WooSox and the Meaning of Baseball

By Maggie Buckley, Editor-in-Chief

The air was electric at the top of the 9th.

There were 9,508 eager fans sitting on the edge of their seats at Polar Park on Sunday, September 26th.  

It was the last game of the inaugural season for the Worcester Red Sox, the minor league affiliate for the Boston Red Sox.  The WooSox, as they are more fondly known, were ready to close out their home season in a battle against the Rochester Red Wings.

Though they were down 5-3 against the Rochester Red Wings, at the top of the 9th, fans were noticeably elated.  

With the help of some key catches, the top of the inning was closed out in a matter of minutes. 

“They just might pull it off,” said one hopeful fan, as the Woo Sox took to the plate for their last at bat.

With the help of Taylor Motter’s RBI, the WooSox were able to secure an additional run.  

With two outs, the win was on Triston Casas’ shoulders.

He hit the ball and time stopped as it hung, suspended in the air. Onlookers stood watching, breathless.

However, the defensive expertise of the Red Wings proved to be too much and the inning ended with Worcester falling to Rochester 5-4.

But this did not dampen the spirits of those in attendance.

The night was full of celebratory festivities, with players throwing signed plush baseballs into the crowd and even giving fans “the shirt off their backs” to top off the night.

It was Fan Appreciation Day at the ballpark, and WooSox fans young and old were ecstatic.  Cheers boomed from the stands as the players lined up on the field and waved goodbye to the fans, the summer, and the inaugural season.

Perhaps, then, the game of baseball isn’t just about winning.

It’s about an elderly man bending down and giving a signed baseball to the child sitting behind him.

It’s about the young people with huge jerseys wrapped around their shoulders, and the way they skip up the stairs because they are just so excited.

It’s about the adults smiling like children again, and turning to their WooSox fan friends and telling them they can’t wait to see each other again next season.

It’s about bringing people together for a few sacred hours on a summer night.

Though the final home game of the minor league team was a loss, it was in no way disappointing.  

It was a hint of normalcy after a year of abnormalcy, being around people again after a year of mandated separation.

It was a moment of unity in a divided world, free of turmoil or questions of politics.  

It was America’s pastime.