By Tiffany Williams –
Pat Battle, executive chairman, and Peter B. Freund, CEO of Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), the owner of the Portland Sea Dogs the Double-A affiliate of the Red Sox and the Salem Red Sox the Red Sox A Affiliate, officially announced on Tuesday the purchase of the majority of shares of the Worcester Red Sox the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox also known as the WooSox in Worcester, Massachusetts.
“We are thrilled to add the WooSox to the DBH family, our third Red Sox affiliate and a transformational Triple-A franchise for both Minor League Baseball and the City of Worcester,” said Pat Battle and Peter Freund, Executive Chairman and CEO of Diamond Baseball Holdings, respectively. “We are beyond excited to partner with Ralph Crowley of Polar Beverages on the purchase of the club and very grateful to Larry Lucchino, Sam Kennedy, and the entire Red Sox organization for entrusting us with this incredible franchise.”
DBH also owns the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in Manchester, New Hampshire. They own 29 Minor League Baseball teams and nine are Triple-A teams including the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Gwinnett Stripers and the Norfolk Tide.
According to their Wikipedia page, DBH was established in 2021 by media conglomerate Endeavor, and originally was the owner and operator of nine MiLB clubs. In 2022, ownership of DBH shifted from Endeavor to Silver Lake, parent company of Endeavor.
The sale of the Worcester Red Sox is reported to be completed by the end of the year, just a few months shy of the 2024 season kickoff and the fourth season of the club at Polar Park in Worcester.
The WooSox will remain the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and tgey will continue to play at Polar Park in Worcester.
Larry Lucchino who is expected to stay with the WooSox as Chairman said, “At 78, and after 44 years in baseball, I believe it’s time to have a succession plan, one that assures a commitment to baseball and a commitment to Worcester.”
“There is no organization more committed to Minor League Baseball than Diamond Baseball Holdings, and we welcome Pat Battle, Peter Freund, and this organization to our city,” Lucchino said. “There is no local business leader more invested in Worcester and in Polar Park than Ralph Crowley, and we are pleased that he is part of the ownership group.”
Ralph Crowley, the CEO of Polar Beverages, Polar Park’s naming rights partner, WooSox said will play an active local role on behalf of the Crowley family and the ownership group.
Jim Skeffington Jr. will also be retained in the club’s ownership group.
Dr. Charles Steinberg will continue with the WooSox as President as well as Dan Rea, who is the General Manager and Executive Vice President of Business and Real Estate.
The current front office staff for the Worcester Red Sox is also not expected to see any changes.
“Spearheaded by Red Sox Hall of Famer Larry Lucchino, who has and will continue to have a massive impact on the baseball world and particularly in this city, the WooSox ownership group is proud of what we’ve set in motion and thrilled to now give DBH the reins,” said Crowley. “Peter, Pat, and the team at DBH are committed to advancing our shared vision of excellent baseball and a standout fan experience for the Worcester community. Larry and I are grateful to the Red Sox organization for the continued partnership and look forward to more Red Sox baseball with DBH.”