WooSox, Yard Goats ready for Opening Day

March 28, 2022 | Trent Levakis and Dennis Hackett
tlevakis@thereminder.com and dhackett@thereminder.com

WORCESTER/HARTFORD CT. – The sun on your face. The sound of the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd. The smell of popcorn and hot dogs.

For many, the sights, sounds and smells of baseball are synonymous with summer.

The area’s roots in professional baseball run deep. The Springfield Giants minor league team was the career springboard for numerous big league players, including Hall of Famer Juan Marichal, All-Star player and former Manager of the year Filipe Alou and his brother Matty, a former batting champion. Later, to the west, the Pittsfield Mets brought more than a decade’s worth of pro ball to Western Massachusetts at Wahconah Park.

But there may be no better time to be a baseball fan in Western Massachusetts than right now. For the first time, Greater Springfield has two opportunities to take in a full season of professional baseball with the Worcester Red Sox to the east and the Hartford Yard Goats to the south – both within a 45-minute drive and offering a family-friendly price tag.

While the recent labor dispute between Major League Baseball (MLB) and the players union had the major league season in doubt, these minor league teams never stopped gearing up to offer the baseball experience to fans on Opening Day. Reminder Publishing talked with both organizations about their upcoming seasons, promotions and outlook as they prepare to play ball.

Hartford Yard Goats

Ahead of the Hartford Yard Goats’ 2022 season, which kicks off April 8, play-by-play announcer and Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations Jeff Dooley sat down to discuss the season ahead.

While the resolution of the labor impasse between MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) did not have a huge impact on the Yard Goats, Dooley said he was happy to see it resolved.

“We are thrilled both sides came to an agreement because first and foremost we are baseball fans, and we love to see that happen at the highest level. In terms of Yard Goats baseball that was going to have little effect on us, the minor league players that generally make up our roster are not in the major league players’ union,” he said. “At the AA level that is like one or two guys so 98 percent of the roster wouldn’t be affected.”

Dooley added that the team started its spring training on March 6, prior to the deal between the MLB and MLBPA.

This season Dooley said fans have many events to look forward to including returning season-long staples.

“One thing we love to do is all the evening games on Saturdays we shoot fireworks after the game so it’s fun for the family to come out and watch the Yard Goats play and get some bonus time at the ballpark with the fireworks show,” he said.

Along with the Saturday night fireworks shows, Dooley said Sunday is family day and children and families can come down onto the field after games during the day.

During games, fans are also encouraged to check out the live goats in center field.

“For the families that want to come out it can be the circus piece too where you walk around the ballpark. Out in centerfield there are live goats at every game so you can take pictures and the kids can pet them,” Dooley said.

As of the interview, Dooley said the food menu for the season was still in flux but parkgoers can expect something with doughnuts.

“We always try to get creative with Dunkin’ Donuts Park and we try to do something to kind of tease the doughnut stuff, so it always seems like we come up with some sort of food item that includes a doughnut,” he said.

One food partnership that will be returning is with Daym Drops, a YouTube content creator who currently has over 1.6 million subscribers on the platform.

“We actually began a partnership with him in 2019 and we have this food cart out there called Daym Drops’ Diner and he puts together these crazy exotic food items. Last year there was a Chicken Tender Fender Bender,” Dooley said.

Along with the regular event days, Dooley outlined a complete array of some of the events and promotions parkgoers can expect this season. Fans can expect appearances from Leslie David Baker, who played Stanley Hudson on “The Office” and Mike Johnson from “The Bachelorette” and “The Bachelor in Paradise.” For Baker’s appearance, fans will be able to grab a bobblehead of the character. Throughout the season, fans can also look forward to events such as Star Wars Night on May 4, There’s Nothing to Do in Hartford Night on June 30 and plenty of other special themed nights along the way.

Despite a shortened 2021 season that began in May because of COVID-19, Dooley said the team was able to play its full schedule.

“We got really lucky last year, we were restricted with a 50 percent capacity the first seven games, but thankfully we got through it. I think Major League Baseball, the [Yard Goats’ MLB affiliate Colorado] Rockies and the Yard Goats did a really good job keeping our players in a bubble away from everybody and we got through the season without any hiccups or pauses,” he said. “Knock on wood, it looks like the climate that we are in – I know a lot of the players are vaccinated as well – but it seems like we are going to back where we were a couple years ago.”

Dooley added he is looking forward to, hopefully, a return to normalcy in 2022.

“Safety is our number one concern for our fans, players and staff, but I think it is important to get back a sense of normalcy and I know so many people look forward to coming to the Yard Goats games,” he said. “We are all counting and hoping this thing is behind us so we can move forward.”

For the avid baseball fan, Dooley said following Minor League Baseball can be a fun experience.

“I think there is so much of an interest in Minor League Baseball where you can follow a player that gets drafted by your team and watch him develop. Years ago, you would buy the baseball weekly or Baseball America to track his stats but now you can listen to his games on the radio, watch him on MLBTV and can follow this guy from the day he signs all the way through the minor leagues until he gets to the big leagues,” he said.

“For the folks that are in it for the baseball, you certainly have your niche coming to the Yard Goats and for the families that want to have a night out, get a free t-shirt or enjoy some time with family under the lights, you’ve got that as well,” he said. “We are just fortunate to have wonderful fans.”

Worcester Red Sox

The Worcester Red Sox, commonly known as the WooSox, have been preparing for their first full season inside the new Polar Park following a pandemic-ridden summer in 2021.

Just a month ago, MLB was in the middle of a lockout as owners and players negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement. While this was later resolved and a full MLB season is coming, the WooSox were prepared to keep playing and providing baseball for fans in the area if the lockout extended into the summer.

“We wanted the Major Leagues back, we need baseball,” said Bill Wanless, senior vice president of communications for the WooSox, who added he was happy that an agreement was reached. “These guys [WooSox players] are going to be playing here, striving to get to the Red Sox so imagine if they were playing here and doing well, but couldn’t go anywhere.”

Wanless said there was a slight bump in terms of ticket sales for WooSox games when the lockout began, something they were fortunate for seeing as the Massachusetts collective community was looking for their baseball fix with the Red Sox season up in the air.

The relationship between the Red Sox and their AAA affiliate dates to 1973 when the WooSox were the Pawtucket Red Sox. This is one of the longest affiliations between a major and minor league team in all of baseball.

Last year was the first official year of the team moving to Worcester, but it did not get off to the most gracious of starts. Between the pandemic limiting crowd capacities and the completion of construction in certain areas of the new Polar Park stadium, it did not start off as a normal year in baseball.

“Last year we were limited with a pandemic and limited capacity when the ballpark was being finished and now we’re ready to roll,” Wanless said.

During the first month of last year’s season, the stadium was limited to only 25 percent capacity. When COVID-19 regulations were lifted in June, the ballpark was still not completed in all areas of its construction, so full capacity was still not available for WooSox fans. Fortunately, by July WooSox fans began filling out the stands close to their new version of full capacity for the time being.

By the end of the 2021 season, the WooSox were still sixth in the country for Minor League attendance out of 120 teams. This year already shapes up to be an upgrade from the previous season in terms of attendee’s experiences in the ballpark. Wanless added that they are already close to capping their season ticket total.

“It’s going to be a real fun season for everybody,” Wanless said.
Senior Director of Marketing Programs Steve Oliveira thinks this 2022 season will be great and full of energy as the stadium gets its true first full year with fans and with the team.

“This is our first true opening day in April, the first time starting the season at full capacity with the ballpark complete,” said Oliveira. “I think its going to be a whole new energy this year, starting right from the get-go. People know what to expect with the Red Sox baseball we have here and it’s exciting.”

Last year due to the factors they faced, the WooSox did not create a promotional schedule for the year. This year though they have revamped their promotions and feel as though this year many fans are going to come away happy after their experience at Polar Park.

Oliveira added that concerns for COVID-19 made any promotional giveaway at games complicated and due to so many question marks it was difficult to confirm anything for promotions. This year though with the added benefit of time and more clarity the WooSox marketing team has put together “a pretty robust” calendar with something going on at almost every game.

One of the earliest promotional nights is on April 13, where the WooSox will host “413 Night” to celebrate Western Massachusetts fans. A bobblehead of Tristian Casas, the top prospect in the Boston Red Sox organization, will also be available the same night.

“That’s going to be a big hit on a real prospect for folks, and someone we probably expect to see in the majors sooner than later,” Oliveira added.

Oliveira says the idea for 413 Night stems from the WooSox realization that the success of their team and the new ballpark was dependent on being not just a team for Worcester, but a regional team that represented all of Massachusetts and the greater New England area.

On 413 Night, the WooSox will have special guests from Western Massachusetts to highlight the cities and towns that make up the 413. Michele Brooks Thompson, a Springfield native and previous contestant on NBC’s “The Voice,” will be signing the national anthem on 413 Night and has previously performed at Fenway Park in the same role.

“We really want people to learn more about Western Massachusetts and the communities that make up the 413, and also just to celebrate and highlight some of the great people from the area,” Oliveira said.

The night dedicated to Western Massachusetts will also feature Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno as a guest and will highlight through pre-game honors local community groups like the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness.
With their weekly schedule of games Tuesday through Sunday, WooSox fans will always be in attendance during a specialty themed night for the team’s home games.

The only game they have on a Monday at Polar Park this year is their Fourth of July game where there will be a fireworks show following the game. Tuesday’s will be “Take 2 Tuesdays” and will feature a special buy one get one free offer for a specific item at the game that will change week to week. Typically, the deal will be for food and drink items.

Wednesdays are “Give-A-Wednesdays” where there will be bobblehead giveaways and “School Days” where kid centric items will be available such as a school kit with WooSox branded items inside.

There will be seven bobblehead giveaways throughout the season and five of the bobbleheads will contain a button to press that will play an audio clip of a WooSox game broadcast where the player had great success from the previous season. For 413 Night, Tristian Casas bobblehead’s audio will play the broadcast call of his first triple-A home run at Polar Park.

Thursday’s will be “College Nights” where a space will be designated pre-game for college kids to come to the game and hang out for $8 tickets that includes $2 of loaded value on to put towards a purchase of drink or food.

“Friday Night Fireworks” will be every Friday night home game and is the WooSox biggest hit with fans according to Oliveira. Each week will also feature a different theme for the Friday night fireworks such as an ‘80s and ‘90s themed night.

After games on Saturdays, fans are invited to go onto the field and play catch for the on field “Sunset Catch.”

“It’s so awesome and so great. We have families out there and kids running around playing catch as the sun sets on Saturdays. It’s amazing,” Oliveira said.

“Kids Run the Bases” will be the Sunday feature to close out the week and all ages of fans in attendance are invited to go down to the filed and get an opportunity to run the bases and pretend they hit a home run at Polar Park. Every day of the week will truly feature something different in the upcoming WooSox season at Polar Park.

Wanless and Oliveira encourage fans to check out the WooSox website for tickets and promotional events throughout the year. Tickets are also available via the ticket office that is available daily by phone.

Wanless says there are still good tickets available for pretty much all games in the upcoming season and that the team is looking to be competitive once again. He added that the way fans treated and supported the team adds to the excitement of the new season.

“We’ll have an exciting team that fans are gonna like. We just couldn’t believe the fan support last year,” Wanless said. “The best part of it was not just when players loved it, but when the opposing players said, ‘this is my favorite place to play’ due to atmosphere and everything else.”

Oliveira, who is a Western Massachusetts native from Ludlow, said it is great to have something like the new Polar Park and Red Sox affiliated baseball so close to the western part of the state. He added he ran into many fans a year ago that he found out were from Western Massachusetts through conversation.

“We already saw a ton of people from Western Massachusetts already coming to our games so naturally that’s why I think it’s great we are putting an extra focus on highlighting our fanbase and where they’re coming from in the state,” Oliveira said.

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