As the story goes, long time coach and Hall of Famer, Michael Briglia, wanted to rotate the field so the fence could be extended, as the right field line butted up against Bozorth Hall, creating a “short porch” for hitters. Briglia's reasoning for the change was because he wanted to host NCAA playoff games, and since the field was short in right, it did not meet NCAA Championship requirements.
The controversy about the approval to remove the oak extended throughout the campus community. During a typically quiet summer at the small college, communication and reporting structures may not have been ideal, especially for dealing with the competing interests of the ambitious baseball program, the diligent facilities staff and those who treasured the oak. There clearly weren’t many check and balances in place for such concerns as historic trees. Once it was down, emotions ran high among students, faculty, alumni and Glassboro neighbors. It was too late to save the oak, but the event raised questions that led to durable changes in policies and approvals for campus planning, aesthetics and environment.
So, in 1985, the field was moved 10 to 20 feet up the third base line and slightly rotated counterclockwise to extend right field to 318'. Because the field was moved, The Oak, which at the time was outside the field of play, was now on the field. In order to move the fence back to 318', the tree had to be removed.
