Muzzy Field is a stadium in Bristol, Connecticut adjacent to Rockwell Park. In 1912, it was given to the Public Welfare Association[2] in the city of Bristol by Commissioner Adrian Muzzy in memory of his two sons,[3] for the express purpose of amateur athletics,[1] officially opening on 8 July 1914,[4] for both baseball and football. In 1939, after a fire,[1] the 4,900-capacity brick-faced grandstand was built. It features a ring of tall pine trees that line the outside of the outfield wall and the grandstand.
Muzzy Field hosts high school sports, primarily baseball and football. Three high schools use the field: Bristol Central High School, Bristol Eastern High School, and Saint Paul Catholic High School. Muzzy Field is the site of the football "Battle for the Bell" between Bristol Eastern and Bristol Central, held every Thanksgiving morning, with the winner claiming the bell for the following year.
In 2004 the stadium was also the site of an American Idol audition.[8]
Renovations
In 2012 and 2013, the City of Bristol approved a renovation of the ballpark to include a new front entrance and public concourse, new lighting, seating, ADA improvements and a new grandstand enclosure along the Muzzy Street side of the stadium connecting to the existing grandstand.
Further renovations in 2015, coinciding with the arrival of the Bristol Blues club, included a new rooftop press box, an extension of the roof, and an electronic sign at the corner of Park and Muzzy Streets to advertise events.[9]
Bibliography
Malan, Douglas S. (September 28, 2009). Muzzy Field: Tales from a Forgotten Ballpark. iUniverse. ISBN978-1935278849.