Get Balls And Autographs at McCoy Stadium

The unique design of McCoy Stadium's seating bowl means that fans get creative when hunting for autographs.
The unique design of McCoy Stadium’s seating bowl means that fans get creative when hunting for autographs.

If you’re first in line when McCoy Stadium opens 90 minutes before first pitch, you’ve already done yourself a favor if you hope to get a baseball during your visit. Batting practice will be close to wrapping up by the time you enter, but getting to field level quickly and scouring any number of spots gives you a shot at finding a ball left behind after BP. Make a decision about whether you’ll head toward left field or right field and make your way there as quickly as possible. In left, check the grass seating berm and the area around the home bullpen. In right, look for balls in the paved area next to the visitors’ bullpen, picnic area and bleachers.

If you can’t find any BP balls, you’re not out of luck just yet. During the game, your best spot to stand is the paved area in the right field corner. Standing in this spot doesn’t guarantee you’ll catch a long foul ball on the fly, but your odds of having the right fielder toss you a foul ball are pretty good. If it’s a home run you’re after, spend the game on the grass berm in left-center and the bleachers in right-center, moving between the locations depending on the hitter.

Getting autographs at McCoy Stadium is one of the best experiences you’ll have in the minors. The construction of the ballpark is such that the field-level seats aren’t exactly at field level – rather, they’re elevated enough that the usual autograph-hunting strategies you use won’t work here. Instead, don’t visit McCoy without a plastic bucket and a long piece of string or rope. Upon entering the park, head toward either dugout (Pawtucket’s is on the third base side) and secure a spot against the rail. Tie the string to your bucket, drop your pen or marker and the items you wish to get signed in the bucket and lower it toward the dugout. You can even tie the other end of the string to the railing and let the apparatus hang in place until your favorite players arrive. You won’t be the only fan employing this strategy, and many players know this is the way to sign at McCoy. If you forget to buy the supplies to make your own “autograph fishing” device, you can buy all you need at the ballpark’s team shop.