PawSox president says team will stay involved
Dr. Charles Steinberg says that despite move, team will maintain connections with local charity efforts
PAWTUCKET – Bet you never gave too much thought about the Blackstone Valley region stretching from Worcester all the way down to Pawtucket prior to a certain relocation announcement made by a certain Triple-A baseball franchise.
It is true. The Blackstone River that once served as a vital power source for Slater Mill is a liquid highway that snakes from one state to another. Depending on what side of the fence concerning the PawSox you sit on, you’ll say the Blackstone River starts in Pawtucket and ends up in Worcester or vice versa.
Apparently, what was Pawtucket’s as far as holding claim to the top minor-league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for the past four decades … a piece of that also belonged to the Heart of the Commonwealth. In 2021, a seismic shift will take place with the opposite end of the Blackstone Valley serving as the home for a spring/ summer product with a longstanding and proud tradition in a city that may not be all warm and fuzzy to the idea of a “all for one, one for all” Blackstone Valley.
Like trying to convince certain Rhode Island political leaders about the proposed Ballpark at Slater Mill, it figures to be a hard sell for PawSox team officials to convince Rhode Island’s legion of fans about a united Blackstone Valley with the club based in Worcester. It was a topic that was posed to PawSox president Dr. Charles Steinberg inside Worcester City Hall last Monday after a ceremony where the torch was officially passed from Pawtucket to a city dubbed by Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez as the “Heart of New England.”
What was Steinberg’s response about the post-2020 world con- cerning Pawtucket after the PawSox depart?
“We understand the hurt and wounds, but that’s not going to stop us from loving the people of our region. Love is still the most powerful force in the universe,” Steinberg said. “The people of Pawtucket and Northern Rhode Island are as much a part of our market today and tomorrow as much as the people of Worcester have been a part of our market yesterday and today.
“Our commitment is unevaded. It’s not only for two years. It keeps going,” Steinberg added.
What Steinberg means is that current efforts like donating baseball equipment to the Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket, as well as awarding college scholarships to Pawtucket and Central Falls youngsters, will still continue despite the PawSox playing in a different state.
“The charities that have benefited from us will continue to benefit from us,” Steinberg said.
“That energy and that love that we have shown comes from the same beating heart. We continue to love the people of your town and region. We understand the anguish that results from the way state borders are drawn, but it’s actually one population.”