What’s Up with the WooSox? The uncertainty of the Pawtucket Red Sox’s future has been agonizing to watch since the saga began back in 2015. When the new owners bought the team, their intention was to move the team to Providence, but when that deal failed to come together, the team planned to move elsewhere unless Rhode Island could sweeten the pot enough for the team to stay in Pawtucket. After nearly two years of deliberation, a bill was finally passed earlier this summer to fund the building of a new stadium (motifri.com/whats-next-for-the-pawsox/). Despite all that, a recent turn of events hangs a black cloud over the future of RI baseball. On July 26, Robert Fountain, deputy general counsel for Minor League Baseball, registered multiple trademarks for the term “WooSox.” WooSox, of course, references Worcester, Massachusetts, Pawtucket’s main rival to be the team’s home. Fountain said in a statement to masslive.com, “Minor League Baseball filed this trademark application because other cities are under consideration. This filing is a legal safety measure and should not be construed as suggesting that any decision has been made.” While trademarking the name in itself isn’t reason to panic, this is definitely something for Pawtucket to keep a close watch on. This development insinuates that Worcester has the upper hand on Pawtucket, and should cause some extra urgency in Rhode Island. The PawSox have a Rhode Island deal in place that would build them a new stadium, boost attendance and raise interest in their team, but still they have yet to make a decision. If the Red Sox organization refuses the Rhode Island proposal, it would be a huge disappointment after Rhode Island lawmakers overcame their fears and passed the first major financing bill since 38 Studios. The PawSox may be losing public support as well. This season they rank 11th out of their 14- team league with an average attendance of 5,687 (as of Aug 5). That number is down from the average attendance in 2017 of 6,406, and it should be noted that minor league baseball attendance in general has been in steady decline. McCoy Stadium is old and rundown, not very appealing for large attendance numbers. The hope remains that building a new stadium and surrounding attractions will bring up attendance. The rise in attendance from the new project would also help the Pawtucket economy, which is in need of a major boost. Meanwhile, Worcester is still very determined to get this deal done and boost their own economy. Worcester Mayor Edward M. Augustus Jr. told Motif via email, “We’re working hard and doing everything we can to present Worcester as a viable option for the organization. Community leaders and members we’ve talked to are excited, enthusiastic and supportive about the possibility of bringing the team here. The Canal District Alliance sent 10,000 postcards to the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2015 in an effort to capture the team’s attention. More than 100 Worcester business leaders have signed a support letter addressed to the club in August 2017.” Augustus could not comment on the proposal they have in place, stating it is still in negotiations, but he did make it clear the two parties are in contact. “The city and the team continue to have regular conversations and we look forward to seeing where they lead.” With Worcester seemingly closing in on turning the PawSox into the WooSox, Pawtucket desperately needs to make its final push. They have plan in place, now they just have to wait on the Red Sox to decide. What’s Next for the PawSox? It has been a turbulent ride for the Pawtucket Red Sox organization in recent years. A few years after changing ownership, the team is struggling to solidify a place to play. McCoy Stadium, built in 1942 and dedicated in 1946 for use by the Pawtucket Slaters farm team of what was then the National League Boston Braves (soon to become the Milwaukee Braves and now the Atlanta Braves), then doing a short stint in the 1960s with the Pawtucket Indians farm team for the Cleveland Indians, since 1969 has housed the Pawtucket Red Sox affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. McCoy Stadium is no longer fit to host minor league baseball… and maybe not even little league for that matter. The Rhode Island General Assembly did a study on the state of McCoy, finding it was fiscally irresponsible to make any renovations to the stadium. McCoy has already undergone two major renovations in its history and a third would cost nearly as much as the price of building a new stadium, without the economic advantages of building a new stadium. The team is under contract to play there until 2021, and they will move on to a new stadium as soon as the contract ends. The next home for the team has been unknown since the current owners, led by former Red Sox President Larry Lucchino, bought the team in 2015. Providence was the first choice to be the team’s new home, but that proposal failed due to poor funding. With Pawtucket struggling to have a solid plan in place to keep the team, the organization has flirted with moving the team up Route 146 to Worcester. Finally, we may have a resolution to this question. The state Senate has done their part, by moving the bill along back in January. Spokesman Greg Pare said on behalf of Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, “The Senate version of that legislation was passed in January and sent to the House of Representatives. Any amendments being considered or made… that’s all being made on the House side.” The House was quiet for the past few months, but ultimately the proposal was pushed through. It was heard by the House Finance Committee on May 31 and came to a vote on June 22, passing the 75- member House 53-13, and Pawtucket is now on the the doorstep of keeping the team. This bill took years to put together, but finally lawmakers have a proposal they are happy with. Rhode Island State Representative Carlos Tobon stated, “This took three years of conversation until it was good enough for the people of Rhode Island.” Getting the votes in both the Senate and the House was a big step, but not the end of the journey for the bill. It now moves on to the Rhode Island executive branch and, if Governor Gina Raimondo approves it as she is expected to do, then it will go as a binding offer on the table to the Pawtucket Red Sox organization to be considered. Representative Tobon discussed the importance of passing this bill: “This enables the city, the organization, and all parties to continue the conversation… The team owners and the city will talk about this and decide if they want to do it.” With the PawSox having the bill in hand, it comes down to them wanting to stay. They’ve got their proposal, so now lawmakers need them to accept and keep the team at home. Rhode Island State Representative Mary Messier made it very clear that the General Assembly is determined to keep the organization in Pawtucket. “We are 100% committed [to keeping the team]. It will revitalize Pawtucket, which is much-needed at this time.” Pawtucket’s economy is in need of a major boost and this proposal might be a spark. Downtown Pawtucket has seen very little growth and it needs something that can add jobs and increase spending in the city. Pawtucket needs the PawSox to stay and continue to boost the city’s economy. Representative Tobon, who represents Pawtucket, said, “If the PawSox leave and we lose the team, we’d lose out on the rebuild of Pawtucket.” The current proposal is to build a destination ballpark at the old Apex complex, becoming the catalyst for Pawtucket’s economic rebuild. The term “destination stadium” describes a stadium that serves as more than a place to watch an event, but also could include restaurants, shopping centers and similar facilities — think Patriot Place surrounding Gillette Stadium. As we explained some years ago (motifri.com/pawsox2 “Opinion: Questions Surround the PawSox Sale” by Michael Bilow, Mar 2, 2015), the Buffalo Bisons, current Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, created the prototype for this kind of “retro-classic” baseball-specific destination stadium. At a reported cost of $42 million, all government money, the Buffalo stadium was built in 1988 and offered patios, beer decks and places to enjoy while the game was being played. That style stadium was different from the ordinary, cookie-cutter stadium where you spend the whole game sitting on steel bleachers, avoiding spilled beer and looking through obstructed views. Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, by the same designer, used the Buffalo model a few years later and, in 1992, the Orioles opened their own destination ballpark featuring all kinds of attractions within the stadium. That has become the prototype for modern sporting venues, and would be a major step up for Pawtucket. When the PawSox aren’t using the field, it will serve as a public park belonging to the state of Rhode Island and serving to benefit the entire community, with the PawSox being the main tenant. The city is in the process of integrating a real estate development project that would add more restaurants, retailers, hotels, entertainment venues and office spaces near the park. This proposal would revamp downtown Pawtucket and make it a more inviting tourist location.