WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - A new era of Minor League Baseball began Tuesday as the WooSox set played their inaugural game in Polar Park.
The first pitch for the home opener against the Syracuse Mets went out at 3:05 p.m kicking off a 12-game homestand for the WooSox.
James Taylor and his son sang the national anthem at the star-studded opening and a state police flyover marked the occasion.
Former Red Sox players including Pedro Martinez and Governor Charlie Baker threw out the ceremonial first pitches.
The Red Sox announced back in 2018 that they were moving their Triple-A affiliate from Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Worcester.
After a slight delay that pushed back the start of the season a few weeks, the city’s new 10,000-seat stadium will finally host its first game.
Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty said, “This is an exciting time for the city of Worcester. The people of Worcester are dying for this field to open up. There’s a lot of time and effort that went into this and this brings the city of Worcester to a new level.”
Worcester’s $90 million plan to bring baseball to the city includes more than just the ballpark. New apartments, a hotel, and retail and restaurant space are also opening up.
Residents of Worcester are looking forward to the resurgence that baseball will have on the city.
“I got goosebumps all over. It’s pretty exciting,” WooSox fan John Yates said. “This is great for Worcester. This is going to pick it up. This area here is just sprouting up all over the place. Food places, everything. It’s all good.”
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