This is from The Crusader (part 1)
Pro baseball ready for Fitton debut
By Stephen Caruso
A new professional baseball club is set to be born right here before our very eyes on the Holy Cross campus. For more than 70 years, the second largest market in the New England area has been deprived of professional baseball. But the arrival of a new independent baseball league has brought along with it a Worcester franchise that is scheduled to play its home games on the College's own Fitton Field.
Holy Cross is currently in talks with the City of Worcester and Worcester Professional Baseball LLC, and the yet-to-be-named independent team (a member of the newly formed Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball), regarding a plan for the team to play at Fitton Field. If the talks are successful, team ownership will be responsible for making significant upgrades to the current facility in the coming months in preparation for the 2005 season. In order to provide the Worcester community with a first-rate baseball atmosphere, the 1,000-seat capacity of Fitton Field must be tripled to accommodate roughly 3,000 spectators, while lights, dugouts, and other team facilities must be added. Holy Cross's role in the entire venture is a crucial one. In years past, the huge financial commitment typically required from the host city to provide a stadium has been the sticking point for bringing a pro baseball team to Worcester. However, the partnership between the College and the team removes this obstacle, allowing the burden to be shifted to the ownership group headed by Alan Stone, a Boston lawyer, and Philip Rosenfield, vice president of sales for J.N. Phillips Auto Glass of Woburn.
"This is a way for us to reach out, partner with the local community, and hopefully bring some economic benefits to the area," said Holy Cross's vice president of administration and finance, Michael Lochhead. "We really do think it's a win, win, win. All three sides [the team, city, and college] can benefit from this arrangement."
In an official press release from the school, Holy Cross president, Father Michael McFarland, expressed his enthusiasm for the school's involvement, as well: "It is an excellent opportunity to use our resources and work with our closest neighbors to contribute to the entire city's physical and economic well-being."