McKeon Park facts for kids
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| Full name | Judy Walden Scarafile Field at McKeon Park |
|---|---|
| Address | 120 High School Road |
| Location | Hyannis, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 41°38′53.80″N 70°17′0.51″W / 41.6482778°N 70.2834750°W |
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| Field size | Left Field: 320 ft Center Field: 394 ft Right Field: 324 ft |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1979 |
| Renovated | 2019 |
| Tenants | |
| Hyannis Harbor Hawks | |
McKeon Park is a baseball field in Hyannis, Massachusetts. It's the home of the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, a team in the famous Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). The field itself is officially called Judy Walden Scarafile Field. Right next to the park is Saint John Paul II High School.
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The History of McKeon Park
This baseball park is located in downtown Hyannis, close to Hyannis Harbor. It started as a field for the nearby Barnstable High School. For a while, it was home to the Barnstable Townies Grid Club (a football team) until 1950. After that, it became the home of the Barnstable Townies Baseball Club.
Building the Park for Baseball
In the late 1970s, the field was rebuilt for the CCBL's Hyannis Mets team. This team joined the league in 1976. While the park was being built, the team played at the new Barnstable High School field. The renovated park was supposed to open in 1978, but there were some unexpected drainage problems.
The park finally opened for the 1979 season. It was named in honor of John McKeon. He was the first Secretary-Treasurer of the Barnstable Townies Baseball Club. He was also a longtime member of the Barnstable school committee and a big supporter of local sports. His son, K.C. McKeon, threw the first pitch at the opening game.
Lights, Ospreys, and New Names
Lights were added to the park before the 1985 season. Since at least 1992, ospreys have often built their nests on top of the light poles. These birds have become a special symbol of baseball on Cape Cod.
By 1995, the lights were not working well. This meant the Hyannis Mets couldn't play night games anymore. In 1997, the park's condition became a big topic in town. People discussed whether to fix it up or use the land for something else.
Upgrades and a Team Name Change
In 2006, the CCBL received a large grant to improve McKeon Park. With extra donations, the team was able to install new lights before the 2008 season. They even added a special platform for the ospreys, hoping their unofficial mascots would return.
In late 2008, Major League Baseball (MLB) made a rule change. Teams in leagues like the CCBL that shared a nickname with an MLB team had to change their names. Or, they had to buy their uniforms and merchandise only from MLB-approved sellers. The Hyannis club decided to change its name. Before the 2010 season, they stopped being the "Mets" and became the Harbor Hawks. This new name was a tribute to the osprey, which is also called a "fish hawk" or "sea hawk." Just before the 2010 season started, a pair of ospreys built a nest on the new platform, which was a perfect fit for the team's new name!
Recent Improvements and Achievements
In 2016, the field at McKeon Park was named after Judy Walden Scarafile. She was a longtime president of the CCBL. Before the 2019 season, the Harbor Hawks completed a big project to improve the park. They put in a new scoreboard. They also completely redid the field, adding sprinklers and improving the drainage. This made the playing conditions much better.
McKeon Park has hosted the CCBL all-star game celebrations twice, in 1997 and 2005. The Hyannis team has won three CCBL titles while playing at this park, most recently in 1991. Many future major league baseball players have played at McKeon Park during their summers. Some famous names include Robin Ventura, Jackie Bradley, Jr., and Jason Varitek.
