Worcester Red Sox

Last updated
Worcester Red Sox
Worcester Red Sox logo Nov 2019.png Worcester Red Sox cap logo.svg
Team logoCap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Class Triple-A
League International League (2021–present)
DivisionEast Division
Major league affiliations
Team Boston Red Sox
Team data
NameWorcester Red Sox (2021–present)
ColorsBlue, red, yellow, white
    
MascotsSmiley Ball, Woofster, Roberto the Rocket, Clara the Heart of the Commonwealth [1]
Ballpark Polar Park (2021–present)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
 Diamond Baseball Holdings [2]
PresidentCharles Steinberg [3]
Manager Chad Tracy [4]
MediaRadio: WORC-FM (Wed–Sat games) and WWFX (Sun & Tue games) [5]
Streaming: MiLB.TV
TV: NESN+ (select games)
Website milb.com/worcester

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 International League, known as the Triple-A East for the 2021 season, [7] and plays home games at Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Contents

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. [8] By mid-April, ownership was exploring moving the team from Pawtucket to Providence, Rhode Island. [9] 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." [10] 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. [11] [12]

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. [13] 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. [14] The team name was officially announced on November 25, 2019, [15] and confirmed to be the Worcester Red Sox with "WooSox" as the nickname. [16] The team's mascot, Smiley Ball, was introduced in Worcester on October 2, 2020. [17] The dog mascot, Woofster, was introduced in Worcester on August 26, 2021. [18] Roberto the Rocket was also introduced in Worcester on May 19, 2022. [19] The red heart mascot, Clara the Heart of the Commonwealth, was unveiled on May 21, 2024. [20]

Like Providence, Worcester fielded a short-lived major league ballclub in the early 1880s, the Worcester Worcesters, who competed in the National League. [21]

Debut season

Polar Park Polar Park 3.jpg
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. [22] Billy McMillon, who had previously managed the Pawtucket Red Sox, was named Worcester's first manager. [23] The team's first games were originally planned for April; [24] however, the start of the Triple-A season was delayed into May. [25] The team released its debut roster on May 3, [26] and opened the season on May 4 with a loss against the Buffalo Bisons in a game played in Trenton, New Jersey. [27]

The team played select games as "Los Wepas de Worcester" when participating in the Copa de la Diversión, a Minor League Baseball celebration of Hispanic and Latino heritage. [28] In December 2021, team was named winners of the Copa de la Diversión series, and were awarded the "Fun Cup". [29]

Later seasons

In 2022, the Triple-A East became known as the International League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues. [30] The 2022 WooSox used the most players by any Red Sox Triple-A team, 75, surpassing the prior record of 70 held by the Pawtucket Red Sox of 1995 and 2006. [31]

In November 2023, principal owner Larry Luchino stated he was actively looking to sell the team, explaining that at age 78 he wanted to "move on to blissful retirement." [32] Later that month, the team was purchased by Diamond Baseball Holdings, who also own the Red Sox's Double-A and Single-A franchises, the Portland Sea Dogs and Salem Red Sox. [2]

Yearly results

"Finish" represents the team's final position in its division at the end of regular-season play.

YearWLPct.FinishLeagueDivisionManagerPostseason
20217454.5783rd of 6Triple-A EastNortheast Billy McMillon see Note
20227573.5076th of 10International LeagueEast Chad Tracy [33]  
20237968.5374th of 10International LeagueEastChad Tracy [34]  
20247971.5272nd of 10International LeagueEastChad Tracy [35]  

Note: In 2021, each Triple-A team played a 10-game extension to the season, branded as the "Final Stretch"; [36] Worcester went 66–52 per their original schedule, then 8–2 during the Final Stretch, for a final record of 74–54.

Stadium

A new ballpark was constructed for the team, opening for the 2021 Triple-A season. [13] The cost (including land acquisition) was $159 million, with over half of the amount paid by the City of Worcester. [37] 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. [38]

Roster

Worcester Red Sox roster
PlayersCoaches/Other

Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders


Manager

Coaches

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
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated September 17, 2024
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB  •  International League
→ 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. [39]

Broadcasting

In March 2020, WORC-FM (an affiliate of Nash Icon) was named as the team's flagship radio station. [40] The broadcasters as of 2022 are Tyler Murray, Jim Cain, Mike Antonellis, and Cooper Boardman. [41] It was later announced that radio coverage would be split between WORC-FM and WWFX. [5] Select games are televised on NESN+. [42]

Notes

  1. ↑ Worcester is 45 miles (72 km) from Fenway Park in Boston. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pawtucket Red Sox</span> American minor league professional baseball team

The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. They played their home games at McCoy Stadium, and won four league championships, their last in 2014. Following the 2020 season, the franchise moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, to become the Worcester Red Sox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Lucchino</span> American lawyer and baseball executive (1945–2024)

Lawrence Lucchino was an American lawyer and Major League Baseball executive. He served as president of the Baltimore Orioles, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the San Diego Padres, and president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox. He was also chairman of the Worcester Red Sox, the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox; chairman of The Jimmy Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute; and president and CEO emeritus of Fenway Sports Group, the parent company of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool F.C. Lucchino played college basketball for the Princeton Tigers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCoy Stadium</span> Baseball stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, U.S.

McCoy Stadium is a former baseball stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1970 through 2020, it served as home field of the Pawtucket Red Sox (PawSox), a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Completed in 1942, the stadium first hosted an affiliated minor league team in 1946, the Pawtucket Slaters, a Boston Braves farm team. In 1981, the stadium hosted the longest professional baseball game in history, as the PawSox defeated the Rochester Red Wings in 33 innings by a score of 3–2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Mondor</span> Canadian-born American business executive and baseball executive

Bernard Georges "Ben" Mondor was a Canadian-born American business executive and baseball executive, best known as the owner of the Pawtucket Red Sox from 1977 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Johnson (baseball)</span> American baseball player (1956–2021)

Ronald David Johnson was an American baseball player, coach and minor league manager. From 2012 through 2018, he managed the Norfolk Tides of the International League, Triple-A farm system affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. His 2018 season with Norfolk was his 14th season as a Triple-A manager; Johnson formerly helmed the Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League (2005–09), and the Omaha Royals (1998) and Omaha Golden Spikes (1999) of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.

The Pawsox Radio Network was the radio network of the Pawtucket Red Sox, a Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. There were 12 stations and three F.M. translators in the network, including the flagship and part-time stations. The network last broadcast games for the Pawtucket team in 2019, as the 2020 minor league season was cancelled and the team relocated to Worcester, Massachusetts, becoming the Worcester Red Sox for the 2021 season.

William Edward McMillon is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) during six seasons between 1996 and 2004, for four different teams. As a player, he threw and batted left-handed, stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall, and weighed 172 pounds (78 kg). He is an inductee of the International League Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryce Brentz</span> American baseball player (born 1988)

Bryce Everett Brentz is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox. During the 2014 and 2016 seasons, he appeared in a total of 34 MLB games with Boston. He bats and throws right-handed, and is listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and 215 pounds (98 kg).

Robert John Scott is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Dalbec</span> American baseball player (born 1995)

Robert Vernon Dalbec is an American professional baseball corner infielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox. He made his MLB debut in 2020. He played college baseball for the Arizona Wildcats of the University of Arizona. Listed at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and 227 pounds (103 kg), he bats and throws right-handed.

Robert William Poyner is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He throws and bats left-handed, and is listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and 205 pounds (93 kg). He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for two seasons for the Boston Red Sox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Walden</span> American baseball player (born 1988)

Marcus Walter Walden is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox. He made his MLB debut during 2018 after a decade of minor and independent league baseball. He both throws and bats right-handed, and is listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and 195 pounds (88 kg).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durbin Feltman</span> American baseball player (born 1997)

Durbin Sanders Feltman is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played college baseball for the TCU Horned Frogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triston Casas</span> American baseball player (born 2000)

Triston Ray Casas is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Red Sox selected him in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft and he made his MLB debut in 2022. Casas was a member of the United States national baseball team at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which won the silver medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polar Park (baseball park)</span> Ballpark for the Worcester Red Sox

Polar Park is a baseball park in Worcester, Massachusetts, serving as the home of the Worcester Red Sox, a Minor League Baseball team competing at the Triple-A level and an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Opened for the 2021 Triple-A season, it has a seating capacity of 9,508 people. Polar Beverages, a local beverage company based in Worcester, has retained the naming rights to the ballpark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarren Duran</span> American baseball player (born 1996)

Jarren William Duran is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Listed at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) and 205 pounds (93 kg), he bats left-handed and throws right-handed. He has played for the Mexico national baseball team. Duran was named the MVP of the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connor Wong</span> American baseball player (born 1996)

Connor Sun-Han Wong is an American professional baseball catcher and infielder for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Listed at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and 181 pounds (82 kg), he bats and throws right-handed. He made his MLB debut in June 2021, prior to which he played every position except pitcher in the minor leagues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Hart (baseball)</span> American baseball player (born 1992)

Kyle Patrick Hart is an American professional baseball pitcher for the NC Dinos of the KBO League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox. Listed at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) and 170 pounds (77 kg), he both throws and bats left-handed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillips Valdéz</span> Dominican baseball player (born 1991)

Phillips Chalier Valdéz is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox.

References

  1. ↑ "Smiley Ball & Woofster". MiLB.com. Worcester Red Sox. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Silverman, Michael (November 30, 2023). "Worcester Red Sox Sold: Agreement reached to sell team to Diamond Baseball Holdings". Global News . Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Front Office". MiLB.com. Worcester Red Sox. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  4. ↑ Speier, Alex (December 13, 2021). "Worcester Red Sox announce hiring of Chad Tracy as next manager" . The Boston Globe . Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  5. 1 2 McNamara, Neal (May 4, 2021). "How To Watch, Listen To Worcester Red Sox Games: 2021 Season". Patch . Retrieved May 13, 2021– via MSN.com.
  6. ↑ "MLB affiliate overview: American League East". MiLB.com. February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Then and Now: International League". MiLB.com. March 17, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Group of New England Business Leaders Purchases Pawtucket Red Sox". MiLB.com (Press release). February 23, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ Bramson, Kate (September 20, 2015). "PawSox riverfront site is off; no word about alternative Providence site". The Providence Journal . Retrieved 2015-09-20.
  11. ↑ Bramson, Kate (May 16, 2017). "PawSox, city reveal stadium financing framework". Providence Journal. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. 1 2 Chesto, Jon (August 17, 2018). "It's Official: PawSox to Move to Worcester". The Boston Globe . Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  14. ↑ McLoone, Dan (November 6, 2018). "Red Sox are taking suggestions for renaming the PawSox". The Boston Globe .
  15. ↑ "Worcester Red Sox to unveil new name and logo". Boston.com . AP. November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  16. ↑ Mastrodonato, Jason (November 25, 2019). "Worcester Red Sox announce new logo and 'WooSox' nickname" . Boston Herald . Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Photos: WooSox unveil new mascot Smiley Ball". Telegram & Gazette . October 2, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  18. ↑ "On National Dog Day, WooSox introduce Woofster as new companion mascot for Smiley Ball". MassLive . August 26, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Welcome, Roberto!". Twitter . May 19, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Meet Clara". Telegram & Gazette . May 22, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Worcester NL Team (1880-1882)". Retrosheet . Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  22. ↑ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  23. ↑ "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.
  24. ↑ "2021 Worcester Red Sox schedule is here!". MiLB.com. February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  25. ↑ Harrigan, Thomas (March 2, 2021). "Triple-A Start Delayed; Alternate Sites to Return". Major League Baseball. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  26. ↑ "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.
  27. ↑ 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.
  28. ↑ 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.
  29. ↑ Heneghan, Kelsie (December 7, 2021). "Wepa! WooSox win Copa de la Diversión". MiLB.com. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Sunday Baseball Notes" . The Boston Globe . October 15, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  32. ↑ Silverman, Michael (November 10, 2023). "Larry Lucchino says 'it's time to sell' the Worcester Red Sox" . The Boston Globe . Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  33. ↑ McDonald, Joe (December 13, 2021). "New skipper at Polar Park: Chad Tracy named manager of Worcester Red Sox". Telegram & Gazette . Worcester, Massachusetts . Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Red Sox Announce Personnel Moves in Player Development, Set Minor League Field Staffs". MLB.com (Press release). Boston Red Sox. January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  35. ↑ "2024 Worcester Red Sox Statistics". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  36. ↑ Dykstra, Sam (July 15, 2021). "Triple-A teams to play in postseason tourney". MLB.com. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  37. ↑ 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.
  38. ↑ 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.
  39. ↑ 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.
  40. ↑ 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.
  41. ↑ "Brewers add Josh Maurer to radio team". MLB.com .
  42. ↑ "NESN+ Schedule". NESN . May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.

Further reading

Preceded by Boston Red Sox
Triple-A affiliate
2021–present		Succeeded by
current
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.