GROTON, Conn. – On Thursday, April 24, Baseball Coach Ed Harvey was honored at a ceremony dedicating the Fitch baseball field in his name, during which numerous speakers expressed their gratitude to Coach Ed Harvey.
Harvey is a Fitch alumnus who graduated in 1969 and later became the Fitch baseball coach in 1979. Harvey was a coach for 27 years and retired in 2007, with Marc Peluso taking over for him. With Harvey as coach, the team had 440 career wins. Ed Harvey’s son Matt Harvey ended up playing in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets and other teams. Matt Harvey had his debut season in 2012 after getting drafted in 2010. Harvey coached his son to prepare him for his professional career, which ultimately spanned nine seasons.
Marc Romano, Kurt Vincent, and Mike Porter all gave speeches before Harvey spoke to the crowd. During his speech, Porter announced that the number 16–Harvey’s number–would be retired and shown on the scoreboard for the last time.
During his remarks, Harvey stated that the news of the dedication made him reflect on his long career and the many players he worked with.
“When I heard about it a while back, a million thoughts jumped into my head,” said Harvey. “Players and years and situations, and I wish I could stand here and name them all.”
When thanking the Board of Education, Harvey noted that the vote for the field dedication was unanimous.
Following the dedication ceremony, the Falcons defeated Woodstock Academy 6-0.
This is the second dedication for a former Fitch coach this year. The gymnasium was named for retired football coach Mike Ellis in February.
