After five rounds of voting with over 87,000 participants, Polar Park is the winner of our Triple-A Best of the Ballparks vote, as the home of the Worcester Red Sox (International League) edged Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, home of the Oklahoma City Dodgers (Pacific Coast League) in the championship round.
All 30 Triple-A ballparks started in a bracket-style competition. Polar Park beat Harbor Park in Norfolk, VA in Round 1; defeated Coca-Cola Park in Lehigh Valley, PA in the Sweet 16; bested Southwest University Park in El Paso, TX in the Elite Eight; got past Truist Field in Charlotte, NC in the Final Four; and then earned the title by beating Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, OK in the Championship Round.
Opening exactly two years ago today with the first-ever Worcester Red Sox game played on May 11, 2021, Polar Park has a capacity of 9,508 and is the centerpiece of downtown Worcester’s development in the city’s historic Canal District.
The Polar Park design team was led by WooSox Chairman & Principal Owner Larry Lucchino, renowned ballpark designer Janet Marie Smith (who worked together to create Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore in 1992, among other ballpark projects), along with D’Agostino Izzo Quirk Architects of Somerville, MA.
Polar Park features an open, fan-friendly design with many unique seating and dining options for fans of the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox to enjoy. This past April 30, the park hosted its millionth fan in just two seasons (and one month) of WooSox games.
“Polar Park had a stressful birth, with construction shutting down at one point because of COVID concerns,” said Ballpark Digest publisher Kevin Reichard. “Despite those difficult times, Polar Park is now one of the leading ballparks in baseball and a very popular draw. Congratulations to the entire WooSox ownership group and management team for bringing a difficult project to fruition and ultimate success.”
PREVIOUS TRIPLE-A BEST OF THE BALLPARKS CHAMPS
2022: Las Vegas Ballpark, Las Vegas Aviators
2021: Las Vegas Ballpark, Las Vegas Aviators
2020: Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, Oklahoma City Dodgers
2019: Las Vegas Ballpark, Las Vegas Aviators
2018: Huntington Park, Columbus Clippers
2017: Huntington Park, Columbus Clippers
2016: Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville Bats
2015: Huntington Park, Columbus Clippers
Top photo by Ashley Green, courtesy Worcester Red Sox.