WORCESTER—”Bravehearts and WooSox are in it for the community.” No one uttered these exact words, but if you listened closely, they were saying something similar: baseball isn’t just about what transpires at a ballpark. It’s about what happens off the field to everyone around it.
That is the gist of the partnership, first reported by The Worcester Guardian, that was made official Thursday afternoon at a press conference inside the players’ clubhouse at Polar Park between the Worcester Red Sox and Worcester Bravehearts. With area youngsters looking on, officials with both teams talked about how they can serve the city together. Sure, there will be plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” from fans of both teams this summer at their exploits on the field. The two organizations, however, appear committed to making just as big an impression when games aren’t being played.
Matt Vaccaro, whose father recently bought the Bravehearts, a college-level team playing in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, from previous owner John Creedon, Jr., made that much clear with some of the first words he spoke at the press conference.
“I’m really looking forward to working with [the WooSox] and making a difference in our community,” he said. “The nice thing is we all love baseball, but besides that, it’s about how best we can serve the community of Worcester.”
To that end, Vaccaro said some of the initiatives the Bravehearts will be part of will include a back-to-school drive to help Worcester Public Schools students, working with Recreation Worcester to have players teach kids about sportsmanship and how to be role models, and donating post-game concessions to community fridges throughout the city.
The WooSox, meanwhile, will welcome Bravehearts mascot Jake the Lion at their home game at Polar Park on May 24, the night before the Bravehearts hold their home opener at Fitton Field.
In addition, the WooSox Foundation, WooSox players, and Bravehearts representatives will team up at various community events over the course of the season, including Earth Day Monday, April 22.
WooSox coaches and players will invite the Bravehearts to provide personal instruction at free WooSox Youth Clinics, presented by Hanover Insurance, on five Saturdays over the summer at Polar Park: June 22, July 6, July 13, Aug. 3, and Aug. 17.
And, as a welcoming gesture, the WooSox grants free admission to all Bravehearts season ticket holders for Opening Day Tuesday, April 2, at Polar Park. Anyone displaying their badge at the ticket office will receive free admission to the 3:05 p.m. game against the Buffalo Bison.
“We thank the Vaccaro Family for reaching out to us,” WooSox President Dr. Charles Steinberg said. “Worcester has a rich baseball history, and we have loved supporting amateur baseball and softball at all levels. We are thrilled to add the Bravehearts to the teams we support, and we are excited to partner with the Vaccaros on a variety of community activities. This partnership feels good for the community.”
Peter Barry, head of Corporate Partnership Services for the WooSox, echoed that theme of community, saying, “Today is a special day for anyone in Central Mass who loves baseball. The entire Worcester community will benefit from these two organizations coming together to celebrate baseball and to promote goodwill.”
Of course, there’s also the sport of baseball, and for anyone wondering whether the two teams might take the field in earnest together, that seems unlikely. But Vaccaro teased something just as intriguing.
“Our dream really one day is for a Bravehearts player to become a WooSox,” he said, “and that will be a phenomenal day.”
With more than 30 years of experience as a journalist, Walter Bird is a former editor of Worcester Magazine, former executive editor of Stonebridge Press Newspapers, and a two-time Weekly Reporter of the Year through the New England Newspaper & Press Association. He can be reached at walterbirdjr@gmail.com
