Hey RI, We Want the PawSox in Worcester, Guest MINDSETTER™ Quist
Monday, April 10, 2017
Guest MINDSETTER™ Steve Quist
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Proposed stadium in Worcester |
A recent Facebook posting by the indomitable Kate Nagle of GoLocal recently perked me up with the news that a Wall Street investor is looking to join forces with the Pawtucket Red Sox ownership group.
Why would that interest some guy up here in Worcester one might ask?
Because I love my city and would do what it takes to convince the Pawtucket Red Sox to relocate here and make their - and my city's - dreams come true.
My dream, because I want to roll out my front door and hike the mile it would take to see AAA baseball, especially in a brand spanking new stadium located in the heart of our downtown.
The Pawtucket Red Sox' dream, because they would be immediately embraced by the City of Worcester with a ready made fan base and the cooperation needed to make a new stadium viable and successful.
Worcester's Baseball Tradition
Worcester has a great baseball tradition going all the way back to the day June 12,1880 when Lee Richmond hurled a perfect game against Cleveland. Worcester beat Cleveland 1-0 and major league baseball's first perfect pitched game was in the history books.
This was the same year Worcester fielded a team for the National League and the same year Mr. Richmond became the game's first 30 game winner as a left hander.
Worcester is experiencing an economic boom the likes of which I have never seen in my short 50 or so years living in this great city.
A boom that's creating a new city and with it bringing in new residents and private investment with boatloads of people looking to spend their extra discretionary cash on great entertainment.
I suggest the the PawSox fit that bill and would enjoy immeasurable success, sell-out crowds and a business community ready and raring to go to support them.
Pawtucket meanwhile is squabbling and debating IF they want the Paw-Sox and MAYBE they might be willing to invest in them and a new stadium.
Guess what Pawtucket?
You can keep on squabbling and you can keep on debating but Worcester has already sent over to the PawSox management over 10,000 postcards from city residents and beyond asking them to consider Worcester as their new home.
We want the PawSox and it's not even a debate up here.
Keeping Fighting, RI
That's right - while you people are still fighting about what to do to keep the PawSox, Worcester is ready, willing, and able to take them in the time it takes a screaming fastball to reach home plate from 90' away.
We are playing for keeps on this one.
We currently host and are damn proud of our Worcester Bravehearts, who play in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.
The games are currently played at the legendary Fitton Field where some guy named Ted Williams jacked his first home-run in New England in an exhibition game here.
Worcester has showed we can chew gum and walk at the same time and we can certainly support two ball clubs that provide great entertainment and the game's up-and-coming stars.
Pawtucket has only one chance to get this right. If you fail you can say goodbye to the PawSox.
Rest assured that when you travel up to Worcester to see the WooSox play, we hope to provide as welcoming an environment and as friendly an atmosphere as you people have provided all these many years.
I'm rooting for the WooSox and maybe you should too.
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Arrange Meeting with PawSox Owners
City officials need to sit down with the new PawSox ownership group. CEO Michael Tamburro grew up in Worcester and is a graduate of North High.
The new ownership group is led by Boston Red Sox President Larry Lucchino, who will serve as Chairman, and James J. Skeffington, who will be President
"We are very excited about our purchase of the Pawtucket Red Sox and the opportunity to partner with the Boston Red Sox to provide first class baseball and family entertainment to our loyal fan base in New England," said Skeffington, who will oversee the operation on a daily basis.
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Providence Deal Needs to Fall Through
There's always the chance that Providence could balk at the amount of public funding that the new ownership group is looking for. Early indications show that the number could be upwards of $70 million.
"The doors are always open," said Tim Murray, President and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. "If the deal were to fall apart, I think people here would be willing to listen, but everyone recognizes this requires signifcant municipal assistance. Massachusetts, traditionally, has been reluctant to use tax dollars to those kind of things, and I think in most cases, appropriately so."
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Sell Public on WHY It Will Work
With the loss of the AHL Worcester Sharks looming after this season, Worcester will be without a professional sports team. Worcester residents will look to its city officials to do something to get a pro team back to the city.
"As usual, the city leaders have done nothing to attract the PawSox. It's been known for several months that the PawSox were going to be sold. Much like with the Sharks, the city has been reactive instead of proactive. The city leaders - (i.e. government and businesses), and some state leaders as well - need to step it up. Unfortunately, they seem to think Spag's is still around and want something for nothing (or almost nothing). Looking for bargains where very little effort has to be put into it. The city manager, mayor, and city council have been virtually silent on the Sharks move, and probably weren't even aware about the PawSox until it was too late," said Rich Lubin, President of the Worcester Sharks Booster Club.
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Strengthen Public Support
Worcester is home to the Worcester Bravehearts, the defending Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) Champions. After the fiasco that the Worcester Tornadoes turned out to be, residents of Worcester would be proud to see both the Bravehearts and the PawSox succeeding in the city.
“Worcester is a city that has always loved baseball. You can track the history all the way back to the early 1900’s when we had a team in the National League. With the (Boston) Red Sox so close, and all of these minor league teams, the city still took to the Worcester Bravehearts. We were tops in attendance and won the Championship game in front of more than 2,000 people. Baseball will certainly thrive in this city,” said Casey Cummins, Bravehearts pitching coach.
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Find Land in Worcester for Stadium
“The 'WorSox' could purchase, clean up and build a fine stadium on the spacious Wyman Gordon property near Kelly Square. That location also has excellent highway access. What a welcome neighbor the team would be to the up-and-coming Canal District. Worcester, New England's 2nd largest city, would be a much better home for the "WorSox." People from cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and beyond would flock to our city on a frequent basis to see such high level and quality baseball," said City Councilor Gary Rosen.
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Utilize Central MA Connections in MA Gov
Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, of Shrewsbury, now holds the highest seat of anyone from Central Massachusetts in state government. Her position was formerly occupied by Tim Murray, now the President of Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Worcester could use this connection to help gain support from Governor Charlie Baker and may even be able to garner state funding to help lure the PawSox to the city.
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Find Local Business Partners
The cost of a new stadium could run the city and state upwards of $70 million.
Worcester will need to turn to local businesses to invest in the cleaning up of any area they decide to build a stadium and the actual construction of the stadium.
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Push Forward Canal District Plans
The Canal District is located on the "Green Island" area of Worcester that includes Water Street, Green Street, Millbury Street, and Kelley Square.
Over the past ten years, the city and the Canal District Business Association has put a lot of money into the area to revive it and bring business in.
A push to gain funding to continue to improve the Canal District could be a great sign to the PawSox owners that Worester means business.
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Pay to Clean Up Proposed Land
Tim Murray, President and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce said the city has looked previously at the Wyman Gordon site, discussed expanding the field at Lake Park, or partnering with one of the colleges or universities on a site to build a baseball stadium. Murray noted that things get tricky when you start looking at these sites when you begin dealing with property and land acquisition costs and clean-up costs.
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Keep the Bravehearts in the Discussion
The Worcester Bravehearts, the 2014 Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) Champions in their inaugural season, will be entering their second season as the only local major sport team left in the city. Last season, they drew over 50,000 people to Fitton Field.
Murray said "We have a great product with the Bravehearts and they had a great inaugural season. The Bravehearts are locally owned and controlled, and they had a great product and strong attendance in their first year. It plays on one of the advantages that Worcester does have that a lot of places don't, is the amount of colleges and universities around and the large number of student atheletes we have here."