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Worcester’s Field of Dreams From a 2005 article by Brianne Mallaghan, Holy Cross Athletics Media Relations staff, published on www.goholycross.com Father Fitton, for whom the field was named, was born on April 10, 1805 and ordained a Catholic priest in 1827. Born and raised in Boston, he purchased land in the name of the church in 1840 upon which he founded the Seminary of Mount St. James. In 1842, Father Fitton deeded the land to Bishop Benedict Joseph Fenwick, who founded the College of the Holy Cross in 1843. Holy Cross student-athletes began playing competitive baseball in 1876, but it was not until mid-April in 1905 that the Crusaders played their first game at Fitton Field. Prior to that, the team played their home contests at both Driving Park and the Worcester Oval.  Fitton Field, as it appeared in the early 1900s Courtesy Central Mass Auctions Inc. In 1905, Holy Cross went 9-6 at Fitton Field and finished 15-10 overall, despite outscoring its opponents, 186-107. Since then, there have been eight perfect seasons at Fitton Field (1920, 1923, 1924, 1935, 1943, 1952, 1953, 1960) and one undefeated season overall (18-0 in 1924). Among the letterwinners on the 1905 team the legendary Jack Barry. Barry, who went on to coach Holy Cross for 40 seasons (1921-1960) still stands as the winningest coach in Holy Cross athletics history (616-150-6). Considered one of the finest grass fields in the northeast, Fitton has played host to some of the most memorable contests in New England college baseball history. Over the years, thousands have flocked to Fitton Field to watch the Crusaders match-up with other top teams around the region. The Holy Cross-Boston College series, which began in 1890, has attracted some of the largest crowds New England college baseball has ever seen. On May 30, 1923, more than 22,000 fans surrounded Fitton Field to witness Crusader ace Owen Carroll hurl a five-hitter and lead HC to a 5-2 victory over BC. One year later, Carroll pitched a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts as Holy Cross edged the Eagles, 3-1, in front of 20,000 people. In 1925, a crowd of 25,000 packed Fitton to watch Carroll's final meeting with BC, a 2-1 victory for the Purple and White. Twenty-seven years later, in a springboard to its national championship, Holy Cross overwhelmed BC, 13-3, at Fitton in its final regular season game of the 1952 season. With the win, the Crusaders earned their first trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., where they went on to defeat Missouri on back-to-back days to win their first ever national title. The rich history of Fitton Field has seen its share of major league talent, too. On June 4, 1934, Fitton Field was the site of Holy Cross' 5-4 win over Casey Stengel's Brooklyn Dodgers. Five years later, a rookie on the Boston Red Sox roster named Ted Williams hit his first home run in a Boston uniform, helping the Red Sox to a 14-2 win in an exhibition game over the Crusaders. In fact, Fitton Field has seen the likes of many notable players, but none more recognized than Baseball Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Williams. On June 9, 1922, Gehrig played at Fitton Field as a sophomore on the Columbia University baseball team. Holy Cross won that game, 8-5, on its way to a 24-5 overall record, but Gehrig's career was just beginning. Enshrined in Cooperstown in 1939, Gehrig led the American League in home runs three times, runs four times and RBIs five times. The 1934 Triple Crown winner and 1936 A.L. MVP, Gehrig won six World Series in a 13-season span in the majors. Also known as the ‘Iron Horse,’ Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games, a record broken only by Cal Ripken Jr. Ruth played at Fitton Field on April 15, 1935, in his only season with the Boston Braves towards the end of his career. At age 40, he helped the Braves to a 5-2 win over the Crusaders in an exhibition game, just one month before he retired from baseball in late May, 1935. Holy Cross went on to have one of its best seasons in history, going 22-1, with a 14-0 record at home. At the same time, Ruth was wrapping up an illustrious career, which saw 2,873 hits, 2,213 RBI, 714 home runs and a .690 slugging percentage. After 22 seasons in the majors, Ruth, who was affectionately known as the ‘Sultan of Swat,’ was an inaugural inductee into the Hall of Fame in 1936. A 1966 Cooperstown inductee, Williams played at Fitton Field during his rookie campaign with the Red Sox in 1939. Arguably the greatest hitter who ever lived, Williams played 19 seasons with Boston and was the last major leaguer to bat over .400 (.406 in 1941). ‘Teddy Ballgame’ was a 17-time All-Star and the A.L. MVP in 1946 and 1949. He also won the Triple Crown in both 1942 and 1946. Hall of Famer Jesse Burkett also has ties to Holy Cross and Fitton Field. Burkett coached the Crusaders for four seasons (1898, 1917-20) and amassed a 100-20-1 record (.831), which is tops in HC baseball history (by percentage). This year, Holy Cross is playing in its 118th season of collegiate baseball, and while the complex is being renovated after 100 years of wear and tear, it is still the field that Fitton built. It is still the field that some of the best players in the history of the game played on. It is still the home of the Crusaders… and now the Tornadoes as well. |
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