Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71
Red Wilson Field
210 Station Ave.
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Year Opened: 1981
Capacity: 5,500
The Cape’s Red Sox
The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox play their home games at Merrill “Red” Wilson Field, located on the campus of Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School. Mr. Wilson is a Cape Cod Hall of Famer and a long-time educator at D-Y High School. The field has played host to the Cape League All-Star game three times. In addition, Wilson Field was featured in the movie “Summer Catch”.
Baseball in the towns of Yarmouth and Dennis date all the way back to the early days of the Cape League, when the Yarmouth Indians won championships in 1958 and 1960. The Red Sox have won eight Cape League Championships in the modern era of the league, which began in 1963. Notable alumni include baseball Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, Buster Posey, Chris Sale and Kirk McCaskill.
2023 is the 100th season for the Cape Cod Baseball League. Over its century of play, over 1500 Cape alumni have played in the Major Leagues, including several Hall of Famers.
Food & Beverage 5
There is a small building on the right field side of Red Wilson Field that contains the concessions at a Y-D Red Sox game. This small stand puts out a surprising variety and quantity of food night after night.
All your ballpark standards can be found at a Y-D Red Sox game, including hot dogs, burgers, sausage sandwiches and pizza slices. Chili can be added to the above items, or selected as a side on its own. Since we’re on Cape Cod, local favorite Captain Parker’s legendary clam chowder can be found here too.
If you’re looking for a snack, the concession stand has you covered. Nachos, pretzels, peanuts, chips (Cape Cod brand chips, naturally) and even hummus are all on the menu, along with assorted novelty ice cream treats. Should there be a long line at the concession stand, there’s a secondary stand that sells only treats.
Bottles of Coca-Cola products are featured at Red Wilson Field. No alcoholic beverages are allowed at this high school field.
The big concession news in Y-D for the 2023 season is the return of the legendary donut burger, which was such a popular item you can now find imitations throughout the minor leagues. It all began here at Red Wilson Field. You can choose your burger with a donut in place of a traditional bun. For $10 you can choose between the Triple Play Burger (glazed donut), the Hurler (jelly donut) or the screamer (boston cream). All burgers come with chips on the side. If you plan to order one, do so early. They are in high demand.
Atmosphere 3
Even by the laid-back, old-timey standards of the Cape League, the Y-D Red Sox set the bar for traditional game day presentation. There is no piped-in, pre-recorded music during a Red Sox game. No walk-up songs, no between-inning shenanigans, just a PA announcer making lineup and sponsor announcements at the appropriate times.
Any noise generated at a Red Sox game comes from the crowd, not that you’ll hear a great deal of noise, anyway. This just isn’t the place for a rowdy atmosphere. The Cape League ballparks have a definite neighborhood feel to them, and Red Wilson Field is no different. There’s a simple scoreboard in left field that displays the line score and basic game information. This is definitely baseball presented as it used to be.
Much of the entertainment at Red Wilson Field comes from watching the many children in attendance chase down foul balls. There is lots of room around the field for younger fans to play catch or otherwise expend some energy when not taking in the action. If a foul ball lands near you, get ready for the oncoming horde!
Neighborhood 4
Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School is located in a residential area, and there is little to see or do within walking distance of the ballpark. However, just a short drive away is Route 28, where out of town visitors will find much more of interest. Many restaurants, hotels, ice cream parlors, shops and mini-golf courses line this stretch of road through Yarmouth and Dennis. A couple of notable restaurants near Red Wilson Field are Captain Parker's Pub and The Skipper Restaurant and Chowder House.
Of course, the Cape is best known as a tourist destination, and there is plenty around to satisfy any visitor to the area. Top notch golf courses, fantastic beaches, and world-class resorts are all nearby. If you travel to the area during the summer, be sure to give yourself extra time to get around, as it gets crowded on the Cape in July and August. There are only so many roads to go around in these small towns.
Fans 3
The Y-D Red Sox generally rank in the lower half of the Cape League in terms of attendance, averaging in the neighborhood of 1,000 fans per game. As is the case with all teams in this league, crowds start small in June and pick up as the tourist season progresses through July and August. If you are a fan who prefers to avoid traffic and crowds, get out to the Cape early in the season.
Fans at Red Wilson Field are similar to those at parks throughout the league. It’s a great mix of locals, families and tourists enjoying a ballgame on a summer evening. As mentioned earlier, this is not the place to get rowdy and make a spectacle of yourself. Fans on the Cape are here to watch future Major League stars. Great plays from both teams are applauded and sportsmanship rules the day.
Access 4
Red Wilson Field is very easy to get to. Simply take exit 75 (Station Ave.) off of Route 6 and follow Station Ave southbound for just over a mile. D-Y High School will appear on your left, with the ball field located behind the school. Driving is the primary method to arrive at Wilson Field, as no bus routes directly serve the area around the high school.
Seating at Red Wilson Field is in the form of several sets of small metal bleachers which surround the field. There is a building which houses the concessions and rest rooms down the first base line. The first floor of the press box behind home plate doubles as a team store, with a great deal of team and league merchandise available for purchase.
Stadium Journey recommends that you bring your own lawn chair or blanket and take advantage of the great deal of open space at Red Wilson Field. There are spots to set up shop behind home plate and down both foul lines, where you can pull your chair right up to the edge of the field. A popular spot from which to take in the action is from atop a small hill in shallow left field right next to the Red Sox bullpen. Get to Red Wilson Field early, as the prime spots fill up quickly.
The grounds at Wilson field are nicely manicured, with shade trees and areas for the kids to roam. However, there are no paved paths around the ballpark, so fans with an unsteady gait should tread carefully.
Return on Investment 5
Admission to Red Sox games is free of charge. The team will happily accept any donation you can give, and in return they will give you a lineup sheet and a nice program. Parking is free in the high school lot adjacent to the field. There are more than enough spots here to accommodate any size crowd, just don’t park too close to the field, or you may find your windshield busted by a stray foul ball. Add in affordable concessions, and it is hard to top the value of a night at the Y-D Red Sox.
Extras 2
With Cape Cod located about an hour from Boston, it’s fitting that one of the teams would take up the Red Sox nickname. The team has traditionally worn identical uniforms as the Boston Red Sox, with a nod to the Chicago White Sox logo on the team’s hat. For the 2023 season the team is wearing a more modern look.
Adding to the neighborhood feel of Red Wilson Field is the strong community support enjoyed in Y-D. The team runs a nightly 50/50 raffle, where not just half the pot is given out, but over a dozen other prizes as well, including ferry passes to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Canal Cruises and gift certificates from local vendors.
Final Thoughts
The Cape League is considered by many to be the premier summer wood-bat league in the country. In 2022, 377 Cape League alumni played in the major leagues. That accounts for close to one out of every six major leaguers. When taking in a game on the Cape, it’s guaranteed that you will be watching several future major leaguers-for free!
If you are a baseball purist, the Cape Cod League is certainly a bucket list destination. The quality of play on the diamond is high, the price is low, the fans are friendly and the atmosphere harkens back to a different time. The close proximity of the teams makes it possible to visit several, if not all, of the teams in about a week. Bring your lawn chair and watch several future major leaguers up close – it doesn’t get any better than this!