SCENE AROUND: New Summer New Team

 

It does get a little old. No, not the same old team at the same old ballpark, but rather a new team every summer at the same old ballpark. Continuity, or lack thereof, has made drawing a crowd to Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, Mass., an uphill battle in recent years. But Greg Martin, general manager of the new Pittsfield Colonials, a professional independent league team, hopes to change all that.

 

The Colonials (whose name rose to the top after a hometown vote) will be playing up the history of the park and the fact that fans have been coming out to see professional baseball in Pittsfield for the past 117 years. Managed by former Boston Red Sox player Brian Daubach, the new team will wear retro uniforms not just for one turn-back-the-clock game but for an entire turn-back-the-clock season. The home uniforms are circa 1892; visiting uniforms circa 1910.

 

Over the course of a ninety-two-game season—with forty-four home dates—Martin hopes to average two thousand fans, a goal he feels is realistic given that the nearest major league ballpark is nearly three hours south or east. And, at six bucks for general admission, less than the price of a summer blockbuster, there’s money leftover in one’s pocket for hot dogs and beer. Improvements to the venue include a sprucing-up (advertising will consist of hand-painted signs by local artists, lending a retro look, rather than vinyl banners), tastier concessions offerings, and a sunnier forecast. (Last year’s ongoing rain and eventual flooding of the site didn’t help the American Defenders’ cause, and let’s not even talk about their uniforms.) With fifteen home games in June alone, there’s no excuse not to take someone out to the old ballgame. [JUNE 2010]
 

 

THE GOODS

The Pittsfield Colonials
Jun - Sept
Mon-Fri games at 7
Sat at 6; Sun at 2
Tickets: $6 to $9

 

 

Wahconah Park
105 Wahconah St.
Pittsfield, Mass.