Red Wilson Field
South Yarmouth, MA
Review by Gary
Red Wilson Field opened in 1957 and is home to the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). It is one of three CCBL diamonds that does not have lights. The CCBL is notable for being one of the premier collegiate wood bat leagues in the country. It has produced a vast number of Major League stars. Yarmouth-Dennis is no exception as Craig Biggio (1986, HOF 2015), Buster Posey (2006-2007) and Steve Balboni (1977) have all sported the Y-D Red Sox jersey.
Red Wilson does offer one of the most unique concession items in all of baseball, The Donut Burger. Fortunately for my stomach and blood pressure, there was no game at the time of my visit. I was spared the reportedly decadent burger whose bun is replaced by 2 halves of a glazed donut. Brave souls can upgrade to such gastro challenges like “The Hurler,” featuring a jelly-filled donut or “The Screamer,” made of a burger embedded in a Boston cream donut. These burgers may come back to repeat themselves in name and action later in the game for some unlucky fans.
Like many of the CCBL ballparks on the Cape, fans are encouraged to bring their own seating. At Red Wilson, fans wanting to sit close to the action should really bring folding chairs as just one of the nine sets of aluminum bleachers is close to the field. The metal stands right behind home plate and in front of the two-story press box are within 6’ of the backstop.
Two sets of bleachers between the press box and dugouts on either side are at least 12’ from the brick wall that wraps around the backstop from dugout to dugout. Making matters worse is the foul territory the size of Cape Cod Bay. Finally, the same style of bleachers can also be found down each base line. The view beyond the outfield fence is of lush trees while the dimensions are symmetrical at 346’ to 352’ to 338’ from left to right.
Red Wilson boasts a capacity of 5,500 faithful and received a renovation in 2009. Fans wanting to get the close-in seating and the donut burgers before they sell out should arrive early and be fully aware of the comfort station locations.
2024
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