Day 10 – The Colorful Baseball Fields of Providence, Pawtucket, and North Providence
Day 10 of my Rhode Island Baseball Field Bike Relay Ride began in North Providence at Lee Romano Field, home of North Providence Little League. 2019 marked the first season of a combined North Providence Little League with East and West merging. Lee Romano Field is located off Woonasquatucket Ave and Rockwell Ave. just passed the entrance of Rhode Island College in North Providence. It features a Majors division field, batting cages, tons of parking, bleacher seating, and concession stand. And it also features an really cool mural on the 3rd base dugout showing kids of all ages why it is important to Rhode Island to keep trash out of our rivers and local waterways. Great start to Day 10 in North Providence.
From Lee Romano, I traveled up through neighborhoods, into and through the campus of Rhode Island College via College Road, and onto Mount Pleasant Ave and over to Mount Pleasant Little League. Mount Pleasant Little League is located on the campus of Mount Pleasant High School. It features 2 baseball fields, one softball/multi use field, concession stand, amazing playground, and tons of open space. I visited MP this summer for the Providence Mayor’s Cup Tournament, which was hosted at Mount Pleasant’s fields. This set of fields has a great neighborhood feel. Mount Pleasant has a great tradition of baseball and volunteering here in Rhode Island.
A quick ride through some Providence neighborhoods, around LaSalle Academy, down Smith St. and I was at one of the most incredible parks in all of Rhode Island. Fargnoli Park is a Rhode Island treasure and is the home of Elmhurst Youth (Cal Ripken) baseball. The colors on display at Fargnoli Park are vibrant and positive and inspiring in so many ways. If you haven’t seen the basketball court at Fargnoli, that alone is worth the trip. The baseball field is located just outside the playground entrance and was in incredible shape when I visited this week. Fargnoli features a huge playground, the aforementioned basketball court, tons of open space to watch a baseball game, and beautiful murals and art throughout the park. I love visiting this park in Providence.
From Elmhurst, I traveled mostly city roads (River, Charles, Branch Ave) through Providence and into Pawtucket and Smithfield Ave.,over to Fairlawn Veterans Memorial Park and Fairlawn Little League. Fairlawn Little League features several baseball fields, including one very special Tee Ball Field (Carney Field) which were all in incredible condition. The park itself features basketball courts, playground, tons of open space for recreational activities, plenty of parking, and a great neighborhood feel. I love how the park benches are situated facing the baseball fields, sort of like choice seats to watch a game. Great visit to Fairlawn Little League in Pawtucket.
Pawtucket has several fields to visit, so I got back on my bike, headed east on Mineral Spring Ave, past St Raphael Academy, through neighborhoods, and onto Hughes Ave to Daggett Ave and the entrance to Pineview Little League. Daggett Field and Pineview Little League are located in an incredible recreational spot in Pawtucket. Four fields for baseball and softball players of all ages, batting cages, tons of open space, access to the 10 Mile River Greenway Bike Path, plenty of parking – this park in Pawtucket is just amazing to visit and enjoy. The view from the hill looking down onto the Majors baseball field is just breathtaking. Great tradition of baseball continues there in Pawtucket at Pineview Little League.
Whenever possible, I look to take Rhode Island’s bike paths from field to field. I hopped on the 10 Mile River Greenway, through fallen leaves and forest animals playing, slinking back and forth until I reached an exit into Slater Memorial Park. I weaved my way around the park until I ended up at the baseball and softball fields of Darlington American Little League. Darlington has a ton of baseball and softball fields located at Slater Park and these fields are used by kids of all ages. When I was visiting the other day, there were ground crews on at least 3 of the fields doing work. Slater Park is just a massive recreational park in Pawtucket and the volunteers and city workers do an incredible job keeping it safe and ready to use.
A very short ride from Slater Park onto Columbus Ave and over to Pawtucket’s McCoy Stadium. No baseball field tour would be complete without a stop at McCoy Stadium, where I have been visiting for baseball games for the better part of 40 years. The field and stadium are closed to the public, but I was able to snap a photo at the main gate. 2020 will mark the final year of the Pawtucket Red Sox playing at McCoy Stadium, as they are moving to Worcester for the 2021 season.
My final stop of Day 10 was another short ride through the neighborhoods surrounding McCoy Stadium, over to School St and the Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket. This set of baseball and softball fields is the home base of the RBI Program as well as the Pawtucket Slaterettes Girls’ and Womens’ Baseball League. It features 3 fields for multiple usage, walking path, tons of open space, great views of the Seekonk River and the nature surrounding it, and of course the campus of the Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket. From the parking area, the wide view of the fields is one of my favorites to photograph. The fields themselves are always in ready to play condition and I always enjoy my visits to the Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket.
It was an awesome fall day for my Rhode Island Baseball Field Bike Relay Ride. I visited 8 amazing baseball and recreational facilities in Providence, Pawtucket, and North Providence. I loved how the fields and communities used murals to help educate positive messages to kids of all ages. The baseball fields were in fantastic shape. These baseball communities have a rich tradition of baseball and volunteerism here in Rhode Island. Day 10 was just so incredible and a great ride.
Next stop is Rumford Little League as we wrap up our final day of the Rhode Island Baseball Field Bike Relay Ride.
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The RIBBE is The Rhode Island Baseball Experience. It is promoting the game of baseball here in the great state of Rhode Island for the entire baseball world to see. The RIBBE is positive stories, photos, videos, and responsible social media posts. The RIBBE is an information resource for families looking for an AAU team or a summer camp or a great place to buy a first baseman’s mitt. The RIBBE is a network of coaches, tournament directors, parents, leagues, and baseball junkies whose passion of the game of baseball is unquestioned. I believe that providing expert analysis, information and directions to ballfields, and coaching advice from some of the top RI baseball minds will help promote the game of baseball here in RI to a whole new level.
The Rhiter - A Writer From Rhode Island 