PawSox to Change Name to Osos Polares de Pawtucket During Tuesday Home Games
GoLocalProv Sports Team
PawSox to Change Name to Osos Polares de Pawtucket During Tuesday Home Games
The Pawtucket Red Sox announced a new initiative with the Latino community that will see them change their name to Osos Polares de Pawtucket for every Tuesday home game.
The name, which means “Polar Bears of Pawtucket,” was revealed on Tuesday morning at a press conference at Ella Risk Elementary School in Central Falls.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe first-ever baseball game played by the Osos Polares de Pawtucket will be Tuesday, April 10 at 6:15 pm at McCoy Stadium against the Buffalo Bisons.
The change is part of a new outreach program toward the Hispanic Community in Minor League Baseball. The PawSox are one of 33 teams to participate.
PawSox New Look
The PawSox will wear their Osos Polares de Pawtucket game caps and jerseys for every Tuesday home game during the 2018 season (with the exception of July 3).
On those nights, the PawSox will celebrate the team’s surrounding Hispanic community by playing Hispanic music throughout the ballpark, making PA announcements & lineups in Spanish, and by providing video board information in both English & Spanish.
In addition, Mondor Way will host Latin-based food trucks before the game, Hispanic PawSox players will be highlighted through interviews and fun-facts, and Hispanic-focused non-profits will be recognized for their work in the community.
After the conclusion of the season, the PawSox will auction their “Copa de la Diversion”-branded game-used caps and jerseys and donate the proceeds to a U.S. Hispanic/Latino-focused organization in the community.
Greatest Moments in PawSox History
4th of July
McCoy Stadium fills up on every 4th of July for baseball and then one of the best fireworks shows in the state of Rhode Island.
The PawSox put on several fireworks shows that go throughout fourth of July week and weekend depending on the team's schedule.
Baseball and fireworks has become quite the family event over the years.
Mondor Gardens
In 2011, the Pawtucket Red Sox completed work on Mondor Gardens, a tribute to late owner Ben Mondor behind the left field fence.
The garden features six miniature bronze statues of kids playing baseball along with park benches and handicap accessible area's.
"Mondor Gardens adds a park-like setting to the exterior of McCoy where fans both young and old can sit and relax and enjoy thinking of tonight's game or memories of seasons gone by," said PawSox president Mike Tamburro at the time.
Move to AAA
The Pawtucket Red Sox moved from AA to AAA prior to the 1973 season.
They have since stayed in AAA and have become one of the model franchises in the international league.
Community Work
The Pawtucket Red Sox have done great work in the community and in 2014 they were rewarded for it, winning the John Henry Moss Community service award.
Over the last five years, the Pawsox Charitable Trust has donated more than $250,000 to important causes in the area and their Ticket Fundraiser Program has contributed over $200,000 to organizations like the American Parkinson's Disease Association.
Major League Stars
Throughout the history of the Pawtucket Red Sox, they have been able to develop great Major League players who have gone on to be successful in Boston or in other organizations in the Major Leagues.
The list of players is endless but here are a few of the names that came up through Pawtucket.
Wade Boggs, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Jon Lester, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis among others.
Ortiz Comes to Pawtucket
Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz has made a couple of rehab starts with the Pawtucket Red Sox and McCoy Stadium has been filled for each and everyone.
Ortiz's last rehanb start with the Pawsox came in 2013 when he batted third as the DH in the PawSox lineup. Ortiz went 2-for-3 in the game and notched one RBI.
Perfect Games
There have been four perfect games in Pawtucket Red Sox 121 year history.
The last one came in 2003 when Bronson Arroyo was perfect against the Buffalo Bison in a 7-0 PawSox Win.
Arroyo threw 101 pitches and had nine strikeouts in the game.
Photo courtesy of Aaronstrout/ flickr
Baseball Hall of Famers
Jim Rice, Wade Boggs and Carlton Fisk are among several former PawSox players that have made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Other PawSox members such as Ben Mondor, Joe Morgan, President Mike Tamburro along with Rice and Boggs have been inducted into the International League Hall of Fame.
Mike Tamburro
PawSox President Mike Tamburro's story is one of the great stories in the Pawtucket Red Sox history.
Tamburro started with the PawSox as an intern under Ben Mondor and worked his way up to now being the president of the team.
Tamburro was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame in a 2012 ceremony at McCoy Stadium and is the only front office employee ever to earn the International league's Executive of the year award five times.
Mike Tamburro is a major reason why the Pawtucket Red Sox continue to be a model franchise in AAA ball.
Photo courtesy of tjperr/ flickr
The Longest Game
The Pawtucket Red Sox played in and won the longest game in ever played in baseball history.
The game started on April 18, 1981 and went until play was suspened at 4 a.m. the next morning in the middle of the 32nd inning.
The game resumed on June 23 and that is when Pawtucket's Dave Koza got a base hit to drive in Marty Barrett .
The PawSox won the game 3-2 in the bottom of the 33rd inning.
Photo courtesy of bunkosquad/ Flickr
1984 Champions
The Pawtucket Red Sox won their second Governors Cup Championship in franchise history, defeating Maine 3-2 in the best of five series.
The team went 75-65 under manager Tony Torchia that season before making a playoff run and winning the title.
This was a huge turnaround for Pawtucket considering the previous season the PawSox went 56-83.
First Title
The PawSox won their first championship in 1973 defeating Charleston 3-2 in the series. This was Pawtuckets first season in AAA ball.
Pawtucket then went on and won the Junior World Series (now the Triple-A National Championship) by beating Tulsa 4-1.
Darrell Johnson was the manager of the team that season as the PawSox went 78-68 finishing second in the International League.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Birge/ Flickr
Ben Mondor Purchases Team
After the 1976 season, the Pawtucket Red Sox franchise, which actually had changed it's name to the Rhode Island Red Sox, went bankrupt and it looked certain that the team's stay in Pawtucket was over.
Ben Mondor bought the Pawtucket Red Sox in 1977 and kept them in Pawtucket. The Pawsox won the Governors Cup in 1978 and in 1998, Ben Mondor oversaw the revamping of McCoy Stadium into one of the nicest minor league ballparks in the country.
Ben Mondor passed away in October of 2010 at the age of 85.
The PawSox have since won two Governors Cup Championships (2012, 2014) and McCoy Stadium remains one of the nicest minor league ballparks in the country.
Photo courtesy of Butch Adams/ Flickr
2012 Governors Cup Champs
In 2012, the Pawtucket Red Sox won their first Governors Cup title in 28 years, defeating the Charlotte Knights 4-1 in South Carolina.
PawSox pitcher Nelson Figueroa earned the win in the game shutting down the Knights while the PawSox offense scored two runs in both the second and seventh innings.
Photo courtesy of tjperr/ Flickr
2014 Governors Cup Champs
The Pawtucket Red Sox won the Governors Cup for the second time in three years in 2014, defeating Durham 3-2 in the best of five series.
The PawSox trailed 2-1 in the series and faced elimination in game four before Ivan De Jesus hit a two run home run to force a game five.
In game five, the PawSox Keith Couch pitched a one hitter through 6 2/3 innings while the PawSox added offense. Pawtucket defeated Durham 4-1 to advance to the International League Championship.
Ryan Lavarnway was named MVP.
Photo courtesy of tjperr/ Flickr
