WooSox Honor "YES Awards" Recipients for June
As the Worcester Red Sox continue to establish themselves in the Heart of the Commonwealth through their service to the city within the walls of beautiful Polar Park and beyond, one thing is certain: the sheer dedication the ballclub has to its fans. For Dr. Charles Steinberg and Larry Lucchino,
As the Worcester Red Sox continue to establish themselves in the Heart of the Commonwealth through their service to the city within the walls of beautiful Polar Park and beyond, one thing is certain: the sheer dedication the ballclub has to its fans. For Dr. Charles Steinberg and Larry Lucchino, customer service and fan experience sits at the pinnacle of the ballclub’s success.
On May 11, 2023, the ballpark’s second anniversary, Polar Park was voted “best ballpark in Triple-A baseball” by Ballpark Digest. This award not only speaks to the physical attributes and intricate details of the WooSox' home field, but also to the staff who work hard to make fans consistently return, homestand after homestand.
This “fans first” philosophy that WooSox employees lead with is instilled by Steinberg and Lucchino themselves. Lucchino said, “We’re in the yes business. Any question, any qualm, the answer from our staff to our fans should be, and always will be, yes.”
The YES Awards, an initiative that arose from Steinberg and Lucchino, recognizes members of the WooSox organization who work diligently to serve fans and epitomize what it means to be in the yes business.
“I hope it’s a reminder to fans how much of a priority they are and how much of a priority excellent service is,” Steinberg said. “It’s essential to the life of the WooSox for people to anticipate and have a friendly experience, and when the inevitabilities of life throw you curveballs to believe that ‘don’t worry, the WooSox will be there for me, and the WooSox will help me.’”
The YES Awards for the month of June were bestowed during the pregame ceremonies on Friday, July 28th as Steinberg and 14 exceptional employees took the field in front of a roaring 8,071 fans.
Along with being recognized in front of the fans they serve, the YES Award recipients each were given a $50 gift card to the WooSox Team Store, a $50 gift card to the Mercantile, two phenomenal seats to a WooSox game of their choosing, and DCU Club buffet vouchers.
The recipients are as follows: Aaron Buckley, a member of the WooSox clubhouse who went viral after catching Connor Wong’s home run ball on Fenway Park’s Green Monster; Bill Manzello of Polar Park Security; Brian Kostiw of the WooSox Foundation; Connor Clapp from Polar Park Operations; Ambassador Denise Allain; Gary Levin, who drives the Blue Woo Shuttles; Joe Castagna of WooSox Productions; Ticket Taker John Cappello Jr.; Marino Caracciolo of Polar Park Grounds Crew; Usher Michael Cole; Michael Lovoi, a member of the WooSox Mascot Team; from the Professional Sports Catering Team, Riley Meyer; Robbie Pingeton of the Merchandise Team; and ticket seller, Sarah Malone.
Home is where your heart is, and for WooSox fans, that is certainly Polar Park.
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