The Worcester Red Sox honors four figures tied to the franchise’s rise, Worcester baseball history and the development of Polar Park when the club inducts its 2026 Hall of Fame class later this summer.
The third class of the WooSox Hall of Fame includes founding team president Dr. Charles Steinberg, former WooSox manager and current Boston Red Sox manager Chad Tracy, former Detroit Tigers phenom and Northborough native Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, and Canal District advocate Gene Zabinski, whose postcard campaign helped persuade the Pawtucket Red Sox to relocate to Worcester. Fidrych and Zabinski will be inducted posthumously, according to a team announcement.
The selections are different parts of the WooSox building blocks: the executives who helped bring the team to Worcester, the baseball figures who shaped its identity, and the community advocates who pushed for a downtown ballpark long before construction began.
Steinberg, a longtime baseball executive widely associated with fan experience innovations and ceremonial moments at Fenway Park, has served as president of the WooSox since the club’s inception. This year marks his 50th season in professional baseball. Under his leadership, the WooSox became one of Minor League Baseball’s top-drawing franchises, with Polar Park attracting more than 2 million fans since opening in 2021.
The announcement noted that the club was named Baseball America’s Triple-A “Organization of the Year” in 2025 during its first year of eligibility.
Steinberg’s career spans decades with the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Red Sox organizations, and includes work on community outreach initiatives, ballpark entertainment concepts and high-profile ceremonies. The release also credited him with helping guide the former Pawtucket Red Sox franchise through its relocation to Worcester alongside late team owner Larry Lucchino.
Tracy, meanwhile, was elected to the Hall of Fame before his recent promotion to Boston. The former WooSox manager was called to the major leagues during a WooSox home game April 25 and officially became interim Red Sox manager the following day, according to the announcement.
During his five seasons in Worcester, Tracy led the WooSox to winning records every year from 2022 through 2025. The team announcement said he became the first Red Sox Triple-A manager since at least the 1930s to accomplish that feat.
Tracy also managed a wave of future Red Sox talent in Worcester, including Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, Jarren Duran and Triston Casas. The club’s 2024 season set a Red Sox Triple-A record for player movement, with 281 transactions and 84 players appearing for Worcester.
Fidrych remains one of the most recognizable baseball personalities ever to emerge from Central Massachusetts. The Northborough native captivated the country during his rookie season with the Detroit Tigers in 1976, when he won American League Rookie of the Year honors after posting a 19-9 record and a 2.34 ERA.
Known for talking to the baseball, manicuring the mound and interacting constantly with fans and teammates, Fidrych became a national sensation during the summer of 1976. His popularity stretched far beyond baseball, landing him on the covers of both Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone.
Arm injuries derailed his major league career, but Fidrych later returned home to continue his comeback attempt with the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox in 1982 and 1983. One of his most memorable PawSox performances came during a July 1982 victory over Columbus and future Yankees standout Dave Righetti before a packed McCoy Stadium crowd.
Fidrych died in 2009 at age 54 following an accident at his Northborough property.
Zabinski’s inclusion highlights the civic campaign that helped transform the Canal District and bring Triple-A baseball to Worcester.
The Sutton resident and former Canal District Alliance president became known for organizing a postcard campaign urging the PawSox to relocate from Rhode Island to Worcester. Alongside his wife Donna, Zabinski helped gather and mail more than 10,000 postcards promoting the idea of a downtown Worcester ballpark on the former Wyman-Gordon site.
The WooSox announcement described the campaign as an influential factor in the franchise’s eventual move to the city. A display featuring some of the postcards remains on view near the Polar Park ticket office.
Zabinski spoke at the Polar Park groundbreaking ceremony in July 2019 while nearing the end of a battle with heart disease. According to the team announcement, he told attendees, “I’ve done my job.”
He died later that year, months before the WooSox played their first game in Worcester.
The Hall of Fame was established shortly after Diamond Baseball Holdings purchased the franchise. Previous inductees include Lucchino, former Worcester City Manager Ed Augustus Jr., Red Sox catcher Rich Gedman, ballpark architect Janet Marie Smith, baseball executive J.P. Ricciardi and outfielder Jarren Duran.
The WooSox said details surrounding the 2026 induction ceremony at Polar Park will be announced later this summer.
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