KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

UCH21377 wrote: ↑4 years ago is anybody surprised by this?

I'll be more surprised when they actually leave than by any of this

Construction on the new park in Worcester has been halted until May 4th because of the state's ban on non-essential construction projects

May 4th? Are they serious?

Postponing things just a month is some serious wishful thinking,

Anybody with a brain can see where this is all heading.

Parts of the economy will have to be revived at some point this year.

But not in one month.

The construction stop will minimally last until May 4th. The loss of just four weeks likely means that the park will not open on time next year as the schedule had already been very tight without unplanned setbacks. Construction delays will be short lived and are the least of the issues. The biggest impact of the virus will probably involve all the hoped for development in and around the park that politicians promised would create tax revenues that would more than pay for the some $100M in public funds to build the stadium. This pandemic is going to take a big toll on the economy. I would imagine that capital investment projects will be very slow to evolve over the next few years as companies just try to get their operations and finances back on track. This will mean that the already questionable tax projections in a rosy economy are dead on arrival. The result of this will be that Worcester taxpayers will have to make up the difference for what is likely to be many years. This will be an albatross on the city's finances for a long time.

Meanwhile back in Pawtucket, McCoy Stadium which would have seen opening day on April 9th will sit shuttered for some time. One might even wonder if the PawSox perhaps already possibly played their last game ever in Pawtucket back on 09/02/2019.


Pandemic puts brakes on ‘non-essential’ construction sites, including Polar Park
https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news ... polar-park

Lifelong hardcore Red Sox fan

IMO if Sawx ask Pawtucket if they can start the 2021 season
at McCoy the city should tell them Old Mountain Field is available

In other words pound sand.

I expect they will open the 2021 season at Holy Cross. They won’t get another nickel from me and Pawtucket should feel the same.

These poor, poor millionaires...who will pay for their park ?

Ramulous wrote: ↑4 years ago These poor, poor millionaires...who will pay for their park ?

If there are any further cost overruns for Polar Park, the owners are on the hook. The city of Worcester is however on the hook for close to $100M that is has already committed to. Politicians sold residents the fantasy that all the surrounding development would provide new tax revenues that would more than pay for this. Nearly all sports economists however disputed this even with a booming economy. One would think ancillary development around the new ballpark will take far longer to materialize with the all but certain recession that this virus has created. This will very much limit any new tax revenues for many years. Worcester taxpayers will have to make up the difference and it will affect the finances of the city for some time. Hopefully this will be a cautionary lesson going forward for overly generous government funding of sports venues.

RF1 wrote: ↑4 years ago

Ramulous wrote: ↑4 years ago These poor, poor millionaires...who will pay for their park ?

If there are any further cost overruns for Polar Park, the owners are on the hook. The city of Worcester is however on the hook for close to $100M that is has already committed to. Politicians sold residents the fantasy that all the surrounding development would provide new tax revenues that would more than pay for this. Nearly all sports economists however disputed this even with a booming economy. One would think ancillary development around the new ballpark will take far longer to materialize with the all but certain recession that this virus has created. This will very much limit any new tax revenues for many years. Worcester taxpayers will have to make up the difference and it will affect the finances of the city for some time. Hopefully this will be a cautionary lesson going forward for overly generous government funding of sports venues.

I mean, plenty of people knew it at the time, and there were still protests that Pawtucket / RI wasn't bending over enough for the Red Sox. All of the stadium "economic development" shit is pretty much fraud and phony numbers, but there is always gonna be a Worcester or Hartford or Oklahoma City or Tampa desperate to get into the game.

hrstrat57 wrote: ↑4 years ago Lifelong hardcore Red Sox fan

IMO if Sawx ask Pawtucket if they can start the 2021 season
at McCoy the city should tell them Old Mountain Field is available

In other words pound sand.

I expect they will open the 2021 season at Holy Cross. They won’t get another nickel from me and Pawtucket should feel the same.

My guess is that...they will play no place else besides Pawtucket until 2023, at the earliest. Woosta may even look to bag the deal altogether.

NYGFan_Section208 wrote: ↑4 years ago
My guess is that...they will play no place else besides Pawtucket until 2023, at the earliest. Woosta may even look to bag the deal altogether.

Two additional seasons? At worst, one year.

I do not see Worcester bagging this project. It has already bought the land and spent far too much money for that. The concrete foundations have already been poured for the park and some steel work started two weeks ago. It will be built but the area around it is another matter. I highly doubt that there will be much development in and around the park for some time after it opens given the economic recession resulting from this pandemic. This will very much hurt the experience of going to games as it is a sketchy industrial area next to an elevated rail line that cuts it off from much of downtown. The big issue is that delays in other surrounding development means no new tax revenue to help pay off the city investment of some $100M to build the park. Taxpayers are going to have to make up the difference. Worcester city politicians gambled big and put residents at great risk if their optimistic projections did not pan out. The people of Worcester look like they will be the big losers in all this.

RF1 wrote: ↑4 years ago

NYGFan_Section208 wrote: ↑4 years ago
My guess is that...they will play no place else besides Pawtucket until 2023, at the earliest. Woosta may even look to bag the deal altogether.

Two additional seasons? At worst, one year.

I do not see Worcester bagging this project. It has already bought the land and spent far too much money for that. The concrete foundations have already been poured for the park and some steel work started two weeks ago. It will be built but the area around it is another matter. I highly doubt that there will be much development in and around the park for some time after it opens given the economic recession resulting from this pandemic. This will very much hurt the experience of going to games as it is a sketchy industrial area next to an elevated rail line that cuts it off from much of downtown. The big issue is that delays in other surrounding development means no new tax revenue to help pay off the city investment of some $100M to build the park. Taxpayers are going to have to make up the difference. Worcester city politicians gambled big and put residents at great risk if their optimistic projections did not pan out. The people of Worcester look like they will be the big losers in all this.

lotsa good points ^^^... so good that now I'm thinking that they still won't be playing there in 2025...if ever.
The world is a-changing and at some point Worse-ter may just bag it entirely.

Some not so surprising news regarding the pandemic effects on the Polar Park project in Worcester:

City Betting on Red Sox Boon Sees Stadium Plan Stall on Lockdown
https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/arti ... y-lockdown

Excerpts:

But less than two years after the city gave it the go ahead and began issuing debt, the project has been upended by the pandemic that has pushed the economy into the steepest slowdown in decades and cast uncertainty about the future of everything from office work to spectator sports. While construction on the stadium is continuing after a month-long pause, the company developing the surrounding area has put work on hold for at least a year, delaying the tax-collection bonanza the city is counting on to repay its bonds.

But if the development doesn’t produce the tax revenue Worcester expects, the city will still be on the hook for the debt, said Victor Matheson, an economist at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. “Those debt holders are first in line to get money from the city, before police officers, before teachers, before firefighters,” Matheson said. “If you don’t have enough money to pay you start laying off. Or you raise taxes in general for everyone because you accumulated debt we can’t pay for.”

RF1 wrote: ↑4 years ago Some not so surprising news regarding the pandemic effects on the Polar Park project in Worcester:

City Betting on Red Sox Boon Sees Stadium Plan Stall on Lockdown
https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/arti ... y-lockdown

Excerpts:

But less than two years after the city gave it the go ahead and began issuing debt, the project has been upended by the pandemic that has pushed the economy into the steepest slowdown in decades and cast uncertainty about the future of everything from office work to spectator sports. While construction on the stadium is continuing after a month-long pause, the company developing the surrounding area has put work on hold for at least a year, delaying the tax-collection bonanza the city is counting on to repay its bonds.

But if the development doesn’t produce the tax revenue Worcester expects, the city will still be on the hook for the debt, said Victor Matheson, an economist at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. “Those debt holders are first in line to get money from the city, before police officers, before teachers, before firefighters,” Matheson said. “If you don’t have enough money to pay you start laying off. Or you raise taxes in general for everyone because you accumulated debt we can’t pay for.”

This deal was obviously stupid from the start, but the pandemic, MLB and the MLBPA's awful response to the pandemic, and before that MLB (and specifically the skinflint owners) wanting to gut the minors all make it that much worse.

SGreenwell wrote: ↑4 years ago

RF1 wrote: ↑4 years ago Some not so surprising news regarding the pandemic effects on the Polar Park project in Worcester:

City Betting on Red Sox Boon Sees Stadium Plan Stall on Lockdown
https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/arti ... y-lockdown

Excerpts:

But less than two years after the city gave it the go ahead and began issuing debt, the project has been upended by the pandemic that has pushed the economy into the steepest slowdown in decades and cast uncertainty about the future of everything from office work to spectator sports. While construction on the stadium is continuing after a month-long pause, the company developing the surrounding area has put work on hold for at least a year, delaying the tax-collection bonanza the city is counting on to repay its bonds.

But if the development doesn’t produce the tax revenue Worcester expects, the city will still be on the hook for the debt, said Victor Matheson, an economist at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. “Those debt holders are first in line to get money from the city, before police officers, before teachers, before firefighters,” Matheson said. “If you don’t have enough money to pay you start laying off. Or you raise taxes in general for everyone because you accumulated debt we can’t pay for.”

This deal was obviously stupid from the start, but the pandemic, MLB and the MLBPA's awful response to the pandemic, and before that MLB (and specifically the skinflint owners) wanting to gut the minors all make it that much worse.

https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2020/04 ... ebook.html

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago

Not without Ben Mondor.

I posted this in the season cancelled thread. Thought it should be here as well as this is the oldest and most posted thread on the teams' move:




Meanwhile in Worcester, things are not exactly going to plan:

January-2020
Polar Park Cost Overrun of some $30M announced. City will cover an additional $20M in bonds for added land cost with the team picking up the rest for construction.
Polar Park costs increase - Worcester, Sox work out ways to cover added expenses
https://www.telegram.com/news/20200110/ ... d-expenses


February-2020
Already skeptical economists say the increased $30M cost of Polar Park make it even less likely to pay for itself. Holy Cross professor has concerns that city will either have to layoff many police, firefighters, and teachers or raise taxes to pay off bonds.
Odds increase against Polar Park breaking even, economists say
https://www.wbjournal.com/article/odds- ... omists-say


April-2020
All construction on Polar Park is shut down due to the virus. The suspension ends up lasting nearly 7 weeks. Its effect on an already tight construction schedule is undetermined.
Polar Park Construction Halted Due To Coronavirus
https://patch.com/massachusetts/worcest ... nstruction


May-2020
Due to the pandemic, the company developing the surrounding area has put work on hold for at least a year, delaying the tax-collection bonanza the city is counting on to repay its bonds.
City Betting on Red Sox Boon Sees Stadium Plan Stall on Lockdown
https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/arti ... y-lockdown


June-2020
Recent warning from a former 30 year member of the Worcester City Council about what could be in store for taxpayers:
Lukes: Don’t let Polar Park prevent Worcester from funding essential services
https://www.telegram.com/news/20200623/ ... l-services

I still think the PawSox have not played their last in the bucket. Thought I also just read somewhere that the Sox would be 'using' McCoy...like, this year?

NYGFan_Section208 wrote: ↑3 years ago I still think the PawSox have not played their last in the bucket. Thought I also just read somewhere that the Sox would be 'using' McCoy...like, this year?

Since there are no minors this season, the Boston Red Sox are using McCoy Stadium as a training camp location for the top prospects that aren't on the MLB roster. There will be no games with other teams. This will only be in effect this 2020 60 game MLB season.

These poor, poor multi-millionaires didn't get public money from RI and now are draining the finances of Worcester.....think of all these part-time minimum wage employess who work at the stadiums having to cough up more tax dollars so these rich folks can get richer...

RF1 wrote: ↑3 years ago

NYGFan_Section208 wrote: ↑3 years ago I still think the PawSox have not played their last in the bucket. Thought I also just read somewhere that the Sox would be 'using' McCoy...like, this year?

Since there are no minors this season, the Boston Red Sox are using McCoy Stadium as a training camp location for the top prospects that aren't on the MLB roster. There will be no games with other teams. This will only be in effect this 2020 60 game MLB season.

Right, but I still think the PawSox have not played their last game at McCoy...and I'm not counting this season's potential use

The already exorbitant $132M price tag of Polar Park in Worcester looks like it will continue to rise. The project manager is now requesting an additional $750,000 for cost overruns. Still hopeful that the park can open on time next April.

Opening day still on schedule, Polar Park faces cost overruns (07/18/2020)
https://www.telegram.com/news/20200717/ ... t-overruns

That's just it about construction projects. They are always delayed and/or late and always over budget!

RI_Rams wrote: ↑3 years ago That's just it about construction projects. They are always delayed and/or late and always over budget!

This park is now some $31M over the original budget that was agreed upon by the city and owners. There are still nearly nine months to go which could mean even most cost overruns, especially if they decide to add OT to meet the open date.

RF1 wrote: ↑3 years ago

RI_Rams wrote: ↑3 years ago That's just it about construction projects. They are always delayed and/or late and always over budget!

This park is now some $31M over the original budget that was agreed upon by the city and owners. There are still nearly nine months to go which could mean even most cost overruns, especially if they decide to add OT to meet the open date.

But nobody in Worcester is complaining. They love that they have the WooSox.
Rhode Island Politicians really blew it big time losing the Legendary PawSox.

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago

RF1 wrote: ↑3 years ago

RI_Rams wrote: ↑3 years ago That's just it about construction projects. They are always delayed and/or late and always over budget!

This park is now some $31M over the original budget that was agreed upon by the city and owners. There are still nearly nine months to go which could mean even most cost overruns, especially if they decide to add OT to meet the open date.

But nobody in Worcester is complaining. They love that they have the WooSox.
Rhode Island Politicians really blew it big time losing the Legendary PawSox.

It also ticks me off that RI lost the team. If the state politicians could have gotten together early on, they could have kept the team at a much lower cost (some $38M). I mostly blame Mattiello for driving the team out of RI. I however would in no way have wanted Pawtucket and RI taxpayers to guarantee more than $100M based on some fantasy that new tax revenues from it would cover it as was the case with Polar Park. The City of Worcester is already on the hook for some $100M (the team is covering the other $30M+). Furthermore, the state of Massachusetts is also contributing another $30M for infrastructure around the park. These sums are outrageous in my opinion.

As a staunch Republican conservative I don’t want any public money used to fatten the pockets of the very rich. If it’s a good investment let private industry fund it.

I too a republican who would love developers to pay 100% for their projects, but a stadium, is a public amenity that will certainly raise property values, expand commercial districts, increase local economy ect. So some public funding is appropriate. Worcester is a better city with this move. Pawtucket is now a non factor sadly.

Yeah, I look at it in simple terms, the "dad (or mom) can you loan me some money" test. In RI's case, a $38 million price tag would mean every man, woman and child in the state would be on the hook for $38. Kind of high, but passes the "can you loan me some money" test. On the other hand, now Worcester with a population of 185,000 is on the hook for $540/person with the $100 million price tag. Yikes! That does NOT pass the test...

They money wouldn't be paid all at once. It would be spread out over years and years.

Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑3 years ago I too a republican who would love developers to pay 100% for their projects, but a stadium, is a public amenity that will certainly raise property values, expand commercial districts, increase local economy ect. So some public funding is appropriate. Worcester is a better city with this move. Pawtucket is now a non factor sadly.

What did McCoy do for property values in it's neighborhood? How did it expand the commercial districts? I haven't seen it over the past decades that it has been there......experts who get hired by either side have different conclusions presented to the funding sources....those hired by owners and municipalities who want the park all say it will boost everything.....experts with no ax to grind usually disagree....

Ramulous wrote: ↑3 years ago

Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑3 years ago I too a republican who would love developers to pay 100% for their projects, but a stadium, is a public amenity that will certainly raise property values, expand commercial districts, increase local economy ect. So some public funding is appropriate. Worcester is a better city with this move. Pawtucket is now a non factor sadly.

What did McCoy do for property values in it's neighborhood? How did it expand the commercial districts? I haven't seen it over the past decades that it has been there......experts who get hired by either side have different conclusions presented to the funding sources....those hired by owners and municipalities who want the park all say it will boost everything.....experts with no ax to grind usually disagree....

Well a downtown location such as the once planned spots like downtown pawtucket or providence would have been better then McCoys current location which abuts low income and industrial zones. Hopefully, the city will be able to reuse that stadium but imagine what a wasteland it would be if it disappeared? That stadium hasnt been upgraded in 25 years, but still injected some economic life into that city. Worcester is a shiny new toy designed to play baseball and hold other city events. Its now a local destination.

Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑3 years ago I too a republican who would love developers to pay 100% for their projects, but a stadium, is a public amenity that will certainly raise property values, expand commercial districts, increase local economy ect. So some public funding is appropriate. Worcester is a better city with this move. Pawtucket is now a non factor sadly.

Pretty much every serious economic study on the subject says the opposite - That they are very poor investments, and almost anything else gets more bang for the buck. The only "advantage" to a sports team is that it is often easier to get public support for it, because fans put pressure on politicians to just do it. (See: RI almost being on the hook for this awful project instead of Worcester.) For more, Neil deMause has had the market cornered on the subject for a while now.

SGreenwell wrote: ↑3 years ago

Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑3 years ago I too a republican who would love developers to pay 100% for their projects, but a stadium, is a public amenity that will certainly raise property values, expand commercial districts, increase local economy ect. So some public funding is appropriate. Worcester is a better city with this move. Pawtucket is now a non factor sadly.

Pretty much every serious economic study on the subject says the opposite - That they are very poor investments, and almost anything else gets more bang for the buck. The only "advantage" to a sports team is that it is often easier to get public support for it, because fans put pressure on politicians to just do it. (See: RI almost being on the hook for this awful project instead of Worcester.) For more, Neil deMause has had the market cornered on the subject for a while now.

Mattiello and Raimondo blew it. They let Worcester slip in and steal the beloved Pawtucket Red Sox from Rhode Island.

R.I. blowing $75,000,000 on Curt Schillings Project Copernicus was the ultimate disaster and Rhode Island voters and politicians remembered that well to the extent it impacted Pawtucket Red Sox negotiation tactics and not for the better.

Pawtucket and Rhode Island were big losers in loss of the Paw Sox

Worcester made a great presentation being well prepared and very enthusiastic.

Worcester won, Pawtucket lost.

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago

SGreenwell wrote: ↑3 years ago

Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑3 years ago I too a republican who would love developers to pay 100% for their projects, but a stadium, is a public amenity that will certainly raise property values, expand commercial districts, increase local economy ect. So some public funding is appropriate. Worcester is a better city with this move. Pawtucket is now a non factor sadly.

Pretty much every serious economic study on the subject says the opposite - That they are very poor investments, and almost anything else gets more bang for the buck. The only "advantage" to a sports team is that it is often easier to get public support for it, because fans put pressure on politicians to just do it. (See: RI almost being on the hook for this awful project instead of Worcester.) For more, Neil deMause has had the market cornered on the subject for a while now.

Mattiello and Raimondo blew it. They let Worcester slip in and steal the beloved Pawtucket Red Sox from Rhode Island.

R.I. blowing $75,000,000 on Curt Schillings Project Copernicus was the ultimate disaster and Rhode Island voters and politicians remembered that well to the extent it impacted Pawtucket Red Sox negotiation tactics and not for the better.

Pawtucket and Rhode Island were big losers in loss of the Paw Sox

Worcester made a great presentation being well prepared and very enthusiastic.

Worcester won, Pawtucket lost.

I'm no longer a resident, but, I'm quite fine with "losing" the competition to take it up the rear-end from a billion dollar sports franchise. Best of luck to Worcester with it.

SGreenwell wrote: ↑3 years ago

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago

SGreenwell wrote: ↑3 years ago

Pretty much every serious economic study on the subject says the opposite - That they are very poor investments, and almost anything else gets more bang for the buck. The only "advantage" to a sports team is that it is often easier to get public support for it, because fans put pressure on politicians to just do it. (See: RI almost being on the hook for this awful project instead of Worcester.) For more, Neil deMause has had the market cornered on the subject for a while now.

Mattiello and Raimondo blew it. They let Worcester slip in and steal the beloved Pawtucket Red Sox from Rhode Island.

R.I. blowing $75,000,000 on Curt Schillings Project Copernicus was the ultimate disaster and Rhode Island voters and politicians remembered that well to the extent it impacted Pawtucket Red Sox negotiation tactics and not for the better.

Pawtucket and Rhode Island were big losers in loss of the Paw Sox

Worcester made a great presentation being well prepared and very enthusiastic.

Worcester won, Pawtucket lost.

I'm no longer a resident, but, I'm quite fine with "losing" the competition to take it up the rear-end from a billion dollar sports franchise. Best of luck to Worcester with it.

Rhode Island’s Mattiello and Raimondo didn’t lose the competition, they really just no-showed. A shame for Rhode Island PawSox and Red Sox fans. It didn’t have to end up this way.

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago

SGreenwell wrote: ↑3 years ago

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago

Mattiello and Raimondo blew it. They let Worcester slip in and steal the beloved Pawtucket Red Sox from Rhode Island.

R.I. blowing $75,000,000 on Curt Schillings Project Copernicus was the ultimate disaster and Rhode Island voters and politicians remembered that well to the extent it impacted Pawtucket Red Sox negotiation tactics and not for the better.

Pawtucket and Rhode Island were big losers in loss of the Paw Sox

Worcester made a great presentation being well prepared and very enthusiastic.

Worcester won, Pawtucket lost.

I'm no longer a resident, but, I'm quite fine with "losing" the competition to take it up the rear-end from a billion dollar sports franchise. Best of luck to Worcester with it.

Rhode Island’s Mattiello and Raimondo didn’t lose the competition, they really just no-showed. A shame for Rhode Island PawSox and Red Sox fans. It didn’t have to end up this way.

Mattiello was not just a no show. He was downright HOSTILE to the PawSox ownership and most efforts to keep the team.

RF1 wrote: ↑3 years ago

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago

SGreenwell wrote: ↑3 years ago

I'm no longer a resident, but, I'm quite fine with "losing" the competition to take it up the rear-end from a billion dollar sports franchise. Best of luck to Worcester with it.

Rhode Island’s Mattiello and Raimondo didn’t lose the competition, they really just no-showed. A shame for Rhode Island PawSox and Red Sox fans. It didn’t have to end up this way.

Mattiello was not just a no show. He was downright HOSTILE to the PawSox ownership and most efforts to keep the team.

Absolutely right RF1. He is the person who really blew it.

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago

RF1 wrote: ↑3 years ago

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago

Rhode Island’s Mattiello and Raimondo didn’t lose the competition, they really just no-showed. A shame for Rhode Island PawSox and Red Sox fans. It didn’t have to end up this way.

Mattiello was not just a no show. He was downright HOSTILE to the PawSox ownership and most efforts to keep the team.

Absolutely right RF1. He is the person who really blew it.

Speaking of.......

It still boggles my mind to think that a state that somehow easily found some $100M for the DDC purchase and renovation and which built a pedestrian Providence River bridge that cost $22M could not come up with a plan to keep the Pawsox.

RF1 wrote: ↑3 years ago It still boggles my mind to think that a state that somehow easily found some $100M for the DDC purchase and renovation and which built a pedestrian Providence River bridge that cost $22M could not come up with a plan to keep the Pawsox.

And gave $75 million to Schilling’s disaster

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago

RF1 wrote: ↑3 years ago It still boggles my mind to think that a state that somehow easily found some $100M for the DDC purchase and renovation and which built a pedestrian Providence River bridge that cost $22M could not come up with a plan to keep the Pawsox.

And gave $75 million to Schilling’s disaster

I had thought about listing that but chose not to as that is probably the reason there was no PawSox deal. That 38 Studios loan was the most foolish thing the state ever did. Putting that MUCH money into an unproven startup in a highly volatile industry (gaming) was far too much of a risk. At least with the DDC and bridge, they still remain today as assets and produce some benefits (one could however argue about the cost for those benefits and their ROI).

City of Pawtucket give Blue Jays a call!

Pittsburgh deal failing...

Perfect spot and even better way for Pawtucket to thumb nose at Sawx

Pawtucket Blue Jays like it!

Pawsox leaving is official with the seasoned canceled. SUCKS. Would be awesome to have the blue jays there. Heard they are looking at Buffalo too.

The other thread regarding the 2020 Boston Red Sox season had me thinking about the new Polar Park set to open in Worcester next year.

Regional New England interest in MLB and the Boston Red Sox will be near the lowest point it has been since possibly 1966. The late abbreviated MLB season due to Covid-19 and the abysmal performance of the Red Sox will have a devastating effect. Interest had already been on the wane since the BoSox won a 2nd WS title back in 2007. Passion ebbed a bit after that as Fenway tickets were no longer in the same demand and tv ratings dipped. Not even two additional championships in 2013 and 2018 have returned interest levels back to the early 2000's. This was one of the reasons (new ownership being another) that the PawSox have seen their attendance decline in the last ten years. The best years ever for crowds at McCoy were right after the stadium renovation in the late 90's and continued into the next decade. It was not a coincidence that this was the same era when regional interest in the Boston Red Sox and MLB was probably at its highest.

The interest in baseball in New England in April 2021 when a new AAA stadium opens will be the lowest it has been for some 50 years. It will be about the worst possible time to open a new AAA stadium in this area for a farm team with such close ties the Boston Red Sox. This will apply to Worcester and would have also been the case in RI as well had the team stayed. One would have to assume that this will adversely hurt the marketing of the WooSox and efforts to sell tickets and put fans in the stands. The move to Worcester has already been plagued by many setbacks - some $30 million already over budget, construction suspended for Covid-19 which may affect its open date, and work on all development projects (which is supposed to generate the new tx revenue to pay for the stadium) around the new park being put on hold for a year due to the economic fallout of the pandemic. It is not setting up to be a good environment for the opening of this new Worcester ballpark as it would seem to be the worst possible time to open a new stadium and build a new fan base from scratch in a new city. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Canal District

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago Canal District

Show me the canal and justify the present name of Water Street.

RF1 wrote: ↑3 years ago

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago Canal District

Show me the canal and justify the present name of Water Street.

Show me a Brew Yard, and I'll show you...me, giving it a try....

NYGFan_Section208 wrote: ↑3 years ago

RF1 wrote: ↑3 years ago

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago Canal District

Show me the canal and justify the present name of Water Street.

Show me a Brew Yard, and I'll show you...me, giving it a try....

It’s ready for the WooSox

https://www.wachusettbrewingcompany.com ... t91OsqrvHQ

ramster wrote: ↑3 years ago

NYGFan_Section208 wrote: ↑3 years ago

RF1 wrote: ↑3 years ago

Show me the canal and justify the present name of Water Street.

Show me a Brew Yard, and I'll show you...me, giving it a try....

It’s ready for the WooSox

https://www.wachusettbrewingcompany.com ... t91OsqrvHQ

They've added some good flavors over the last few years...