Mackenzie Stadium

Mackenzie Stadium
The Mack[1]
Location 500 Beech Street, Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA
Coordinates 42°12′02″N 72°37′19″W / 42.200487°N 72.621925°W / 42.200487; -72.621925Coordinates: 42°12′02″N 72°37′19″W / 42.200487°N 72.621925°W / 42.200487; -72.621925
Capacity 4,100
Field size 327 ft. (LF, RF) 377 ft. (CF)
Surface Natural grass
Scoreboard Yes
Construction
Built 1933
Opened 1933
Tenants
Holyoke Millers (EL) (1977-1982)
Holyoke Giants (NECBL) (2004–2007)
Elms College Blazers (NECC) (2005–present)
Holyoke Blue Sox (NECBL) (2008-present)

Mackenzie Stadium is a baseball venue located in Holyoke, Massachusetts.[2] It was home to the Holyoke Millers and today is used by both the Valley Blue Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (since 2008)[2] and the Elms College Blazers of the New England Collegiate Conference (since 2005).[3] It was built in 1933 and has a capacity of 4,100 people.[4]

Mackenzie Stadium hosted the 2009 NECBL All-Star Game on July 18, 2009. The game, attended by an All-Star Game record 4,906 fans, was won by the host West Division 6–5.[5]

Former tenants

The stadium was the home of the Holyoke Millers of the Double-A Eastern League for six seasons between 1977 and 1982.[6] The Millers were Eastern League champions in 1980.[7] Following the 1982 season, the franchise moved to Nashua, New Hampshire and became the Nashua Angels. The franchise still exists today as the Harrisburg Senators, Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.[8]

Mackenzie was also home to the Holyoke Giants of the New England Collegiate Baseball League from 2004 to 2007 until the team moved to Lynn, Massachusetts and became the North Shore Navigators.[9]

Field dedication

The stadium is named after Medal of Honor recipient John Mackenzie. Mackenzie was given the honor for actions performed upon the USS Remlick on December 17, 1917, during World War I. The field was dedicated in his honor on September 4, 1939.[10]

NECBL attendance

The following is a list of the attendance figures of the two NECBL franchises to play at Mackenzie Stadium, the Holyoke Giants (2004–2007) and Valley Blue Sox (2008–present). In 2011, the Blue Sox for the first time led the NECBL in attendance.[11]

Season Game Avg. Season Total Lge. Rk.
Holyoke Giants
2004[12] 548 11,514 8th
2005[13] 478 10,049 9th
2006[14] 398 8,371 10th
2007[15] 476 10,011 9th
Holyoke/Valley Blue Sox
2008[16] 1,068 22,429 5th
2009[17] 1,156 24,284 4th
2010[18] 1,182 23,636 3rd
2011[11] 2,510 50,206 1st
2012[19] 974 18,497 4th

References

  1. ↑ Holyoke Loses game One versus Mountaineers, Heads to the Mack’ for game Two at necbl.com, URL accessed August 17, 2009
  2. 1 2 Holyoke Sox Info at necbl.com
  3. ↑ Game Facilities at athletics.elms.edu
  4. ↑ Mackenzie Stadium at ballparkreviews.com
  5. ↑ West Wins All-Star game in Holyoke, Hometown Hero gets MVP at necbl.com, URL accessed August 21, 2009. Archived 2009-09-07.
  6. ↑ Eastern League (AA) Encyclopedia and History at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed August 17, 2009
  7. ↑ Eastern League Champions at sports123.com, URL accessed August 17, 2009
  8. ↑ Holyoke Millers Logos at sportslogos.net, URL accessed August 17, 2009
  9. ↑ About the NECBL at necbl.com, URL accessed August 17, 2009
  10. ↑ digitalballparks.com Mackenzie Stadium Photo Gallery, Photo 1 at digitalballparks.com, URL accessed November 30, 2008
  11. 1 2 "2011 NECBL Season – Attendance". NECBL.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-15. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  12. ↑ http://www.necbl.com/2004webstats/confstat.HTM NECBL team statistics archive, URL accessed December 22, 2008
  13. ↑ http://www.necbl.com/2005webstats/confstat.HTM NECBL team statistics archive, URL accessed December 27, 2008
  14. ↑ http://www.necbl.com/2006webstats/confstat.HTM NECBL team statistics archive, URL accessed December 27, 2008
  15. ↑ http://www.necbl.com/2007webstats/pd.htm#team.gms NECBL team statistics archive, URL accessed December 20, 2008
  16. ↑ http://www.necbl.com/2008webstats/confstat.HTM NECBL team statistics archive, URL accessed December 27, 2008
  17. ↑ Team Statistics 2009 at necbl.com, URL accessed August 1, 2009
  18. ↑ "2010 NECBL Season – Attendance". NECBL.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-15. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  19. ↑ "2012 NECBL Season – Attendance". NECBL.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-05. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
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