadium, see Fitton Field.
Fitton Field
Fitton Field
Location within Massachusetts
Full nameHanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field
LocationWorcester, MA 01610
Coordinates42°14′25.9″N 71°48′40.4″W
OwnerCollege of the Holy Cross
OperatorCollege of the Holy Cross
Capacity3,000[1]
Field sizeLeft field: 332 ft (101 m)
Center field: 385 ft (117 m)
Right field: 313 ft (95 m)[1]
SurfaceGrass[1]
Construction
OpenedApril 19, 1905 (1905-04-19)[1]
Renovated2005[1]
Tenants
Holy Cross Crusaders (NCAA) 1905–present
Worcester Tornadoes (Can-Am) 2005–2012
Worcester Bravehearts (FCBL) 2014–present

The baseball stadium lacks any outfield bleachers due to Interstate 290 and the football field being adjacent to it. Fitton Field has the hosted the MIAA High School Baseball State Finals in 2012 and each year since 2014.[2] During football season, the baseball field is used for parking and tailgating.[3]

History

The Holy Cross baseball team began playing at what was known as Fitton Field in 1905. Previously, they had played at both Worcester Driving Park Grounds and the Worcester Oval.[1] The field became baseball-only following the 1924 renovation of the football field. The stadium was upgraded in 2005 when the Worcester Tornadoes made it their home, they changed the name, and upgraded the seating and lighting of the stadium, which has a capacity of approximately 3,000 spectators.

Famous uses

Lou Gehrig played a game at Fitton Field in 1922 as a sophomore for Columbia University. Babe Ruth played at Fitton Field for the Boston Braves in a 1935 exhibition game against Holy Cross.[2] In a 1939 exhibition game between Holy Cross and the Boston Red Sox, Ted Williams hit his first home run in a Red Sox uniform.[4] In 2006, Fitton Field hosted the 100 Inning Game benefit for Curt Schilling's charity, Curt's Pitch for ALS.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field". GoHolyCross.com. College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  2. "Worcester Bravehearts: Hanover Insurance Park". WorcesterBravehearts.com. Worcester Bravehearts. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  3. "Holy Cross Football Tailgating Guidelines". GoHolyCross.com. College of the Holy Cross. 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  4. Mallaghan, Brianne (April 19, 2005). "Holy Cross Celebrates Fitton Field's 100th Anniversary". GoHolyCross.com. College of the Holy Cross. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
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