MLB Replica Ballparks
Maine’s Fenway in honor of Harold Alfond® and Purnell-Wrigley Field
Maine’s only MLB 2/3 replica baseball fields are located right here in Central Maine!
The AYCC is proud to partner with Dove Tail Bats in support and promotion of athletic tournaments.
MAINE’S FENWAY in Honor of Harold Alfond®
CREATE YOUR OWN Fenway Experience!
If you are looking for playing space for your team or want to create your own camp week then look no further than Maine’s Fenway in Honor of Harold Alfond®
The field is a 2/3 scale replica of Fenway Park in Boston Newly renovated with field turf lights for night games. The field is located at 302 McGrath Pond Road, in Oakland, Maine.
For Rentals, contact:
Beth LaFountain
207-873-0684 x219
Purnell-Wrigley Field
Your Wrigley Experience is just a few steps away!
If you are looking for playing space for your team or want to create your own camp week then look no further than Purnell-Wrigley Field.
The field is a 2/3 scale replica of Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The field has bleacher seating, turf lights for night games and a snack shack that opens during busy tournament, and/or game days.
The field is located at 47 Mathews Avenue, in Waterville. A small parking lot and street parking are available. We ask that families park with respect to our neighbors who live and work near the field.
For Rentals, contact:
Beth LaFountain
207-873-0684 x219
History of the AYCC's MLB Replica Fields
Purnell-Wrigley Field History
Purnell-Wrigley Field is a 2/3 scale replica MLB park.. Named after Waterville native, Fran Purnell, the field was rebuilt and turfed in 2017 to look like the infamous Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. Key features include a replica of the famous center field scoreboard, set to the permanent time of 12:47 pm, the time of day when the Cubs clinched their World Series win in November of 2016.
Purnell coached youth baseball in Waterville for more than 45 years, including several years coaching the Challenger Division, for children with disabilities. His photo is featured in the first base dugout. Waterville native Paul Mitchell, who is a member of the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame, is featured in the third base dugout. At the flag pole are monuments to John Winkin, collegiate baseball coach at Colby and the University of Maine, and was one of the founders of Waterville Little League; and Clyde Sukeforth, the Maine native who signed Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers.
“It’s just unbelievable,” Purnell said. “I told them we had a perfectly good field and they don’t have to do that, but they wanted to. It blew my mind. It really blew my mind.”
Read the article on the field dedication at CentralMaine.com
Maine's Fenway Field History
Harold Alfond®, the founder of Dexter Shoe Company, the first majority minority owner of the Boston Red Sox for the State of Maine loved the game of baseball. Mr. Alfond attended numerous ball games in his owner’s box at Fenway as he watched and became part of the Red Sox family of friends along with many Hall of Fame Red Sox players such as Ted Williams, Yaz, Jim Rice, Pedro and of course Carlton Fisk. His dream was always to bring the opportunity of baseball to kids throughout the country, especially Maine. Ken Walsh, CEO of the Alfond Youth Center wanted to help make this dream possible as he ventured out to honor Harold Alfond for his life’s work by raising funds to build the Harold Alfond Fenway Park.
In honor of Harold Alfond, in 2006, Ken Walsh along with the Board of Directors of the Alfond Youth Center set out to build the “Field Of Dreams”. The mission was to create the wow! The only way to do this was to build the replica of the Boston Red Sox Fenway Park, the most beloved ballfield of Major League Baseball. After many months of planning and receiving the rights from Major League Baseball and the Boston Red Sox to use the name Fenway Park, the dream started taking shape. Utilizing the Red Sox staff and area engineers the Maine’s Fenway in honor of Harold Alfond was designed to be a 66% scale replica of Fenway.
After months of raising funds and construction completed, on September 7th the grand opening was held featuring the State of Maine Governor, John Baldacci, Mr. Baseball of Maine, College Coach with most wins in history Dr. John Winkin and Iron Man of Baseball Cal Ripken Jr. In down pouring rain under a tent, Harold Alfond® watched the thousands of spectators arrive to celebrate the grand opening. Four area little league teams line the field hoping to be the first teams to play on the field.
Unfortunately, this was not to be due to the inclement weather. However the Iron Man of Baseball, Cal Ripken Jr. said to Harold Alfond, “this is about the kids and I’m going to pitch to each and every one of them”. Cal Ripken got on his hands and knees in the down pouring rain and threw 5 pitches to each and every youth from the four teams as they all tried to hit the ball over the Green Monster Wall. The legend of Harold Alfond and Cal Ripken Jr. was cemented into history that day.
Soon after that September day, Harold Alfond passed away at the age of 93. Since then hundreds of ball games, tournaments and camps have been part of the Maine’s Fenway in honor of Harold Alfond®.
Now with the number one youth baseball camp in the country we all have a sense that Mr. Alfond is watching each of these games in the best seat in the house. On his “Field of Dreams”.
