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Commander Shea Field
1957
Located on the east end of the lower campus, bounded by Beacon Street, Thomas More Drive, and Alumni Stadium, BC's baseball field is named in honor of Commander John J. Shea, USN, Boston College class of 1918, who lost his life during World War II when the aircraft carrier, USS Wasp, was sunk by enemy action. Commander Shea's "Letter to Jackie," addressed to his young son John Richard Shea ('58), was one of the most moving personal correspondences to come out of World War II. On May 21, 1961 a bronze plaque was erected to commemorate the BC war hero.
Before World War II, collegiate baseball was a very popular varsity sport at most American colleges, and baseball games regularly attracted large numbers of fans. In 1923, for example, some 30,000 spectators crowded into Boston's Braves Field to watch the baseball game between Boston College and Holy Cross. More space was obviously needed for baseball facilities, and so with the construction of Roberts Center for basketball, and McHugh Forum for hockey, during the mid-1950s the baseball diamond was moved from its original location on the Upper Campus to the large area on the BC side of the reservoir, and named for Commander Shea. The baseball diamond on Commander Shea Field was later named after Eddie Pellagrini, former infielder for the Boston Red Sox, who served as head baseball coach at Boston College from 1958 to 1988.