Episode 197: Riverhead Stadium with Fabio Montella

Memorial Day 1949 was an auspicious day in Riverhead as it saw the inaugural game at the brand new Wivchar Stadium on Harrison Ave. The brainchild of Tony Wivchar, a local entrepreneur and owner of an earth-moving company, the venue soon came to be known as Riverhead Stadium.

Although it only existed for a few brief years, the stadium was alive with excitement. To help drum up interest, Wivchar formed the Riverhead Falcons baseball team out of local talent to play in exhibition games. Their opponents ranged from Negro League stalwarts such as the Black Yankees to barnstorming attractions like the House of David. Other events included women’s softball, rodeos, and professional wrestling. By the mid-1950s, however, the stadium was gone with little left to mark its passing.

Enter Fabio Montella – Suffolk County Community College librarian, history professor, and friend of the podcast. As part of his on-going explorations of baseball in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Montella became aware of the stadium’s short but illustrious existence. He was able to uncover more about Wivchar’s past and his pursuits, even finding and interviewing Wivhcar’s wife and daughter.

The result, as today’s episode will attest, is a fascinating glimpse into one man’s passion and the field of dreams he built to contain it.

Further Research

• “Riverhead Stadium Opens.” County Review, May 26, 1949
• “Giving the House a Home” [House of David baseball]
• Audio Footnotes:
  • More episodes with Fabio Montella
• Music
  • Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/
  • Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0