Jamie, Jamie, and Baseball's Relationship with Worcester

Though baseball is commonly referred to as America’s pastime, the sport is far from it. For nearly 150 years, the game’s fabric has brought simplicity and serenity to the lives of countless individuals. Baseball represents a time where communities can come together and enjoy the splendid sound of a wooden bat’s crack echoing throughout a ballpark.

The nostalgia baseball brings is a reminder that life is not meant to be difficult. The game’s slow pace allows one to let their worries go and be present under a moonlit diamond.

As James Earl Jones puts it in Field of Dreams, “America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game––it’s part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be good again.”

Baseball has a long, historical relationship with the City of Worcester. It’s the place where J. Lee Richmond threw the first perfect game in 1880. It’s the place where home plate got its pentagonal shape. It’s the place where Ted Williams hit his first home run in a Red Sox uniform during an exhibition game against Holy Cross.

Known as the Heart of the Commonwealth, Worcester’s heart is sewn together by baseball’s 108 stitches.

When the Worcester Red Sox began their Inaugural Season in 2021 at Polar Park, Worcester could finally be a baseball town again. Just as springtime flowers bloom with the dawn of baseball season, a budding relationship between the WooSox and Worcester was formed.

In four short years, the WooSox have become ingrained in the city’s heart. Through incredible leadership devoted to philanthropy and the fan experience, the team has found a home within the community.

To Worcester native Jamie Webster, the WooSox have become part of her livelihood.

“This is the most fun I’ve had,” Webster began. “I never went to a Pawtucket game…being able to actually come to games, not having to drive too far, and being able to come back to another game––win or lose it’s just fun.”

Webster, who worked in retail management before becoming a mail carrier, is a loyal WooSox Season Ticket Member. She’s become a constant face at Polar Park––bringing radiant energy to every single game. During Thursday night’s matchup against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Webster was honored for her perfect attendance during the first month of the 2024 season.

It was not the only time she was on the field Thursday night.

Jamie Westbrook, who signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox this past offseason, became an instant favorite of Webster’s. The journeyman infielder has made an impact in his short time with the WooSox, playing multiple positions and swinging a consistent bat. Entering play on May 16, Westbrook had slashed .261/.375/.405 with 19 walks to just 22 strikeouts. The nickname “Barrel Man” suits him.

During Spring Training, Westbrook recounted the story of how he got the moniker:

"I got traded to Detroit in 2022 and it was my first time being traded so I was just a little uncomfortable. I wasn’t doing great, but I knew I could hit. We were in Columbus and…I hit a home run in my first at-bat. I started yelling, ‘I’m the Barrel Man! Me! Me! Me! I’m the Barrel Man!’

“My teammates, who didn’t really know me, probably thought What is with this guy? Then, the next three at-bats it was barrel, barrel, barrel. It kind of stuck. It started as a joke…but it just reminds me that if I put the barrel on the ball, I will be alright.”

After hearing the story, Webster knew that Westbrook would be a fun player to watch in Worcester. The story, in addition to their similar names, drove her to purchase his signed baseball the WooSox Foundation auctioned off a few weeks ago.

Little did Webster know, she would get the chance to meet him.

Prior to Thursday night’s game, Jamie Webster and Jamie Westbrook met outside the dugout for a conversation and picture. As a token of her appreciation, Webster gifted Westbrook a signed ball of her own. Now, the two each have a Jamie-signed baseball.

The ball may have brought Westbrook some good luck. “Barrel Man” barreled two baseballs in the contest, including a two-run single in the sixth inning that gave the WooSox the lead at the time. Though the RailRiders responded to tie the game, Nick Sogard launched a walk-off homerun in the ninth inning to send Webster and the crowd home happy.

It was a simple meeting between a player and fan, but its magnitude stretched further than what one can comprehend––it’s a testament to the strengthening bond between the WooSox and Worcester community.

When asked about what meeting Westbrook meant to her, Webster paused to gather her thoughts.

“It meant a lot to me because I enjoy watching him play,” Webster said. “You get to do a lot of cool stuff just for coming to games. It makes everything worth it.”

Webster and Westbrook’s story exemplifies the impact that baseball can have on a community. In the minor leagues, community-oriented baseball is the nature of the game. For the WooSox and Worcester, it’s just the beginning.

Webster concluded, “I love Worcester––it’s like the awkward sibling you can pick on, but you’ll defend until the end. Polar Park quickly, and unwaveringly, embraced that Worcester spirit and made me fall in love with the city again.”