Published in the May 3, 2017 edition
LYNNFIELD —Sluggers wanted!
Have you ever dreamed of hitting a home run off Fenway Park’s Green Monster? Well, if you’re a high school student in Massachusetts, the opportunity has arrived for just such a chance to do so while also benefiting The Jimmy Fund.
The Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association (MBCA), in conjunction with the John Hancock Fenway Fantasy Day at Fenway Park, are co-sponsoring four sectional High School All-Stars Home Run Derbies on Sunday, May 7.
Four sectional champions will be crowned that day, each of whom will have an opportunity to face the Green Monster of Fenway Park on Saturday, June 3 at the New England Home Run Derby Championship during John Hancock Fenway Fantasy Day at Fenway Park.
Lynnfield hosts North Sectional
Lynnfield High School (275 Essex St.) has been selected to host the North Sectional High School Home Run Derby on May 7 from 1 to 6 p.m. Three other sectional derbies will be held simultaneously at the following locations: South – Xaverian Brothers High School, Westwood; Central – Millbury High School; and West – Bullens Field, Westfield.
Retired NRHS baseball coach Frank Carey serves as the North Sectional Home Run Derby coordinator for the MBCA.
Starting at 1 p.m., each player competing in the North Sectional Derby will have access to the batting cage at Lynnfield High School’s new facility to warm up, take a few warm-up pitches on the field and then swing at 11 pitches to accumulate points for home runs, balls off the fence, and quality hits (the last being the double bonus ball).
The Home Run Derby scoring will be calculated as follows:
• Home run = 10 points
• Off the Wall = 5 points
• Other solid hits (in the outfield or hard ground balls) = 1 point
• Swing and Miss, Foul Ball = 0 points
• Take of a hittable pitch = 0 points
In addition to crowning a winner, alternates will be identified at the derby.
Four sectional finalists from each section in Massachusetts as well as the winner from last year’s Fenway home run derby, and finalists from neighboring states will take aim at Fenway Park’s Green Monster on June 3.
“In addition to the home run derby, Massachusetts high school teams can also participate in the High School All-Stars program and qualify to bat and field at Fenway Park. Teams with the top fundraising for The Jimmy Fund will have the opportunity to participate,” Carey stated.
This program gives high school teams the opportunity sponsor a Dana-Farber patient’s participation in Fenway Fantasy Day. The top three fundraising teams will take the field at Fenway.
All proceeds from the pledges and donations will benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund.
Participants must pre-register online with a $10 donation to The Jimmy Fund by visiting www.JimmyFundFantasyDay.org/Massachusetts.
