Bob Bromage Field Approved For Powder Hollow By Enfield Council

ENFIELD, CT — A dedicated coach who devoted nearly four decades to mentoring student-athletes at Enfield High School will soon be honored with a permanent legacy, as the Enfield Town Council approved a resolution Monday night to name the full-size baseball diamond at Powder Hollow Park 'Bob Bromage Field.'

Mayor Bob Cressotti said, "This has been overdue. It is a well-deserved honor for someone who has impacted thousands of student-athletes."

The resolution passed by a 6-2 vote, with councilors Mike Ludwick and Marie Pyznar dissenting. They both stated they weren't comfortable approving such a resolution without a clearly-defined policy in place.

The beautiful park, set in a bowl in the Hazardville section of Enfield, has annually hosted several Enfield games for many years. The varsity team began using Powder Hollow as its home field regularly beginning late in the 2018 season, leaving the two fields at the high school for use by the junior varsity and freshman teams.

Last summer, the council approved $689,000 for upgrades to the park, including the installation of lights.

Bromage, who came to Enfield High School as assistant baseball coach fresh out of Springfield College in 1965, assumed the head coaching job from Carl Angelica two years later, and remained through 2004. During his tenure, the Raiders became one of the top high school programs in northern Connecticut, culminating in a trip to the Class L finals in 2001. He retired following the 2004 season, during which Enfield advanced to the state semifinals.

"I am overwhelmed and astonished," Bromage said upon learning the ballfield would be named in his honor. "I always thought Powder Hollow was the best field in town. We used to go there to practice, and the wind would blow right over the top. It's a great facility. It will be a great place with lights. You double the number of games you can play and get more kids involved."

The recommendation to name the field after Bromage came from the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame, to which he was elected in 2001. His wife Cookie, who coached field hockey at Enfield for 52 years, was a charter Hall of Fame inductee in 1996.

"Bob Bromage is a true sports legend in our town, and this recognition is a fantastic way to cement his legacy for generations to come," Hall of Fame chairman Mike Cotnoir said. "He has done so much for Enfield baseball, and all the student-athletes he has managed over his amazing career. Bob’s impact on the baseball field was not always measured in wins and losses, but on the spirited inspiration, sportsmanship and true compassion he brought to every practice, game and the athletes. I saw it first hand as a Fermi baseball player, and always cherished playing against his teams. We are thrilled for Bob, Cookie and all of the baseball families he has touched over the years."

A glowing testimony to Bromage's impact on student-athletes is 22 of his former Raider baseball players - not to mention those he coached in basketball for 16 years - have been inducted into the hall of fame as individuals alongside him. The 2001 state finalist team was also inducted as a group in 2019.

Fred Medina, a standout pitcher on that 2001 squad, said, "You can’t think of baseball without Bromage, especially in Enfield. He has taught me so much about mental toughness and the game of baseball, also about life, and those lessons I still keep. It will be a well-deserved honor to see his name hang over that field. Proud to still call him my coach."

"Coach Bromage brought out the very best in me," said Mark Dube, a former team captain who will be enshrined in the hall of fame in May. "He had an expectation of excellence from everyone, and he told you directly when that expectation was not met. But he was the first one to tell you when the job was done well. To any ballplayer from Enfield, Powder Hollow is sacred ground. There is no better person to name this field after than Coach Bromage."

"I’m just eternally grateful for the opportunities and confidence he showed in me," Hall of Famer Jack Taylor said. "He always inspired us to do better. I have nothing but respect and love for both Mr. and Mrs. Bromage."

Former player Jay Gaucher, now Enfield head coach, said, "Brom as a coach knew when to push you and when to pat you on the back. He always cared about you as a person first. The lessons he taught you went beyond the field. It was about accountability, trust and honor."

"It's quite a compliment to the baseball players in Enfield that I am receiving this honor," he said.

A dedication ceremony is expected to be scheduled for early spring.