Polar_Park_(baseball_park)

Polar Park (baseball park)

Polar Park (baseball park)

Ballpark for the Worcester Red Sox

Polar Park is a baseball park in Worcester, Massachusetts, serving as the home of the Worcester Red Sox,[9] 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.[10][11] Polar Beverages, a local beverage company based in Worcester, has retained the naming rights to the ballpark.[10]

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Development

The stadium was constructed to be the home ballpark of the Worcester Red Sox, following the 2018 announcement by team owner Larry Lucchino and partners to relocate the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox to Worcester, Massachusetts.[12] From 1973 through 2020, the Pawtucket Red Sox were Boston's Triple-A affiliate (the team was a Double-A affiliate during 1970–1972), and played their home games at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

The ballpark architect was Worcester native Tommy Quirk of D'Agostino Izzo Quirk Architects (DAIQ), with assistance from consultant Janet Marie Smith, Executive Vice President of Planning and Development for the LA Dodgers,[13] and who designed Oriole Park at Camden Yards.[14] On September 13, 2018, the Worcester City Council voted 9–1 to move forward with the new ballpark, initiating the bonding process and tax increment financing (TIFs) for the surrounding area.[15]

Development was expected to cost $101 million, with approximately $65 million to be paid by the city of Worcester.[16] The $101 million figure would make the park the fourth most expensive minor league park ever built, adjusting for inflation.[16] In September 2018, Deadspin reported that, according to College of the Holy Cross sports economist Victor Matheson, Polar Park would be "in nominal terms the most expensive minor league ballpark ever built."[17] In April 2021, a month before opening, the total actual cost was reported as $159 million, including $41 million for land, making the ballpark design and construction cost $118 million.[7] The City of Worcester paid 55 percent, the team paid 38 percent, and government paid the remaining amount.[7]

The stadium is part of a $240 million redevelopment of Worcester's Kelley Square and Canal District.[18] Development of the ballpark area was to include 250 apartments, two hotels with a total of 250 rooms, a 96,000-square-foot (8,900 m2) office building overlooking left field playing area, and 65,000 square feet (6,000 m2) of shops and restaurants.[5]

Ceremonial groundbreaking of the ballpark took place on July 11, 2019, with local, state, and federal officials attending.[5] On April 1, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, construction work on the ballpark was suspended;[19] it resumed after a seven-week pause.[20] The final beam was placed on August 13, 2020.[21] As of mid-August 2020, officials were still optimistic that the park would be ready for the start of the 2021 minor league baseball season.[20] In late October 2020, the infield was sodded with Kentucky Blue Grass.[4]

Operation

With the release of the 2021 minor league schedule, the first home game at Polar Park was initially scheduled for April 13.[22] However, with the start of the Triple-A season delayed into May, the home opener was rescheduled for May 11.[23]

On April 1, 2021, with construction of parts of the facility still continuing, Worcester Red Sox players took the field for their first workout there.[24] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts, attendance at Polar Park was limited during 2021, to 25% of capacity at the start of the season.[25] On May 11, the first Triple-A game was played at the ballpark, with Worcester hosting the Syracuse Mets.[6] All seating limits were lifted and the park was allowed to seat at full capacity as of May 29, 2021.[26]

On October 23, 2021, Polar Park hosted its first football game as nearby Holy Cross played Colgate University in a Patriot League rivalry game.[27][28]

In January 2022, ownership announced several upgrades to the park, including a new video board in right field and additional seating in right-center field to be called "Papi’s Power Alley".[29][30]

References

  1. [1]
    "Polar Park FAQs". PolarPark.com. Worcester Red Sox. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2021. Who will own the ballpark? The City of Worcester will own the ballpark.
  2. [2]
    "Polar Park to Accommodate 9,508 Baseball Fans in 2021". MiLB.com. September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  3. [3]
    Ballou, Bill (November 16, 2019). "Polar Park construction schedule 'extremely tight'". telegram.com. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  4. [4]
    "Polar Park Gets An Infield: Crews Install Sod At Home Of Worcester Red Sox". WBZ-TV. October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  5. [5]
    "City of Worcester Breaks Ground for Polar Park" (Press release). City of Worcester, MA. July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  6. [6]
    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.
  7. [7]
    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.
  8. [8]
    Spedden, Zach (November 9, 2018). "DAIQ Tabbed for Worcester Ballpark Design". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  9. [9]
    McLoone, Dan (November 6, 2018). "Red Sox are taking suggestions for renaming the PawSox". The Boston Globe.
  10. [10]
    Kotsopoulos, Nick (August 17, 2018). "Pawtucket Red Sox moving to Worcester; Kelley Square to get a makeover". Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  11. [11]
    Bowers, Rachel G. (August 17, 2018). "Here's a look at the renderings of the Triple A Red Sox ballpark in Worcester". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  12. [12]
    Chesto, Jon (August 17, 2018). "It's Official: PawSox to Move to Worcester". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  13. [13]
    "Club Makes it Official: Nobody Beats the Woosox". worcesterma.gov (Press release). City of Worcester. November 27, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  14. [14]
    Vautour, Matt (August 29, 2019). "Worcester Red Sox: Ballpark architect Janet Marie Smith immersing herself in city as she helps design Polar Park". Masslive.com. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  15. [15]
    Reichard, Kevin (September 13, 2018). "Worcester Moves Forward on New Ballpark Deal". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  16. [16]
    Welker, Grant (June 7, 2019). "Polar Park joining an arms race for more elaborate, immersive ballpark experiences". Worcester Business Journal. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  17. [17]
    deMause, Neil (September 10, 2018). "The Stadium Scam Goes Minor-League, And It Has An Unlikely Ally". Deadspin. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  18. [18]
    Moulton, Cyrus (October 29, 2019). "Kelley Square groundbreaking Thursday". Telegram & Gazette. Worcester, Massachusetts. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  19. [19]
    Speier, Alex (April 1, 2020). "PawSox ballpark construction project in Worcester is halted". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  20. [20]
    Speier, Alex (June 29, 2020). "Polar Park building toward 2021 goal for Worcester Red Sox". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  21. [21]
    "WooSox celebrate 'first of many wins' as final beam of steel is added to Polar Park". Masslive.com. August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  22. [22]
    "2021 Worcester Red Sox schedule is here!". MiLB.com. February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  23. [23]
    "WooSox now set to open Inaugural Season at Polar Park on Tuesday, May 11, at 3:05 p.m." MiLB.com. March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  24. [24]
    McDonald, Joe (April 1, 2021). "Polar Park comes 'to life': Worcester ballpark praised as Red Sox take to the field for first official workout". Telegram & Gazette. Worcester, Massachusetts. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  25. [25]
    "Statement by the WooSox regarding the increase of allowable capacity at Polar Park to 25%". MiLB.com. Worcester Red Sox. April 27, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  26. [26]
    Bonacci, Sam (May 19, 2021). "With Polar Park allowed at full capacity, WooSox expand single-game tickets". Worcester Business Journal. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  27. [27]
    "First College Football Game at Polar Park - the EBW Classic - One Week Away". OurSports Central (Press release). Worcester Red Sox. October 17, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  28. [28]
    Toland, Jennifer (April 8, 2022). "Holy Cross football returns to Polar Park Oct. 8, when Crusaders take on Bucknell". Telegram & Gazette. Worcester, Massachusetts. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  29. [29]
    Vautour, Matt (January 28, 2022). "WooSox announce Polar Park upgrades, promotions and Worcester Red Sox baseball plans in 2022". Masslive.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  30. [30]
    Smith, Christopher (January 28, 2022). "Worcester Red Sox to honor David Ortiz with new Papi's Power Alley seats; 'We can't wait to invite him here to Polar Park'". Masslive.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.

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