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Duran Rattles Pirates with Inside the Park Drive

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jarren Duran’s three-run, inside-the-park home run punctuated a four-run fifth inning, helping the Boston Red Sox salvage their weekend series with a 5-2 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon.

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Duran reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with a double and two walks alongside the homer. Nathaniel Lowe also had two hits as Boston supported starter Lucas Giolito (10-2), who worked around five walks to finish six innings of three-hit, one-run ball with six strikeouts.

Aroldis Chapman struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth to post his 27th save. It was his 15th consecutive hitless appearance to post the save.

Alexander Canario was 2-for-4 with a homer for Pittsburgh. Mitch Keller (6-13) allowed four unearned runs, but struck out seven and gave up four hits and one walk over the first five innings.

After a two-on, no-out situation went to waste in the fourth, the Red Sox trailed 1-0 and had just two hits entering the game-changing inning.

Duran’s first career inside-the-parker came on a liner to right-center-field, splitting Pirates outfielders Oneil Cruz and Canario before rolling all the way to the wall and kicking around in the triangle area. The speedy left fielder circled the bases and scored standing up.

Romy Gonzalez had led off the inning by reaching on a throwing error and advanced to third on Carlos Narvaez’s ground-rule double down the right-field line two batters later. Roman Anthony’s grounder to shortstop produced the tying run. Alex Bregman was hit by a Keller pitch to set the table for Duran’s electrifying moment.

Ceddanne Rafaela beat out a one-out infield single to score Nathaniel Lowe, adding to the Red Sox lead in the sixth.

Canario greeted Red Sox reliever Justin Slaten with a solo homer to deep left-center in the seventh, but Garrett Whitlock struck him out with the bases loaded to end the following frame.

Giolito allowed just one hit as he cruised through the first three innings. After retiring the side 1-2-3 in the first on just six pitches, he benefited from center fielder Rafaela’s sliding catch to rob Nick Gonzales of a leadoff hit in the second.

The Boston starter, however, lost the strike zone and issued three consecutive two-out walks — all after Spencer Horwitz was caught stealing third base — in the fourth. A wild pitch allowed Gonzales to score the opening run.

–Field Level Media

China’s Miranda Wang Takes FM Crown

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NORTON (Mass) – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – LPGA Tour rookie Miranda Wang of China rolled in a birdie on the 17th hole Sunday afternoon to snap a tie with World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and seize her first LPGA Tour victory with a 20-under-par 268 at the FM Championship in Eastern Massachusetts.

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Wang, 26, carded a 2-under 70 in the final round to claim the $615,000 championship check. She trailed Thitikul by one shot when she stepped to the 17th tee, but Thitikul bogeyed the par-4 17th in the group ahead of her.

Wang proceeded to sink a sliding 5-foot birdie putt to reclaim the lead. Then the 2019 Duke graduate tapped in a 2-foot putt for par at No. 18 to become the 23rd champion in as many LPGA events this season. She was feted with a Champagne shower on the 18th green.

“It’s a dream come true,” Wang said. “Winning LPGA has been my dream since actually since Day 1 of my golf, because I started playing golf because when I was eight years old I was watching LPGA tournament on TV. I was like ‘Oh, that’s I want to do and I want to be on this tour. I want to win out there.’ So I finally did this. Very proud of myself.”

Wang had to work hard Sunday because Thitikul, who started the day four shots behind, was hot from the start. She birdied the first hole to trigger a 5-under 31 on the front nine as she drilled irons within tap-in range at Nos. 5 and 9.

Thitikul made the turn at 19 under while Wang posted three birdies and one bogey to make the turn at 20 under. Wang then strung together five pars before bogeying No. 15. Meanwhile, Thitikul birdied No. 12 to jump into the lead.

The 22-year-old Thitikul, who overtook Nelly Korda in early August for the world No. 1 spot, kept the lead until bogeying No. 17. She finished with a 67.

“Just take a really positive (lesson from today),” Thitikul said. “Especially the final round that I have, especially the front nine that I have… (My) final round wasn’t that good as the first couple round, but I just prove to myself that today I can go low on the final round as well.”

South Korea’s Sei Young Kim, played in the final pairing with Wang, fashioned a 2-under 70 to finish three shots behind Wang. Andrea Lee also posted a final-round 70 to finish fourth, four shots behind the champion.

South Korea’s Jin Hee Im started the day in a tie for 37th place, but she soared all the way to fifth Sunday on the strength of a record-tying 10-under 62. She birdied nine of the first 12 holes to climb to 14-under, but posted five straight pars before closing with her 10th birdie of the day.

“When I got the first two birdie,” Im said, “I just kidding my caddie, ‘I try just 18 more birdies.’ And I just made straight three birdies after that.”

–Field Level Media

Consistently … Inconsistent

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A combined eight-run onslaught across the fifth and sixth innings propelled the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates to a 10-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

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All nine Pirates hit safely, and three had two RBIs in support of Johan Oviedo (2-0), who allowed two runs on three hits and struck out six across five innings. Pittsburgh now has two straight wins in the series and eight in 10 games.

Jared Triolo and Spencer Horwitz (2-for-4) combined to score five runs, Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzalez each had two-RBI hits and Oniel Cruz hit his 19th home run.

Pittsburgh began breaking the game open after the team scored three runs in the fifth inning before recording an out.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a leadoff infield single, and after Boston starter Dustin May (7-11) hit a batter and walked another, Reynolds stung a two-RBI knock to right to give the Pirates a lead. Pham’s hit to left provided the inning’s third run.

The visitors sent 10 to the plate to score five runs in the sixth, including Cruz depositing the second pitch of the frame into deep center field for a solo homer.

A Joey Bart double and a walk two batters later ended May’s day. Horwitz then recorded an RBI single to center off of Brennan Bernardino to plate Bart, who kicked the ball away as he slid into home on a Ceddanne Rafaela relay to allow a second run to cross on the play.

After Bernardino walked two and struck out Andrew McCutchen, Gonzales snuck a two-out, two-run single up the middle to up Pittsburgh’s lead to 9-2.

Boston got a run back as Gonzalez hit the third of three straight singles against reliever Mike Burrows in the sixth.

A McCutcheon single and Gonzales double started Pittsburgh’s ninth, and a Jordan Hicks wild pitch brought in the 10th run.

Trevor Story and Romy Gonzalez each had two hits, and Carlos Narvaez homered for Boston.

The Pirates grabbed a quick 1-0 lead four batters into the game, loading the bases on an error, a Horwitz single and a walk against May, which led to Pham’s RBI groundout to third base.

Red Sox Entend Chapman

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox agreed to a contract extension with left-hander Aroldis Chapman, per multiple reports. The deal contains $13.3 million in guarantees, according to MassLive. He will be under contract for next season and carry an option for 2027.

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Chapman, an eight-time All-Star, has posted career-lows in ERA (1.04) and WHIP (0.673) in 57 relief appearances this season, his first with Boston, which signed him to a one-year, $10.75 million contract in December. In addition, he has racked up 26 saves and 74 strikeouts with 14 walks in 52 innings.

The 37-year-old has a career 2.53 ERA in 853 appearances.

Chapman is 13th on the all-time career saves list (361); he is only 17 saves away from passing Joe Nathan and moving into the top 10.

The Red Sox are in the midst of a successful regular season. They currently have a 75-62 record and occupy the second wild card spot in the American League.

–Field Level Media

Pirates are Pham-ily, Down Sox

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Fresh off their Cy Young Award candidate Paul Skenes victory in the series opener, the Pittsburgh Pirates will look to make it two wins in a row in Boston and eight victories in their last 10 games when they face the playoff-chasing Red Sox again this afternoon.

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The Pirates are seven games deep in the basement of the National League Central, but their bats woke up late in a 4-2 win on Friday. Seven of their 10 hits came after Boston MLB-debuting star Payton Tolle exited through 5 1/3 innings.

Former Red Sox player Tommy Pham hit a game-tying, two-run double in the sixth inning before Andrew McCutchen highlighted his 3-for-3 performance with a deciding RBI double in the next at-bat.

Pham has been a major key of late for Pittsburgh, hitting .300 with a 1.017 OPS and 10 RBIs in his last 12 games. He hit just .170 over the first 28 games.

“People wanted him out, and look what he’s been able to do the second half of the season,” McCutchen said of Pham. “That’s why baseball’s a crazy game. For him to be able to turn his season around like he’s done, it just goes to show you just no excuses, you’ve gotta work.”

Meanwhile, it was McCutchen’s second game with multiple extra-base hits in the last seven. His effort Friday supported Skenes, who overcame a career high-tying seven hits in six innings but gave up only two runs (one earned) and struck out six.

Now, in the second game of a three-game series, Pittsburgh right-hander Johan Oviedo (1-0, 3.60 ERA) is set to make his fourth start since returning from a 2024 season-long absence due to Tommy John surgery.

After lasting just one inning in his Aug. 4 season debut, Oviedo has back-to-back solid starts. He struck out five across four innings of one-run ball Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals, but the Pirates lost 7-6.

“Looked really sharp, you know, and stuff was good,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said of that outing. “Fastball was electric, and kept them off balance with the offspeed, and went to the curveball really effectively there in the middle of the outing.”

Oviedo, 27, pitched 4 2/3 innings in his only career start against the Red Sox on April 3, 2023, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits — including three homers.

The Red Sox entered Friday off a four-game sweep in Baltimore but have still won seven of their last nine games. However, they have lost four straight contests at home.

Boston was out-hit 10-9 on Friday, but Roman Anthony hit a solo home run and Romy Gonzalez went 3-for-4.

“I think we put good at-bats,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We had three innings to try to get to the bullpen. It just didn’t work out.”

Right-hander Dustin May (7-10, 4.79 ERA) enters his first career start against Pittsburgh looking to stop back-to-back losses and three in four outings with Boston.

In his first taste of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry last Sunday in the Bronx, May allowed three home runs among five hits and five runs in 4 1/3 innings.

May’s start not only comes a day after Tolle’s impressive debut, but also after the Red Sox parted ways with pitcher Walker Buehler before the game.

A week ago, Buehler was demoted from his starting spot and made one relief appearance before his release. Tolle and May are holding down the end of the rotation behind the consistent trio of Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito.

“We’re playing important games and want to give ourselves every opportunity to win as many of those as possible, and we think that Payton and Dustin give us the best chance to do that right now,” said Craig Breslow, Boston’s chief baseball officer.

–Field Level Media

Story, Refsnyder HR for the Sweep

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BALTIMORE – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Trevor Story and Rob Refsnyder homered, and Romy’s Gonzalez’s tiebreaking single in the eighth inning lifted the Boston Red Sox to a 3-2 victory against the host Baltimore Orioles to complete a four-game series sweep Thursday afternoon.

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Roman Anthony had two hits for the Red Sox, who went 7-1 on an eight-game road trip vs. American League East Division rivals. Refsnyder, who rejoined the roster from the IL earlier in the day, homered for the first time in more than a month and ended up with two hits.

Jordan Hicks (2-7) was the winning pitcher with a shutout inning in relief of Garrett Crochet. Steven Matz picked up his second save despite surrendering a double to Dylan Carlson to lead off the ninth.

Alex Jackson homered for the Orioles, who stranded nine runners on base and finished a 1-7 homestand. Jackson Holliday, Emmanuel Rivera and Jeremiah Jackson all had two hits.

Baltimore starter Cade Povich gave up two runs on seven hits in five innings. Shawn Dubin, claimed off waivers from the Astros, threw a shutout top of the ninth in his debut with the Orioles.

Crochet worked six innings, allowing two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.

Three games in the series were decided by one run.

It was also the third time in the series that the Red Sox had a first-inning solo home run. Story homered for the second time this week and for the 22nd time this season.

Alex Jackson hit his fourth homer of the year in the third inning to tie the score.

Refsnyder, who had been out since Aug. 13 because of an oblique strain, regained the lead for Boston in the fourth with his seventh homer. Jeremiah Jackson tied it for Baltimore in the fifth on a double to left that scored Alex Jackson.

With two outs in the eighth, Gonzalez hit a full-count curveball to left to score Anthony from second.

The Red Sox were without first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who went on the paternity list Thursday just 10 days after signing with Boston following his release from the Washington Nationals.

–Field Level Media

Crochet Throws for Sox Sweep

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BALTIMORE – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox, seeking a positive finishing act on what has been a rewarding road trip, will go for a four-game series sweep of the Baltimore Orioles today.

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“It’s a different group,” Boston manager Alex Cora said of his team. “We’re winning, which is important, too.”

The Red Sox defeated the Orioles 3-2 on Wednesday night courtesy of Ceddanne Rafaela’s two-run homer in the ninth inning. It was Boston’s second one-run victory in the series.

Boston is 6-1 on the road trip, which began against the New York Yankees. After losing the finale of that series, the Red Sox won the next three nights in Baltimore.

“Let’s take care of business here,” Cora said, “and I truly believe this weekend at home (against the Pittsburgh Pirates) is going to be fun.”

Much of the good times have come with outfielder Roman Anthony providing key production. The top prospect in pro baseball this spring, he has made good use of his promotion to the major leagues. This week, he has led off two games with home runs.

“The one thing lately, he has opened it up a little bit more as a person,” Cora said. “He’s a cool kid.”

The Orioles have lost six of their past seven games. They are still making player transactions in attempts to have the right combinations available despite their last-place standing in the American League East. They brought back infielder Emmanuel Rivera on Wednesday while designating Vimael Machin for assignment.

“I think Emmanuel Rivera is a guy who’s excelled defensively in the big leagues at third base,” Baltimore interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “I think just trying to get a little more stability at the position for us, knowing that the other corner spot we have a young infielder learning there as well.”

Rivera came off the bench as a defensive replacement on Wednesday and grounded out in his lone at-bat.

Baltimore also promoted Roansy Contreras from Triple-A Norfolk, and he threw 4 1/3 shutout innings Wednesday night. Yaramil Hiraldo was optioned to Norfolk.

After Contreras exited, the Orioles went back to Keegan Akin for his third appearance in four games, and the left-hander gave up the winning home run.

“We felt very comfortable with it,” Mansolino said. “Just didn’t work out.”

The pitching matchup for the finale will involve a pair of left-handers.

Boston’s Garrett Crochet (14-5, 2.38 ERA) continues his bid to be in line for postseason honors. He has allowed one run in each of his past two outings, both covering seven innings. He matched his season-high strikeout total with 11 on Saturday against the Yankees.

Crochet’s first victory of the season came via eight shutout innings at Baltimore on April 2. The 26-year-old is 1-1 with a 1.13 ERA in four career games (two starts) vs. the Orioles.

Cade Povich (2-7, 5.13) goes to the mound for the Orioles, who have lost all four of the games he has pitched this month. On Friday against the visiting Houston Astros, he got the defeat after permitting six runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings.

Povich, who lost to Boston twice last season as a rookie, has allowed four runs in 9 1/3 total innings over two no-decisions against the Red Sox this year.

–Field Level Media

 

Patriots Waive Two, Claim Two

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FOXBORO – (Staff Report from Official Team News Release) – The New England Patriots announced that they have released WR Javon Baker and WR Kendrick Bourne. The Patriots also claimed and were awarded QB Tommy DeVito from the New York Giants and CB Charles Woods from the Los Angeles Rams.

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In addition, the Patriots announced that they have signed 16 players to the practice squad: CB Miles Battle, G Mehki Butler, G Jack Conley, CB Brandon Crossley, TE C.J. Dippre, RB Terrell Jennings, WR John Jiles, DE Truman Jones, C Alec Lindstrom, DB Kobee Minor, DT David Olajiga, LB Cam Riley, DT Jahvaree Ritzie, TE Gee Scott Jr., LB Bradyn Swinson and WR Jeremiah Webb. All of those players were released by the team on August 26.

Baker, 23, was drafted by New England in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of UCF. The 6-foot-1, 202-pounder, played in 11 games with one start and finished with 1 reception for 12 yards and returned 3 kickoffs for 79 yards.

Bourne, 30, has spent the last four seasons with New England after signing with the team as an unrestricted free agent from San Francisco on March 19, 2021. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with San Francisco on May 5, 2017, out of Eastern Washington. Bourne has played in 111 games with 34 starts and has registered 292 receptions for 3,714 yards with 22 touchdowns. In addition, he has played in four postseason games and has 13 receptions for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had his best NFL season in 2021 with New England with 55 receptions for 800 yards and 5 touchdowns. Last season, Bourne was limited to 12 games with nine starts and had 28 receptions for 305 yards with 1 touchdown.

DeVito, 27, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the New York Giants on May 5, 2023, out of Illinois. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder, began his career on the practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster on Oct. 31, 2023. In two seasons with the Giants, DeVito played in 12 games with eight starts and completed 145-of-222 attempts for 1,358 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was released by the Giants on Aug. 26, 2025.

Woods, 25, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the L.A. Rams on May 2, 2024, out of Southern Methodist. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder, spent the majority of the season on the 53-man roster before finishing the year on the practice squad. He played in 12 games and finished with 1 tackle on defense and 1 special teams tackle. He was released by the Rams on Aug. 26, 2025.

Slaughterhouse Nine in Da Bronx

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BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After another win over the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox were unclear about why they are dominating their longest rival.

The Red Sox hope to field more inquiries about getting another victory over the Yankees on Sunday night when the American League East foes conclude a four-game set in New York.

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The Red Sox will seek a series sweep.

Boston is 8-1 in the season series, and after starting with a 9-6 loss on June 6, the Red Sox have outscored the Yankees 48-22. Three of Boston’s major-league-leading 20 games with at least 10 runs have come against the Yankees, including Saturday’s 12-1 rout.

Trevor Story had three of Boston’s 17 hits with a two-run double and a solo homer in the opening five innings Saturday. Story got his third hit during a seven-run ninth inning and is batting .351 (13-for-37) with two homers and 11 RBIs in the season series.

Carlos Narvaez had three hits, including a two-run homer, as Boston scored its most runs against the Yankees in New York since a 13-9 victory on Sept. 7, 2013. Narvaez is hitting .284 (78-for-275) in its past eight games against the Yankees.

“Just playing good baseball,” Story said. “I don’t know if there’s a certain thing you can pinpoint. Obviously tensions are high, the rivalry and all that, but we’re just playing good baseball I think at the right time.”

Boston’s eight-game winning streak over the Yankees is the longest since from Sept. 20, 2020, to July 16, 2021. The Red Sox last won nine straight over the Yankees Sept. 28, 2008, to June 11, 2009.

The Yankees are trying to avoid getting swept in a four-game series by the Red Sox for the first time since Aug. 2-5, 2018, in Fenway Park.

“We’re definitely angry, especially against your rivals,” New York captain Aaron Judge said Saturday. “We don’t like the showing we’ve had here at home. We just got to step up. That’s it. Everybody in this room has got to play a little bit better, pick up a notch and go out there and take care of business tomorrow.”

Giancarlo Stanton homered, but the Yankees struck out 13 times, and their bottom four hitters of Trent Grisham, Anthony Volpe, Jose Caballero and Austin Wells were a combined 0-for-13.

[Read more…] about Slaughterhouse Nine in Da Bronx

WNBA in Boston? Not So Fast!

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk 
BOSTON – There’s been quite a bit of bickering and arguing about the recent $325m bid by Steve Pagliuca (former Celtics minority owner) to bring the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun to play at TD Boston Garden in 2027. Pagliuca promised to build a $100m “State of the Art” practice facility for the WNBA team, as well.
The proposed offer was leaked to the Boston Globe and positioned as if it were a “done deal.” Wow, $325 million to relocate a team while WNBA expansion teams were going for a cool $250 million.
Boston rejoiced. The WNBA fans, some who trekked to beautiful Uncasville, Connecticut to see the Sun play at the Mohegan Sun’s wonderful arena – adjacent to a beautiful casino resort, all applauded the effort of Pagliuca. Those fans had just convened as a sellout crowd at TD Garden on July 15th for a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever 85-11 win over the Sun. A year ago was much the same for a Sun vs Los Angeles Sparks game that made fans think of early Cs day Sam Jones vs. LA’s Jerry West or maybe more recent day Celtics’ Paul Pierce vs. Kobe Bryant, the late all-star of the Lakers.
Sellouts are great, especially when you only have to sell out one game of an entire season.
But, that’s not the point.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey took the leaked bait hook, line, and sinker. The Guv’nah attended the Sun vs Fever game and was championing Boston’s loyal support of women’s sports, calling for Boston to get a WNBA team, as soon as possible.
There was a catch that Healey seemed to either ignore or not be aware of: Boston hadn’t even applied to the WNBA for an expansion franchise in the past decade. The WNBA is on an expansion quest, awarding teams to the Bay Area’s Golden State (Valkyries) playing now, in 2025, the Portland Fire and Toronto (Tempo) to begin play in 2026, and future expansion to three cities with new teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. The Cleveland team will begin play in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030.
It’s a full-scale WNBA roll-out, carefully planned with a strategy of not seeking the relocation of a franchise as part of the deal.
That means, the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun are in a bit of a bind, since their own arena is the home venue. A sale of the franchise is one thing, but relocating it goes under a whole other set of league rules, even with a $325m offer on the table.
Another suitor, Marc Lasry, sought a similar deal but to simply move down the I-91, I-95, and I-84 New England corridor to Hartford to play home games at the vaunted XL Center. The Mohegan Tribe liked Pagliuca’s green better than Lasry’s and stood aside as the false alarm announcement was leaked.
The WNBA slapped some ears of those involved: “Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams,” the WNBA said in a statement to the Globe’s Gary Washburn. “As part of our most recent expansion process, in which three new franchises were awarded to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia on June 30, 2025, nine additional cities also applied for WNBA teams and remain under active consideration. No groups from Boston applied for a team at that time and those other cities remain under consideration based on the extensive work they did as part of the expansion process and currently have priority over Boston. Celtics’ prospective owner Bill Chisholm has also reached out to the league office and asked that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time.”
While Boston media and the Guv’nah hemmed and hawed about Boston being a great city for sports, about the relationship of the WNBA with the NBA, and even Governor Healey going as far as trying to broker a new deal between brand new C’s franchise owner Bill Chisolm (just closed on the $6.1 billion deal) and Pagliuca, everyone in the room seemed to miss a major elephant in that room.
The venue.
Would the WNBA want to place a franchise in a place where the arena is owned by a hockey team, via Delaware North – much like the unfortunate deal the Celtics have been operating under for decades of championships? Would the WNBA award a franchise that might be forced to play at Boston University’s Agganis Arena – light on premium hospitality, suites, parking and all the money-makers of sports property ownership? Might Boston College’s Conte Forum be an option? (See same problems).
Nope. And, pardon this slight tangent, let’s keep in mind that Boston totally punted on a 2014 bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics – a bid the USOC accepted and put forth to the IOC, only to revoke and place Los Angeles’ successful bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics in its place. A major mistake on the world sports map.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts also botched a D-League franchise. Who can forget the 2009 Springfield Armor, banished in 2014 to become the Grand Rapids Drive (and Gold). Another D-League (now G-League) team – the Maine Red Claws – crawled to Portland, Maine rather than navigate the Worcester DCU Center.
For baseball? The City of Worcester reportedly footed 55% of $159 million Polar Park as part of a $240 million redevelopment of Worcester’s Kelley Square and Canal District. (That’s $87,450,000 for those scoring at home). It’s not like Governor Healey was ready to commit cash for building a new venue for the Setting Sun, or the Celts for that matter.
If that’s not enough past history proof, how about the fact the great and powerful NFL Oz, Bob Kraft and his New England Patriots, threatened to move to Hartford before settling on building Gillette Stadium out in the middle of nowhere, Massachusetts (Foxboro). By the way, Kraft’s New England Revolution are averaging a paltry 23,978 this year, down some 5,000 fans a game in their 66,000+ stadium.
Additionally, Kraft and his mayoral candidate son, Josh, are hammering current Boston Mayor Michele Wu over squashed plans to build a 25,000 seat stadium in Everett, Mass. – not far from the Encore (Wynn) Casino campus. Wu, in turn, championed a refurbishment of rundown, rat-infested White Stadium in Boston’s Franklin Park at a reported cost of $172 million. That venue would become the home of a NWSL expansion franchise for women’s soccer as the Boston Legacy FC plans to open up shop in 2026.
With all the building, the lack of engagement by Massachusetts or Boston for a new basketball venue is notable and should not be overlooked in the WNBA discussions. Boston Garden/Shawmut Center/Fleet Center/TD Garden was built in 1993-95 and is now one of the oldest arenas in the land. It has next to no parking, and – again, is owned by the Bruins’ parent, Delaware North. Despite massive renovations in 2026-07 and again in 2021-22, the building is nowhere close to the new $1.4 billion Chase Center in San Francisco, now the model for mixed-use arenas and home of the WNBA’s Valkyries.
All that said, there’s a clear message for Boston and the Honorable WNBA fan and former Harvard point guard and enthusiastic Guv’nah; let’s not point fingers at the WNBA and NBA before looking in the very mirror of sports and aging venues and philosophies in the Commonwealth.