HYANNIS – Stadium Journey, an organization that visits baseball parks across the nation, has ranked McKeon Park in Hyannis number one out of all ten Cape Cod Baseball League parks.
The Cape Cod Baseball League is considered the finest collegiate summer league in the nation. Ten teams, spread throughout Cape Cod and in Wareham, vie for the Cape League championship every year.
Stadium Journey grades the fields in seven categories: food and beverage; atmosphere; neighborhood; fans; access; return on investment; and extras. Under each category, fields were ranked from 0 to 5 with 5 being the best.
In the areas of neighborhood and return on investment, McKeon garnered a 5.
Under “neighborhood,” the review notes the field’s proximity to the commercial hub of Hyannis.
Since Cape Cod Baseball League games are free–a donation is requested–the “investment” for fans is minimal to non-existent. Because of that, attending games is considered quite a bargain.
Under the area of fans, McKeon garnered a score of 4. The review noted that the team typically gets about 1,500 fans attending its home games.
In the areas of food and beverage; access and atmosphere, the venue received a 3.
In the area of extras, it earned a 2. But, the review notes, part of the charm of the Cape Cod Baseball League is the “lack of fancy bells and whistles,” which, the review noted, is a refreshing change.
McKeon Park, as the article explains, was named for longtime Barnstable School Committee member and athletic booster John McKeon. The field is located behind Pope John Paul II High School.
It is within a short walk of downtown Hyannis and Hyannis Harbor.
The Harbor Hawks, the Cape Cod Baseball League team that calls McKeon its home field, is named for the ospreys who build nests atop one of the ballfield’s light towers every year.
Stadium Journey’s Paul Baker writes “If you are a baseball purist, you are going to love the atmosphere at a Harbor Hawks game.”
Lowell Park in Cotuit made it to number 5 on the list.
