Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Franchises

PawSox Officially Moving To Worcester, Plan For New Ballpark

The Triple-A Int'l League Pawtucket Red Sox and the city of Worcester have "signed an agreement that clears the way" for the team to move there and play in a ballpark that will be "built on the former Wyman-Gordon property near Kelley Square," according to Nick Kotsopoulos of the Worcester TELEGRAM & GAZETTE. Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said that the plan "includes a large-scale redevelopment of 18 acres of largely vacant and blighted property in the Kelley Square area that will add to the ongoing revitalization of the Canal District and transform that part of the city." In addition to construction of a 10,000-seat multi-use ballpark, at an estimated cost of $86-90M, the deal "includes a development blueprint" that calls for $90M in "private development for 225 market-rate apartments, a 150-room hotel, a second boutique hotel consisting of about 100-110 rooms overlooking the ballpark, and 65,000 square feet of retail/restaurants." City officials said that all of that "would be done in the first phase" of the project by March '21. The second phase of the project "would include 200,000 square feet of residential, office and/or mixed-use development." The total cost of the overall development project "has been pegged" at about $240M. The ballpark will be "named Polar Park, marking the involvement of Polar Beverages of Worcester." Augustus said that he will "seek authorization to have the city borrow" $100.8M -- $70.6M in "general obligation bonds for the cost of the ballpark, land acquisition, culvert work, capitalized interest and borrowing costs," and another $30.2M in bonds that will be covered by the baseball team’s annual rent payment for the ballpark (Worcester TELEGRAM & GAZETTE, 8/18). 

NEGOTIATION TIME: In Boston, Jon Chesto noted PawSox Chair Larry Lucchino will "once again partner" on a ballpark project with Dodgers Senior VP/Planning & Development Janet Marie Smith, with whom he "worked on the construction of Oriole Park at Camden Yards and renovations to Fenway Park when the two worked for the Boston Red Sox." Smith will continue in her role with the Dodgers. Lucchino said, "We look forward ... to having a hell of a ride with Worcester." Lucchino added that "WooSox" is one "possibility as a nickname." The decision is a "blow for Pawtucket." McCoy Stadium "dates back" to '42, and it "hosted countless Red Sox stars of the future" since '73 (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/18). Officials from both sides of the deal said that securing the plan was "not an easy negotiation." Worcester consultant Andrew Zimbalist said, "There was lots of fighting going on." Officials said that negotiations "took place over the course of a year, and included some heated moments." Lucchino said that Worcester residents and businesses were "aggressive in courting the team." In Boston, Jordan Graham noted lawmakers and officials in Rhode Island were "quick to blame each other, including for failing to quickly pass legislation that would have kept the team in the state" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/19). Graham noted Zimbalist is an "opponent of many taxpayer-funded stadium deals." But he said that the "overall impact the stadium and redevelopment will bring should make it worthwhile for Worcester" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/19).

BAD RELATIONSHIP? In Providence, Patrick Anderson noted Lucchino "invoked his late mother in explaining the team’s decision to leave Rhode Island to go 'somewhere you are wanted, not where there is controversy and opposition.'" Lucchino and PawSox President Dr. Charles Steinberg said that they "wanted to stay in Rhode Island, but blamed the Rhode Island House of Representatives for refusing to pass a stadium financing plan negotiated by the team and Gov. Gina Raimondo last year and in large part approved earlier in the year by the Senate." The "finger-pointing and recriminations began before Lucchino had finished speaking 40 miles to the north" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 8/18). Red Sox Chair Tom Werner said, "I know that they’ve tried extremely hard to try to keep the team in Rhode Island. We’re kind of bystanders in it because we love the PawSox in Rhode Island, but I understand that Larry felt that this was a good thing for his franchise" (PROVIDENCEJOURNAL.com, 8/17). In Providence, Bill Reynolds wrote that Rhode Island will "rue the day" it lost the Pawsox to Worcester, and wonders "what we could have done to prevent it, if anything." The PawSox were "longtime members of the community," and that was "good for everybody" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 8/19). A few famous Twitter commentators weighed in. Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer: "Disappointing and sad to see them move out of #mccoystadium and a failure of #oceanstate elected officials." Author Stephen King: "PawSox moving to Worcester? Say it ain't so" (TWITTER.com, 8/18).

BLUE COLLAR APPEAL: In Worcester, Bill Ballou wrote the city's "blue collar work ethic" brought the team in. Ballou: "In the end, Worcester simply outworked Rhode Island" (Worcester TELEGRAM & GAZETTE, 8/19). Ballou wrote the move is "shaking the foundations of minor league baseball." The relocation is the "result of three years of discussions, and more than a year of intense negotiations." There are plans for Polar Park to "host at least 125 events a year," including 70 PawSox games. It is "rare for teams at the Triple-A level to move" (Worcester TELEGRAM & GAZETTE, 8/18). The TELEGRAM & GAZETTE's Kotsopoulos wrote perhaps the "most attractive selling point to this deal is that it involves more than just bringing a minor league baseball team to Worcester and building a ballpark for it." It is "about transforming a part of the city and building on the momentum that has been taking place in the Canal District the past several years." Friday was an "exciting and historic day for Worcester" that "people may be looking back at for years to come" (Worcester TELEGRAM & GAZETTE, 8/19).

FOR THE FUTURE: In Boston, Alex Speier noted the Red Sox "hope their Triple A team will have a chance to move into the 21st century" with the move. There are aspects of the baseball experience at McCoy that have "felt out of step with the team’s needs in recent years." And part of the "eagerness of the Red Sox to see progress on a new park -- whether in Rhode Island or Worcester -- was to modernize the experience of top minor leaguers to improve their development opportunities." Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy said, "Our facilities at McCoy were obviously outdated. It’s a huge deal. ... Having new facilities is a huge competitive advantage" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/18). 

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/08/20/Franchises/PawSox.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/08/20/Franchises/PawSox.aspx

CLOSE