More than 60 years ago, in a New Yorker essay on Ted Williams' last at bat, John Updike famously (at least to New Yorker readers and/or Ted Williams' fans) described Fenway Park as a "lyric little bandbox of a ballpark."
I'm as big a fan of Fenway as you're going to find. After all these years of fandom, it's still always a little thrilling to see a game there. It's irreplaceable, and I hope they never try. (They did once a couple of decades ago and were overwhelmed by fan opposition.)
But if you really want to see a game at a "lyric little bandbox of a ballpark," I'd advise they take a whirl 50 miles down the Mass Pike to Polar Park in Worcester, which I did on Sunday with my sister Trish and niece Molly.
Polar Park is the home to the Woo Sox, the Red Sox Triple-A minor league team. The team migrated to Worcester from Pawtucket, RI after Rhode Island - understandably skittish
This is just the sort of opportunity that booster-y old Worcester loves, and the city went all in. It's now home to a team and ballpark that are doing my hometown proud.
It's been an interesting season, and I've been keeping half an eye on the doings out in the Heart of the Commonwealth, team-wise. It's been easy enough to do, given that players have been ratcheting back and forth between Boston and Worcester, with players mostly called up for a week or so to replace regulars who found themselves on the covid list. And, of course, the Woo Sox played the traditional AAA role of easing a player who's been out with an injury back into the swing of things.
Anyway, I've been eager to get out to Polar Park and finally made it on Sunday.
Polar Park delivers.
Unlike Fenway Park, where the seats were designed for the average American of 1912, Polar Park's seats are nice and comfy. Unlike Fenway, Polar doesn't have obstructed view seats. (How many times have I sat through a game at Fenway where I couldn't see the pitcher? Or the hitter?)
Fenway has improved over the years, but the stalls in the Ladies have remained skimpy. Once you're done with your business, you have to back up to open the door. The stalls at Polar are plenty ample.
And of course, with seating of a bit under 10,000, you don't get the jam ups entering or exiting Polar that you get at Fenway.
Because the caliber of Triple-A ball is pretty good, the game was well-played and interesting.
It was fun to recognize the names of Woo Sox players who'd done a bit of back and forth between Polar and Fenway: Connor Wong! Franchy Cordero! And a one-inning performance by Red Sox bullpen stalwart Matt Barnes.
One of the best things about the game is that it went fast: no every-half-inning delay while the television ads run that make games at Fenway seem interminable.
The park was full, the fans into the game, and the overall feeling was great.
Sure, there was plenty of the minor league hokery going on: tee-shirts shot into the stands; kids tossing the ball to the Smiley, the mascot. (The Smiley Face was "invented" in
There was the now obligatory salute to veterans in attendance, but this one was heartfelt: two Worcester natives, now well up in their 90's, who'd been in the service during World War II. (Both had seen action.) There won't be many more games when we'll be able to honor these guys. Happy to do so!
There was an unfortunate off-key rendition of "God Bless America" performed before the seventh inning stretch. I'm sure the high school girl doing the singing was plenty nervous. I hope she's not too humiliated, and that no one's mean to her. Brave of her to get up like that in front of a crowd. (Equally, I hope she's not enough of a narcissist to think that she is supremely talented and did a great job.)
An important part of any ballgame experience is, of course, the food. Once again, Polar Park delivers.
Not surprisingly, they serve Polar sodas. (The field is named for Polar Beverages, a longtime Worcester company.) How wonderful to get a bottle of Polar Orange Dry at the old ballgame.
Quite wonderfully, the hotdogs are from Worcester's own Coney Island Hotdogs, located, along with their iconic neon sign, not that far from Polar Park.
Polar Park is also not far from Table Talk Pie, and, indeed, Table Talk pies are available at the concessions. So I was able to enjoy a yummy cherry pie. One summer, my sister Kath had a job near Table Talk, and every once in a while would stop in and bring home a bunch of pies from the end-of-day sale at the factory store. I never cared for their apple or blueberry. My mother's were far superior. And my Aunt Margaret's pecan sure outclassed Table Talk's. But the lemon. The pineapple. The CHERRY. Ah!
The approach to Polar Park is not as interesting or "nice" as the walk to Fenway. Like Fenway, Polar is urban. But the neighborhood Polar is in is a lot more run down. Still, it is being spruced up, there are pubs and restaurants opening up nearby, and the hope is that more of the old factories will be converted to apartments. Bringing more life to downtown Worcester, which has been a pretty dismal place for decades. All good.
Polar Park is only about a 10 minute walk from the train station. Next season, I plan to take the train out from Boston and take in another Woo Sox game. (For Sunday's game, my sister Trish drove. Taking the train out would be fun, though.)
Whether by car or train, I know I'll be back to this "lyric little bandbox of a ballpark."
Woo Sox won, by the way, beating the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 3-1.
Take me out to a ballgame at Polar Park any old time!
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