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[Cotuit]

PawSox hosting 3 days of All-Star fun in July
For the first time in 27 years, Pawtucket will host the annual Triple-A All-Star game, along with special festivities in downtown Providence.
BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer - Thursday, March 4, 2004

PAWTUCKET -- For decades the Pawtucket Red Sox brass have traveled to minor-league baseball cities around the country during the All-Star break in July in search of the best mid-summer classic.


McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket

Team president Mike Tamburro and vice president/general manager Lou Schwechheimer, along with a contingent of PawSox staffers, have gone to Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, Rochester, N.Y., New Orleans, Albuquerque, N.M., Memphis, Tenn., and Las Vegas. While the PawSox were impressed with the Triple-A All-Star festivities in these cities, one important franchise was not on that list.

That is until now.

This summer the PawSox will host the 17th Annual Triple-A All-Star game and festivities July 12-14 at McCoy Stadium and in downtown Providence. Final touches are being made for the event, which will be the first-ever three-day gala. The All-Star Game has always been a two-day event, but the PawSox are extending that to three days this summer.

The PawSox are hoping to impress the masses, which will descend on the Ocean State, with a taste of the region in a New England-style party.

"It's a tremendous challenge for the entire staff," said Tamburro. "Again, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Rest assured, this is not a money-making proposition. We will work like heck to showcase the state, and we hope to break even on the event. That's basically what the challenge is, and this is all for the community. You get one shot at it; you do it right in front of a national television audience. You bring the world to McCoy for a day, and you bring the world to Rhode Island for three days, and you really get a chance to showcase everything that is good about our state."

The event will have elements of a First Night celebration, only with warmer weather. Here's how it lines up so far:

On Monday, July 12, Pawtucket will host a celebrity home-run challenge when Team (Johnny) Pesky battles Team (Dom) DiMaggio in a charity event. Tim Naehring, Cecil Cooper and Gary Allenson are just a few of the former PawSox players who will take part.

Following the home-run competition, five hitters from the International League and five from the Pacific Coast League will conduct their own home-run-hitting contest. After the baseball-related activities, the Rhode Island Philharmonic will conduct a concert of patriotic music on the field, a first. It wouldn't be a McCoy celebration without fireworks, so the first day will be capped off with a display.

On Tuesday, July 13, the PawSox will host a WaterFire and a Baseball Block Party along the Providence River. Concerts, interactive games, autograph sessions, and an outdoor viewing of the Major League All-Star game will highlight the FanFest. All Tuesday events are free.

On Wednesday, July 14, an All-Star luncheon will be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center and will be followed by the nationally televised All-Star Game from McCoy at 7 p.m.

"Hopefully the weather gods will be smiling on us for three days," said Schwechheimer. "Fans will really see what our vision was to create an incredible, festive, three-day spectacular."

And the Tall Ships Celebration and the Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will bookend the baseball events.

The PawSox want to give back to the community, which has supported the organization for four decades.

The last time the PawSox hosted the All-Stars was in 1977, and so when the state and the organization rebuilt McCoy Stadium for the 1999 season, one goal was to host the All-Star game. Two years ago, an IL and PCL committee chose Pawtucket as the site for the 2004 game.

While most recent venues have been new baseball facilities, including Memphis last summer, the PawSox are old school.

When you enter McCoy, it's almost like taking a step back in time, and as Tamburro put it, it's like watching baseball circa 1940.

"Fans are going to get a little piece of Americana," he said. "It's a piece of what baseball used to be, and we're proud of that. If we do it well enough, we'll impress [the entire baseball world]."

Box seat and reserved grandstand ticket packages for Celebrity Monday and the All-Star game on Wednesday sold out immediately. However, sometime this month the PawSox will announce a date for the sale of the remaining bleacher and berm tickets. For information, call 724-7300 or log on to www.pawsox.com

From The Providence Journal

[M. Brown]

Great for Providence

[Scott]

I've gone to the bobble-head doll night the last couple years at Pawtucket with my nieces and nephews! It's a great stadium.

[Cotuit]

McCoy bash means cash
By Luke O'Neill, Staff Writer | 07/05/2004

The Triple-A all-star celebration next week in Pawtucket and Providence is expected to be an economic home run for the state.

The three-day event, July 12 to 14 hosted by the Pawtucket Red Sox, has already boosted business for local companies.

Barrington Printing in Cranston, which normally does work for the PawSox, has seen its work volume for the ballclub triple this year because of the all-star event. The printing company has printed brochures and other marketing material to be distributed at PawSox’ McCoy Stadium, home of the all-star game and other related activities.

Last week, the printer was putting together 10,000 four-page programs for a celebrity home-run hitting contest to take place at McCoy Monday, July 12. Barrington Printing co-owner Barry Couto welcomes the added business.

“We’ve done more this year than any other year,” said Couto.

And Barrington Printing is not alone. Signs & Sites, a signs and banners maker in Seekonk that normally does work for the PawSox, has done approximately 30 percent more business for the ballclub this year, said Signs & Sites owner Dave Mitchell.

“It’s been a significant increase in normal signage,” said Mitchell. “It’s been welcomed work.”

This week, the six-employee sign company is making a “banner trail” that will be hung alongside Memorial Boulevard in downtown Providence. The four double-sided, 2-foot by 6-foot banners will incorporate all-star event logos and sponsors’ logos.

Current samples of the company’s work for the all-star event can be found at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and Rhode Island Convention Center; the former has a 20-foot by 40-foot banner and the latter a 7-foot by 20-foot banner, Mitchell said.

Signs & Sites has also done all-star-specific banners and directional signage in and around McCoy including new signs on the padding behind home plate, easy for television viewers to see.

A national audience

The all-star game, July 14, will be televised by ESPN2, adding to the national exposure for Rhode Island.

Providence Web developer Shazamm has also benefited from all-star business as the company, which designed the PawSox Web site, created an all-star game link off the ballclub’s regular site.

Another local business, within a baseball throw of McCoy and aptly named The Right Spot restaurant and creamery, expects to see larger-than-normal crowds next week, said restaurant co-owner Julia Tsimikas. However, she noted the stadium has never hosted an all-star event, so she’s taking more of a wait-and-see approach to the crowd turnout.

“This is the first time, I don’t know what’s going to happen, we just get ready for it and take it as it comes,” said Tsimikas. “We hear there’s going to be a large crowd, so that’s what we’re expecting.”

PawSox President Mike Tamburro has high hopes for the events’ economic impact in the state and attendance turnout as long as the weather cooperates.

“Conservatively, the economic impact would be in excess of $20 million,” Tamburro said. “From an economic standpoint, this will rival any event in the state in recent memory.”

Tamburro said McCoy’s renovations and seat additions about five years ago were largely targeted for capturing the all-star game since the league requires that an all-star venue have at least 10,000 seats. McCoy has a 10,031 seating capacity.

Tamburro noted that Triple-A all-star games are normally two-day events in other cities, meaning visitors stay about three days. But with Rhode Island’s three-day event, the state has adopted a “come early and stay late” approach, he said, hoping visitors will spend four days (and more money) in the state.

Monday’s event, a celebrity and all-star home-run hitting contest, Rhode Island Philharmonic performance and fireworks display at McCoy is sold out; as is Wednesday’s all-star game. But both events may have standing-room tickets. Tamburro expects Monday and Wednesday event attendance to exceed 10,000 each day.

There is also a luncheon planned for Wednesday afternoon at the convention center, where 1,000 people, including former Boston Red Sox players, are expected to attend.

The “Providence Tuesday” event in downtown will feature WaterFire, an extensive baseball block party and the broadcast of the major league all-star game on a jumbo screen near Waterplace Park.

The PawSox have invested nearly $1 million into the event, said Tamburro. The organization expects sponsorship payments to recoup some costs.

Saying thanks

One of the more than 40 different sponsors is Credit Union Central Falls. The partnership with the PawSox lends the credit union and other sponsors marketing and advertising perks in addition to all-star event tickets.

“From a marketing standpoint, it’s a great opportunity to get your name out to a lot of people,” said credit union Vice President of Marketing Tim Draper.

Credit Union Central Falls, which has a $25,000 sponsorship, will have a booth for the downtown Providence activities Tuesday night, allowing the company to promote its products. The booth will also have a speed-pitch game, Draper said.

Tamburro emphasized that the planning of the events has been a community effort.

“We’ve had a solid group of community leadership,” he said. “The excitement level around this is like nothing I’ve ever seen. We wanted this all-star game as a way of saying thanks to the community, and we’ve put together an event I think we can all be very proud of in this state.”

From The Providence Business News

[Cotuit]

What's on tap

CELEBRITY MONDAY

At McCoy Stadium
4 p.m. -- Gates open
4 p.m. -- Pregame BBQ (ticket required)
5-6 p.m. -- Celebrity batting practice

Celebrities scheduled to appear include: Dominic DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr, Rick Burleson, Bill Lee, Dave Gavitt, Brian Boucher, Oil Can Boyd, Frank Malzone, Luis Tiant, Vinny Paz, Rico Petrocelli, Peter & Bobby Farrelly, Jim Craig, Jeff Jillson, Dickie Simpkins, Daniel Graham, Tim Naehring, Jerry Remy, Joe Morgan, Tommy Harper, Sam Horn, Mosi Tatupu, John Tudor, Joey McIntyre, Dwight Evans, Dave Stapleton, and Doug & Darren Flutie among others.

6-6:30 p.m. -- IL & PCL All-Star Home Run Derby participants batting practice

All-Stars scheduled to participate include: From the International League, Earl Snyder of Pawtucket, Justin Morneau of Rochester, Craig Brazell of Norfolk, Glenn Williams of Syracuse, and Ernie Young of Buffalo. From the Pacific Coast League: Joe Dillon of Albuquerque, John Gall of Memphis, Bucky Jacobsen of Tacoma, Calvin Pickering of Omaha, and Larry Sutton of Albuquerque. 7:10 p.m. -- Introductions & National Anthem performed by Joey McIntyre

7:15-8:30 p.m. -- Celebrity Home Run Challenge
8:30-9 p.m. -- IL vs. PCL Home Run Derby
9:30 p.m. -- Rhode Island Philharmonic Concert

Conducted by Francisco Noya. Program includes: Overture to Candide, Liberty Bell March, Music from The King and I, America the Beautiful,and the 1812 Overture among others.

10:30 p.m. -- Fireworks Show

PROVIDENCE TUESDAY

At Downtown Providence

5-10 p.m. -- Baseball Block Party, WATERFIRE and concerts

Concert Schedule at Fleet Skating Center

6 p.m. -- Skye Sweetnam
6:40 p.m. -- Evan & Jaron
7:30 p.m. -- Hanson
8:30 p.m. -- Joey McIntyre

Concert Schedule at Station Park

5 p.m. -- Pelligrino Band
5:30 p.m. -- Narragansett Bay Chorus
6 p.m. -- Kings Row
6:45 p.m. -- Patrick McAloon
7:30 p.m. -- Bellevue Cadillac
8:50 p.m. -- Doug Flutie Band

Autograph Sessions

At Legends Pavilion on G-Tech Parcel to include:

Luis Tiant, Bill Lee, Oil Can Boyd, Jim Wright, Dave Stapleton, Tim Naehring, Dickie Simpkins, Sara DeCosta-Hayes, and mascots Paws, Sox, and Wally the Green Monster. Also appearing will be PawSox players Kelly Shoppach, Trace Coquillette, Justin Sherrod, Matt Beech and Mark Budaska.

Other Block Party Highlights include: The Budweiser Clydesdales, Interactive Games, Displays, Exhibits, Photo Exhibits, Live Radio & Television Broadcasts, Celebrity Appearances and much, much more.

5-5:45 p.m. -- Autograph Session for IL All-Star Team at Station Park
6-6:45 p.m. -- Autograph Session for PCL All-Star Team at Station Park

8:20 p.m. -- Introductions of All-Stars at Waterplace Park that will include an Olympic-style torch light procession of 60 Players and Coaches to light WATERFIRE.

8:40 p.m. -- WATERFIRE begins

ALL-STAR WEDNESDAY

All-Star Luncheon and Triple-A All-Star Game

11:45 a.m.- 2 p.m. -- All-Star Luncheon at the Rhode Island Convention Center (ticket required) featuring both the IL & PCL All-Star Teams and The Teammates -- Johnny Pesky, Dominic DiMaggio, and Bobby Doerr.

4 p.m. Gates open at McCoy Stadium
4-5 p.m. -- IL Batting Practice
5-6 p.m. -- PCL Batting Practice
6:30 p.m. -- Triple-A All-Star Game Opening Ceremonies

Highlights include: R.I. Colonial Militia, Joint Service Color Guard, Anthems performed by Michele Passarelli (Canadian) and Richard Price (American on trumpet), Cannon salute, Blackhawk Helicopter fly-over.

7:10 p.m. -- Triple-A All-Star Game broadcast by ESPN2 and The Sporting News Radio Network (ticket required)

Post-Game Party at the Westin Hotel (ticket required)

Raincheck Policy:

The Rain Dates for the All-Star events are as follows: Monday events would be rescheduled for Friday; Wednesday events would be rescheduled for Thursday. Event Ticket good for rain date only. If the rain date is postponed or canceled for any reason, the event ticket (unless complimentary ) will serve as a gift certificate equal to the printed value on the face of the event ticket. Please Note: Admission for Standing Room Only tickets begins at 7:15 p.m.

ON THE WEB: pawsox.com/allstar

DIRECTIONS TO McCOY STADIUM

From the north: I-95 South to Exit 2A at Massachusetts/Rhode Island line (Newport Avenue/Pawtucket). Follow Newport Avenue for 2 miles and take a right onto Columbus Avenue. Follow Columbus Avenue for 1/2 mile. Turn right after traffic light onto George Bennett Highway. Follow George Bennett Highway for 3/10 of a mile. At traffic light, turn left onto Division Street and follow signs for Game Parking.

From the south: I-95 North to Exit 27, 28, or 29 -- follow the blue & white directional signs.

From the east: Route 195 West to I-95 North -- Follow directions from the South.

GAME HISTORY

The 2004 Game marks the seventh consecutive season teams representing the International and Pacific Coast Leagues have faced off in the midseason event. The PCL leads the series four games to two, winning four straight games between 1999 & 2002. The International League Stars won last season's contest in Memphis, 13-9. The first 10 Triple-A All-Star Games were played in a National League affiliates versus American League affiliates format.

UMPIRES

Four of the top umpires in Triple-A Baseball have been selected to oversee the on-field action at the 2004 Triple-A All-Star Game. Bob Bainter and Darren Spagnardi have been chosen from the International League while Casey Moser and Greg Chittenden will represent the Pacific Coast League.

BROADCASTS

Television -- The Triple-A All-Star Game will be televised live on ESPN2 beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday. ESPN baseball analyst Buck Martinez provided insight on some of Triple-A Baseball's stars last year and will reprise his role. Joining Martinez in the booth will be veteran sportscaster Sean McDonough, who is a fixture in the New England sports scene since he began calling Boston Red Sox television games in 1988.

Radio -- The game will once again be broadcast through Sporting News Radio, the nation's largest sports radio network, and Armed Forces Radio. Local stations WSKO, WLKW, WNBH, WJJF will carry the game. A trio of Triple-A radio personalities have been selected to announce the 2004 Triple-A All-Star Game. Pawtucket play-by-play man Andy Freed will be joined in the booth by Tucson Sidewinders' broadcaster Brett Dolan. Reporting from the field will be the second member of the PawSox regular season broadcast team, analyst Steve Hyder. All three will be making their Triple-A All-Star Game radio debuts.

[Lysander]

How's the weather been there? Just wondering how it's going because Syracuse is planning to get the event it in 2008.

[Cotuit]

The weather was crap today, which is unfortunate because there were a lot of outdoor events in Providence today. I walked through downtown, and everything went off as planned, though rather soggy. The weather promises to be better for the game tomorrow.

People seem to be really impressed with what Pawtucket and Providence have done to make people feel welcome. The state really pulled out all the stops for this event.