Fee, fie, fo, fum!

The Holyoke Giants are in town, and that's no fairy tale.

Old-time baseball, complete with the sound of wooden bats, has come to the city with the Giants and New England Collegiate Baseball League bringing in some of the top amateur ballplayers next summer to MacKenzie Field.

"The Giants will amplify the Holyoke sports scene," said Mayor Michael Sullivan this week, "and we are sure a great relationship will grow between the city of Holyoke and the Giants."

The New England Collegiate Baseball League is summer collegiate baseball at its best. Sanctioned by the NCAA and major league baseball, the NECBL was founded in 1993 under the direction of former Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets All-Star and Major League home-run leader George Foster and Emmy Award-winning television producer-director Joseph Consentino.

Play started in 1994, and the NECBL has become a strong 13-team league that plays in all six New England states and recruits players attending colleges from throughout the country and several foreign countries.

The Holyoke Giants received initial approval from the city's Parks Commission last November to use MacKenzie Field for its 21 home games.

Last Thursday, Giants owner Calvin A. Moffie and Mayor Sullivan signed the contract completing the Giants' move from Middletown, Conn., to Holyoke, and the march is on for the Giant's season opener on June 11 against the Vermont Mountaineers.

While in Middletown, the Giants finished sixth in the league with a record of 18-23 in 2003, narrowly missing the playoffs. The team averaged 265 fans a home game, but the buzz in Holyoke hints at a much higher total.

Upgrades to MacKenzie are to include additional entrances, replacement of the left field bleachers with picnic and concession areas, and the removal of the fence on the hill.

The players themselves will also be involved, as they have been tapped to put a coat of paint on the green cement wall behind the home plate screen.

"What we will be bringing to the city of Holyoke is 21 community events," Moffie said. "There will be a lot of promotional events, and we're looking to get the community as involved as possible."

At the official signing behind home plate last week, a pair of zoot-suited entertainers presented a brief glimpse of the sideline activity. The juggling of fired batons and clowning around with the fans will keep people involved between innings, but fans will also see several familiar faces on the field.

Former Holyoke High School pitching ace Joe Westcott earned a slot after getting excellent marks at Trinity College. UMass hurler Jeremy Demers of Easthampton, Springfield College ace Jon Davis of Ludlow, and University of New Haven outfielder Justin Vincent of Longmeadow are also no strangers to the Holyoke baseball scene.

Joel Southern of Western New England College will be the head coach. Southern has a staff of three. Luke Johnson from North Central College and Tim Mayo from Springfield are assistant coaches.

The pitching coach will be Graham Callaghan of Avon, Conn.
Photos by JIM SEARSAttending the press conference introducing the Holyoke Giants at MacKenzie field last week were from left, Bill Fuqua, Department of Public Works chief; Carolyn Porter, director of the Parks and Recreation Department; City Solicitor Karen Betournay, Mayoral aide Jennifer Perez and Ward 6 School Committeeman William R. Collamore. Cooking up a storm at the Holyoke Giants introduction press conference at MacKenzie field last week were, from left, mayoral Aide Jennifer Perez, Ben Sosne, Giants staffer, and Kathleen G. Anderson, director of the Management Assistance Program in City Hall. Photos by JIM SEARSMembers of the Holyoke Giants baseball team introduced to the community at a press conference last Thursday, are, seated. from left, Seth Gordon, Jim Chapman, Jeremy Demers, Justin Vincent and Dan Fournier. Standing, from left, Jeff Mayo, Joe Westcott, Nate Moffie and Jon Davis. Calvin A. Moffie, left, owner of the Holyoke Giants baseball team, presents a team hat to Mayor Michael J. Sullivan during a press conference introducing the team to the community last Thursday at MacKenzie field. Photo by JIM SEARSNate Moffie, outfielder for the Holyoke Giants, takes his swing at batting practice during the press conference introducing the team last week at MacKenzie field. Moffie is from the University of Pennsylvania and is an all Ivy League player. Tim Mayo, assistant coach of the Holyoke Giants baseball team, throws batting practice during the team's introduction to the community last week at MacKenzie field.