Worcester Red Sox

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Worcester Red Sox
Founded in 2021
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester Red Sox logo Nov 2019.png Worcester Red Sox cap logo.svg
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassTriple-A
LeagueTriple-A East
DivisionNortheast Division
Major league affiliations
TeamBoston Red Sox
Team data
NameWorcester Red Sox
MascotSmiley Ball[1]
BallparkPolar Park
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Larry Lucchino and partners
PresidentCharles Steinberg[3]
ManagerBilly McMillon[2]
MediaRadio: WORC-FM (Wed–Sat games) and WWFX (Sun & Tue games)[4]
Streaming: MiLB.TV
TV: NESN+ (select games)

The Worcester Red Sox (nicknamed the WooSox) are a professional minor league baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts.[a] Beginning play in 2021, the team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, succeeding the Pawtucket Red Sox. The team competes in the Triple-A East league and plays home games at the newly constructed Polar Park in Worcester.

History[]

In February 2015, a group of New England business leaders, led by Larry Lucchino, purchased the Pawtucket Red Sox, Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox since 1973.[6] By mid-April, ownership was exploring moving the team from Pawtucket to Providence, Rhode Island.[7] In September, Governor of Rhode Island Gina Raimondo stated that the land in Providence being considered for a stadium, "was not suitable and there were too many obstacles that remained."[8] During 2016, a feasibility study was conducted on potential renovations of the team's Pawtucket ballpark, McCoy Stadium; and from mid-2017 to mid-2018, building a new ballpark in Pawtucket was explored.[9][10]

Further information: Pawtucket Red Sox § Sale and Rhode Island stadium plans (2015–2018)

A financing arrangement for partial public-funding of new stadium in Pawtucket was rejected by team ownership, who announced on August 17, 2018, that the team would relocate to a new stadium in Worcester, Massachusetts, in April 2021.[11] While it was initially reported that team would be named the Worcester Red Sox, the club announced a "name-that-team" competition in November 2018.[12] The team name was officially announced on November 25, 2019,[13] and confirmed to be the Worcester Red Sox with "WooSox" as the nickname.[14]

Like Providence, Worcester fielded a short-lived major league ballclub in the early 1880s, the Worcester Worcesters, who competed in the National League.[15]

Debut season[]

Polar Park

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Red Sox were organized into the 20-team Triple-A East.[16] Billy McMillon, who had previously managed the Pawtucket Red Sox, was named Worcester's first manager.[17] The team's first games were originally planned for April;[18] however, the start of the Triple-A season was delayed into May.[19] The team released its debut roster on May 3,[20] and opened the season on May 4 with a loss against the Buffalo Bisons in a game played in Trenton, New Jersey.[21]

The team will play select games as "Los Wepas de Worcester" when participating in the Copa de la Diversión ("Fun Cup"), a Minor League Baseball celebration of Hispanic and Latino heritage.[22]

Stadium[]

Main article: Polar Park (baseball park)

A new ballpark was constructed for the team, opening for the 2021 Triple-A season.[11] The cost (including land acquisition) was $159 million, with over half of the amount paid by the City of Worcester.[23] With a capacity of approximately 10,000 spectators, it was named Polar Park through a sponsorship and naming rights agreement with Polar Beverages, which is headquartered in Worcester. The first Triple-A game was played at the ballpark on May 11, 2021, with Worcester hosting the Syracuse Mets.[24]

Roster[]

Worcester Red Sox roster
  • v
  • t
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

Catchers

  • 46 Charlie Madden ±
  • 28 Jhonny Pereda
  •  7 Connor Wong *

Infielders

  • 13 Chad De La Guerra
  •  2 Jeter Downs
  • 65 Joey Meneses
  • 33 Taylor Motter ±

Outfielders


Manager

  • 51 Billy McMillon

Coaches

  • 48 Paul Abbott (pitching coach)
  • 11 Bruce Crabbe (coach)
  • 43 Rich Gedman (hitting coach)
  • 86 Michael Montville (coach)

60-day injured list

Injury icon 2.svg 7-day injured list
* On Boston Red Sox 40-man roster
~ Development list
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
± Taxi squad
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated September 12, 2021
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB • Triple-A East
 → Boston Red Sox minor league players

Retired numbers[]

On December 4, 2019, the team announced that uniform number 6 would be permanently retired, in honor of the six Worcester Fire Department firefighters who perished exactly twenty years prior, in the line of duty while fighting the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire.[25]

Broadcasting[]

In March 2020, WORC-FM (an affiliate of Nash Icon) was named as the team's flagship radio station.[26] The broadcasters as of 2021 are Josh Maurer, Mike Antonellis, and Jim Cain.[citation needed] It was later announced that radio coverage would be split between WORC-FM and WWFX.[4] Select games are televised on NESN+.[27]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Worcester is 45 miles (72 km) from Fenway Park in Boston.[5]

References[]

  1. ^ "Smiley Ball". MiLB.com. Worcester Red Sox. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  2. ^ "Roster". MiLB.com. Worcester Red Sox. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  3. ^ "Front Office". MiLB.com. Worcester Red Sox. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b McNamara, Neal (May 4, 2021). "How To Watch, Listen To Worcester Red Sox Games: 2021 Season". Patch. Retrieved May 13, 2021 – via MSN.com.
  5. ^ "MLB affiliate overview: American League East". MiLB.com. February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  6. ^ "Group of New England Business Leaders Purchases Pawtucket Red Sox". MiLB.com (Press release). February 23, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  7. ^ Bramson, Kate (April 15, 2019). "PawSox owners want state lease, 30 years of property tax abatements for Providence stadium". The Providence Journal. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  8. ^ Bramson, Kate (September 20, 2015). "PawSox riverfront site is off; no word about alternative Providence site". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2015-09-20.
  9. ^ Bramson, Kate (May 16, 2017). "PawSox, city reveal stadium financing framework". Providence Journal. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  10. ^ Anderson, Patrick (August 17, 2018). "PawSox Plan to Move to Worcester; Team Says R.I. House is to Blame". The Providence Journal. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Chesto, Jon (August 17, 2018). "It's Official: PawSox to Move to Worcester". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  12. ^ McLoone, Dan (November 6, 2018). "Red Sox are taking suggestions for renaming the PawSox". The Boston Globe.
  13. ^ "Worcester Red Sox to unveil new name and logo". Boston.com. AP. November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  14. ^ Mastrodonato, Jason (November 25, 2019). "Worcester Red Sox announce new logo and 'WooSox' nickname". Boston Herald. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  15. ^ "Worcester NL Team (1880-1882)". Retrosheet. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  16. ^ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  17. ^ "Red Sox announce personnel moves in player development and Minor League field staffs". MLB.com (Press release). Boston Red Sox. January 29, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  18. ^ "2021 Worcester Red Sox schedule is here!". MiLB.com. February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  19. ^ Harrigan, Thomas (March 2, 2021). "Triple-A Start Delayed; Alternate Sites to Return". Major League Baseball. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  20. ^ "Here are the players assigned to the Worcester Red Sox for the start of the season". The Boston Globe. May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021 – via Boston.com.
  21. ^ Reed, Russ (May 5, 2021). "Worcester Red Sox play first game in team history; fall to Buffalo in Trenton". WCVB-TV. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  22. ^ Vautour, Matt (April 19, 2021). "Worcester Red Sox to become 'Los Wepas de Worcester' for seven games as part of MiLB's 'Copa de la Diversión'". MassLive.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  23. ^ Silverman, Michael (April 22, 2021). "Brand-new Polar Park is ready to go, but will it be a good deal for Worcester?". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  24. ^ McInerney, Katie (May 11, 2021). "Photos: Polar Park, Worcester's sparkling new $159-million ballpark, is officially open". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  25. ^ Bonner, Michael (2019-11-13). "'We can't forget': Worcester Red Sox retire No. 6, will reserve seats to honor memory of city's fallen firefighters". masslive. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
  26. ^ Sargent, Patrick (March 9, 2020). "Nash Icon 98.9 to Carry all Worcester Red Sox Games in 2021". This Week in Worcester. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  27. ^ "NESN+ Schedule". NESN. May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.

Further reading[]

External links[]

Preceded by
Pawtucket Red Sox 		Boston Red Sox
Triple-A affiliate
2021–present 		Succeeded by
current
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