After 50 wonderful years, the Pawtucket Red Sox this past weekend bade farewell to their last season at McCoy Stadium. It was a bittersweet conclusion to a relationship between a team and a 78-year-old venue beloved by nearly 19 million loyal fans.  We didn’t foresee a year like this; who did?  We had dreams of a sentimental season dotted with visits from PawSox of the past, culminating in an emotional “Field of Dreams” finale.  But it was not to be.

And that’s not all we didn’t foresee.

We didn’t foresee this day coming in the first place. Our partners were Rhode Islanders. Our investment in the PawSox was an investment in Rhode Island. It was our common bond.  None of us ever thought we would leave. 

Let’s remember:  We committed on May 16, 2017, to stay in Pawtucket for more than 30 years. We agreed to make the largest private investment in the history of the city.   Thanks to Mayor Donald Grebien, a practical, dedicated, hard-working public servant and a man of vision, we reached a long-term agreement with the City of Pawtucket, with the Rhode Island Commerce Commission, and with the State Senate to build a transformative ballpark on the banks of the Blackstone.

Unfortunately, the Rhode Island House of Representatives declined the agreement.

Only then did we return calls from cities eager to have a ballpark as a catalyst for redevelopment, and a ballclub producing the next stars for the Boston Red Sox. 

Sensing the opportunity, the political leadership of the City of Worcester and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts swooped in and stepped up.  They also generated extraordinary support from business leaders and from more than 10,000 fans who sent postcards.  They worked harmoniously towards a shared vision, and Polar Park is scheduled to open in about six months.

We all realize that baseball and ballparks pale as issues in today’s turbulent and tragic environment of pandemic and social anguish.  We hold no illusions that our National Pastime is more important than the life-and-death issues with which we are grappling.

But we also believe that baseball plays a role in society.  When Spring Training shut down and the date of Opening Day came and went, we missed the daily rhythms of our game.

Baseball has always been there for us through troubling times.  Sports take our minds off things. They give us respite. They are therapeutic. No matter what else is going on in the world or in our lives, if only for an afternoon, sports can lift our spirits. Sports are crucial to the psychological well-being of our community.  And we are proud that our game has created meaningful change that unites us.

As we head up Route 146, we take only good memories, warm feelings, and proud treasures of our five decades here.  We are so thankful for the commitment of our colleagues and predecessors, from Ben Mondor to every usher and burger-flipping teen who got their first job at reliable old McCoy. 

We thank the parents who brought newborns to their first game, to toddlers who ran the bases for the first time, to kids who marveled at fireworks, and to grandparents who perpetuated the traditions from generation to generation. 

We thank the players who signed the balls in the buckets, who took a moment to smile, and who committed themselves to becoming Red Sox World Series Champions—again and again and again and again.

We look forward to carrying on these traditions--with you.  No, it won’t be McCoy, which has the comfort of grandma’s house.  But it will be a clean, comfortable, innovative home—still made for families who love the bargain of Minor League Baseball.  Earlier this month, PawSox Season Ticket holders were first to select their seats.  We invite you to come, too.  Together, we can create memories for more generations, and hope and love spring eternal.