SNN First Look: A first-time visit to Polar Park reveals that while the WooSox now call Worcester home, echoes of Pawtucket continue to shape the fan experience.
The scoreboard says Worcester, but for many New England baseball fans, Polar Park still carries a little bit of Pawtucket.
WORCESTER, Mass. — Five years after the Pawtucket Red Sox packed up McCoy Stadium and moved roughly 45 minutes west, reminders of Rhode Island's baseball past are still scattered throughout Polar Park, the home of the Worcester Red Sox.
Some are obvious. Others reveal themselves only after an evening spent walking the concourses, listening to familiar voices and talking with the people who make the ballpark feel like home.
Opened in 2021, the 9,508-seat Polar Park anchors Worcester's Canal District and serves as the Triple-A home of the Boston Red Sox. Designed as more than a baseball stadium, the venue blends baseball with local history, neighborhood businesses and fan experiences that extend well beyond the foul lines.
As fans streamed through the gates before first pitch, the first thing many encountered wasn't the baseball field, but oversized replicas of Boston's World Series championship rings, local food vendors and a concourse already buzzing with activity. For a first-time visitor, Polar Park felt less like a minor league stadium and more like a neighborhood gathering place built around baseball.
The uniforms changed. The city changed. The connection between the Red Sox and their fans didn't.
That nostalgia was on display Thursday night as more than 100 fans formed a line stretching down Summit Street beyond right-center field to meet former Red Sox infielder Brock Holt.
The "Shake and Take" was held outside Sherwood's Diner, where fans waited patiently well into the third inning for a quick handshake and photo with Holt. One father and son were visibly emotional after looking at the selfie they had just taken with the 2018 World Series champion.
Holt remains one of the more beloved players from Boston's championship run, and the turnout reflected the connection many New England baseball fans still have with former Red Sox players.
While the action on the field provided the backdrop, Thursday's visit showed that a night at Polar Park is about far more than nine innings of baseball.
The game also served as Caribbean Heritage Night, bringing another layer to the evening's atmosphere. Fans carrying the flags of Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and several other Caribbean nations walked the concourse while music and the celebration reflected Worcester's diversity, adding another layer to an evening that blended baseball, local culture and community.
Adding to the festive atmosphere, Thursday's promotion featured $2 light beers, hot dogs and bottled water, creating long concession lines before first pitch and throughout the evening.
The food itself reflects Worcester as much as the baseball. George's Coney Island, a Worcester institution since 1918, supplies the ballpark's signature hot dogs, giving visitors a taste of one of the city's oldest traditions alongside its newest ballpark.
Not everyone in attendance came for a picture.
For Paul, a 69-year-old retired baseball fan who has worked as an usher at Polar Park for the past two seasons, the ballpark has become part-time work and part-time passion.
Stationed near the right-field entrance, Paul greets fans arriving for each game while enjoying one of the best views in the stadium.
"I'm a big Red Sox fan and a baseball coach," Paul said.
The job has also provided moments few baseball fans experience.
Just a few weeks ago, Paul watched three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer walk through his entrance before a WooSox game.
For Paul, those unexpected moments are memorable, but he says it's the conversations with fans that keep bringing him back each season.
"The people are so nice," he said. "We get a lot of first timers."
Another familiar face has made the journey west.
The public address voice still belongs to Ben DeCastro, who has announced games for the PawSox and now the WooSox since 2013. While the franchise relocated to Worcester, DeCastro's voice remains one of several threads connecting today's WooSox to Rhode Island's baseball history.
For longtime Rhode Island baseball fans, hearing his voice is an immediate reminder that while the franchise changed its address, not everything was left behind.
Not every Rhode Island baseball fan has embraced the move.
While at the stadium, Sisca News Network asked readers on social media about the WooSox. One response captured the emotions that still linger for some former PawSox supporters.
"Will never support the Woo Sox!! It's always the Paw Sox."
Polar Park has clearly established its own identity. The downtown stadium offers modern amenities, family entertainment, public art, local food and a walkable setting that has become a centerpiece of Worcester's Canal District.
Yet on any given summer night, pieces of Rhode Island still find their way into the experience.
Sometimes it's Ben DeCastro's familiar voice echoing through the ballpark.
Sometimes it's a retired usher sharing stories about future Hall of Famers while welcoming families making their first visit.
Sometimes it's more than 100 fans willing to miss part of a game for the chance to meet a former Red Sox favorite.
The scoreboard may say Worcester.
For one summer evening, the drive may have ended in Worcester. But for many New England baseball fans, the journey still begins in Pawtucket.
Paul posing before opening pitch