Boston Red Sox

Local notebook: Big day for Bulldogs, Blue Devils

May 19, 2023 by pkzadmin

Not every victory is created equal.

In terms of wins and losses, sure, each contest has a value of just one in either column. But beyond that baseline classification, some wins are much bigger than others.

Whether they come with huge emotional lifts or large implications, they’re meaningful.

And locally, two programs picked up some pretty important victories on Thursday and deserve a proverbial tip of the cap.

First off, the Monty Tech softball team rebounded from a loss to Blackstone Valley Tech by topping the Beavers, 10-6, in the second meeting of the season and in doing so, the Bulldogs captured the Colonial Athletic League regular season championship.

At 5-1 in the league, the Bulldogs edged Blackstone Valley (4-2 CAL) for their first league crown since 2010.

Bridget Divoll picked up another win in the circle and the Bulldog bats provided plenty of support, pounding out 11 hits and reaching double digits in runs. Jessica Mueller (home run) and Jordin Sawyer each drove in three runs in the victory.

The Bulldogs (15-3) open the CMADA Class B tournament on Monday with a game against Oakmont Regional.

Not to be outdone, the Leominster’s girls tennis team had its own monumental win on Thursday, advancing past third-seeded Wachusett Regional in the quarterfinals of the CMADA Class A tournament with a 3-2 victory.

The victory was the first over the Mountaineers in head coach Daryl Robichaud’s 19 years of coaching the Blue Devils, propelling Leominster into the semifinals.

Arielle Kouadio, Kaitlyn Perrault and Caoline Bjornvig all picked up singles victories for the sixth-seeded Blue Devils, who now await both a time and an opponent for the next match in the tournament.

An Oil Can in Leominster

Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd fires a pitch against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning at Boston's Fenway Park on August 5, 1986, Boyd's first appearance since his suspension just prior to the All-Star break. (AP Photo/Peter Southwick) — Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd will make an appearance at the Hall of Fame of Leominster on Saturday. (AP FILE PHOTO)

Former Boston Red Sox hurler Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd will make an appearance at the Hall of Fame of Leominster sports card and memorabilia store Saturday afternoon, signing autographs from noon to 2 p.m.

Boyd, who pitched for the Red Sox in nine of his 11 Major League seasons and compiled a 78-77 career record, will sign items free of charge, though the Hall of Fame of Leominster will have cards of the righty starter for $3 each, with all the money collected going to Toys for Tots.

The Hall of Fame of Leominster is located at 21 Sack Boulevard, just outside the Mall at Whitney Field.

Lowell to sell LeLacheur Park to UMass Lowell for $1 million

July 27, 2022 by pkzadmin

LOWELL — The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to sell LeLacheur Park to the UMass Building Authority for $1 million. When complete, the deal, which has been months in the making, will transfer ownership of the stadium to UMass Lowell.

Terms include selling the park “as is … in its existing condition.” If at some point in the next 10 years UMass decides to sell the property, the city can exercise the option to purchase it.

City Manager Tom Golden said the full agreement is available on the city’s website and praised all the partners in the project who worked to make the deal happen.

“Newly appointed UMass Chancellor Julie Chen has been an excellent partner,” Golden said. “President (Marty) Meehan was one of the individuals who helped put this whole deal together.”

He also thanked the councilors for their patience in pursuing the negotiations.

“I’d like to say thank you to all who continued to weigh in to make this a better proposal for the residents in the city of Lowell,” Golden said.

The deal calls for UMass to invest $3 million in the ballpark over the next five years. The goal is to close on the purchase soon, Golden said.

“In the event that we have to move this through the Legislature, time is of the essence and we have to move fairly quickly,” he said.

The deal mirrors the one the city made with UMass in 2009, when it transferred ownership of the Tsongas Arena to the university, which committed to renovating and repairing the facility.

The baseball park, which is located on the banks of the Merrimack River, opened in 1998. It was built through the efforts of then-state Rep. Edward LeLacheur who secured the funding for the ballpark that bears his name.

For decades, the stadium was home to the Lowell Spinners, part of Minor League Baseball’s New York-Penn League, an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The Spinners played to sold-out crowds in the nearly 5,000-seat park. It is also home to the UMass Lowell River Hawks baseball team.

The Spinners did not play any games in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That December, Major League Baseball restructured its Minor League Baseball relationship, and the number of minor league teams was reduced from 160 to 120. The Spinners did not make the final cut, and the Red Sox dropped the team as its affiliate.

When they were playing, the Spinners paid the city roughly $180,000 to use the stadium. The team also maintained the field and staffed the facility. All that revenue and support disappeared with the Spinners, leaving the city with mounting maintenance and repair costs.

“We were talking about a $4 (million) to $6 million debt over there,” Councilor Erik Gitschier said before the vote, but after the executive session in which the council discussed “negotiations relative to LeLacheur Baseball Stadium.”

“It’s a facility we simply couldn’t afford,” he said. “This agreement is in the best interests of the city and the taxpayers.”

Councilor Daniel Rourke referenced the long negotiations that ultimately yielded the outcome, and he congratulated Golden and his team for making it happen.

“From where we were 18 months ago, to this deal that we have right now, is a huge victory both for the city and the university,” Rourke said. “It will take care of all the debt we have left on the park. This is a huge benefit to Lowell and taxpayers.”

Councilor Paul Ratha Yem was more succinct, saying that, “As a city, we are not in the business of owning a baseball field.”

For a long time, though, the city was in the business of owning the ballpark, which provided revenue and entertainment for the Greater Lowell community. The councilors expressed hope that UMass could prove to be a more persuasive presence in wooing back professional baseball to the park.

That was the view expressed by U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan. The congresswoman previously organized a Save the Spinners task force, which focused attention on returning professional baseball to LeLacheur Park.

Moments after the council’s vote to authorize the transfer of LeLacheur Park to UMass, her office released a statement that “tonight’s vote by the Council gets us one critical step closer to the long overdue return of professional baseball to the City of Lowell.”

In an interview Wednesday morning, Meehan agreed UMass would have a better chance of bringing a professional baseball team back to LeLacheur Park and said the university has been in ongoing discussions with other leagues and teams. He said he envisions having professional and collegiate baseball coexist at the stadium, along with more public events for area residents to enjoy the park.

“I think both the city and the university felt that it would be better in the university’s hands to invest the resources needed to get the park in better condition,” Meehan said, noting the considerable upgrades required to allow the park to bring in another Red Sox affiliate.

He said the Tsongas Center “demonstrated that we are good at upgrading these facilities.”

“We’ve put over $14 million into the arena, and it’s a first-class facility,” Meehan said. “We envision LeLacheur Park with the same kind of upgrade and investment to make it … a more active facility.”

Community rallies together to help Leominster’s Jake Paskell

June 16, 2022 by pkzadmin

LEOMINSTER — On and off the field, Jacob Paskell’s heart has always been in the right place, and with his recent diagnosis of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the community’s heart is now right by his side.

At the young age of 16, Jake is already well-known as a devoted and talented Leominster athlete, spending much of his time on the baseball and football fields, however, that time has been put on hold since Jake was diagnosed with leukemia.

“Jake was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia on Oct. 26, 2021,” said his mother, Lisa Paskell. “He had been feeling sick for a couple weeks prior. It started out as a cold, so we thought. He really struggled to feel better, missed a lot of school and could not play football because he couldn’t catch his breath.”

Several doctor’s appointments later, the Paskell’s were told it was a viral infection, however on the morning of Oct. 20, he could not take in a full breath.

Lisa Paskell called the doctor and they saw him a little later that day.

“They finally did a ton of labs and a chest” exam, she said. “He went home and rested. The next morning, the doctor called me and said to get him to UMass Worcester immediately. His platelets were down in the 20s, and he was having abnormal bruising. He was presenting with the same symptoms as mononucleosis, so it was between that and leukemia.”

Jake was admitted to UMass Worcester that evening. It took five days of waiting in the hospital to get the diagnosis.

“That day changed our entire family, not just our immediate little family but all of our family and friends,” Lisa Paskell said. “It was such a shock and never something you would expect to happen to your child.”

While Jake was in the hospital, the Paskell family was visited by so many people such as social workers, child life specialists, and many more organizations.

“We learned about the Make A Wish Foundation during that time,” said Lisa Paskell. “It took a while for Jake to decide what he wanted to wish for. He thought for a long time and then decided that he wanted to go to the MLB All-Star Week in Los Angeles, Calif., something he has been dreaming about since he was little — wanting to see a game at Dodgers Stadium.”

On May 19, the Make-A-Wish Foundation invited Jake to a Boston Red Sox game and his wish came true.

“He had no idea, he thought he was just going to the game because the Make-A-Wish Foundation gave us tickets,” said Lisa Paskell. “It was the best day as he met one of his favorite players, Alex Verdugo.”

While in Los Angeles, the plan is to see the Homerun Derby, the Celebrity Softball Game, the Prospect’s Game, and of course the All-Star Game.

“Jake absolutely loves to play baseball, go to baseball, everything baseball,” Lisa Paskell added. “So, this is just a dream come true for him.”

Having support from not only family, but friends, sports groups, coaches and the community, Lisa Paskell says, “has just been amazing.”

“We had family taking care of our home, and our dog while we were taking care of Jake. We had our very special best friends set up a GoFundMe page and a meal train for us. We had family handing us envelopes with cash and gift cards for food and gas, but one of the biggest forms of support has been people offering to just be there for us,” she said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jake could not have visitors at the hospital and his friends and teammates showed up outside the hospital with posters wishing him well.

“When he turned 16 this past March, we secretly planned a drive-by parade for him, with about 100 people driving by honking with signs and showing so much love and support,” said Lisa Paskell. “It is things like this that have kept his spirits up.”

One of the best moments of the May 19 Make-A-Wish Foundation Day, Jake Paskell receives an autograph from one of his favorite Boston Red Sox players, Alex Verdugo. (COURTESY THE PASKELL FAMILY)
Jake Paskell is all smiles with Boston Red Sox mascots Tess and Wally at the May 19, Boston Red Sox game, where he received his Make A Wish Foundation gift. (COURTESY THE PASKELL FAMILY)
Pictured in front of the Green Monster is Jake Paskell, with his parents Lisa and Domingo by his side. (COURTESY THE PASKELL FAMILY)
Jake Paskell meets Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo at the May 19 Red Sox game at Fenway Park. (COURTESY THE PASKELL FAMILY)
Jake Paskell took in all the joy of being a part of the Boston Red Sox’s Make-A-Wish Foundation day on May 19 at Fenway Park, Boston. (COURTESY THE PASKELL FAMILY)

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With a recent GoFundMe page, set up by family friend Glenn Casey, that has raised over $13,000, the community is now rallying around the Paskell family with the “Father’s Day Tournament for Jacob” baseball tournament planned for this weekend at the Leominster American Little League Field, on 12th Street.

The tournament will begin at 5 p.m. Friday, with games being played Saturday beginning at 2 p.m., followed by championship games at 2 p.m. Sunday.

All proceeds from raffles (including Boston Red Sox tickets) and concession sales will be going directly to the Paskell family.

“Jacob is not just another kid, he is our kid,” said Rob Lora, president of the Leominster American Little League. “He is a Leominster American. I have watched him grow from t-ball up and had the pleasure to have coached him. He is one of mine and always will be.”

Leominster American Little League also held a sweatshirt fundraiser a few weeks ago, selling new sweatshirts with Jacob’s signature #99 on them. The league raised $500 which was given directly to Jacob to spend on his trip to the All-Star Game festivities.

“We are hosting this tournament to raise funds to provide Jacob and his family with anything they need,” said Lora. “We look forward to watching some exciting Little League baseball and playing in honor of him on his home diamond and bringing home the championship.”

Casey agrees with Lora, that with the rising cost of gas and medical bills, they were more than happy to help the Paskell family.

“With Lisa and Domingo by his side through it all, I thought it was important to help lessen the burden of whatever financial obligations may come their way,” said Casey, who is also organizing the baseball tournament. “He is still in the thick of it when it comes to his cancer journey. Still heading into Worcester multiple days a week for appointments and continued medical bills — all these things add up.”

Lisa Paskell says her family is extremely grateful for all the donations.

“It has allowed us to take the time off from work that we needed beyond what the state allows,” she said. “I was able stay out of work an extra month with Jake and have been able to cut my work hours to be able to take Jake back and forth to Worcester during the week. I have been able to stay with Jake during inpatient treatments, without worry and we have been able to get him the extra medical supplies needed that were not covered under his insurance.”

Lisa Paskell says even though Jake does not like to be the center of attention, he would like to personally thank everyone for all the support he has received.

“It has helped him to keep on going with this journey,” she said. “It really makes you realize that the little things in life that you worry about, really do not matter.”

A quote on the GoFundMe page seems to sum up Jake perfectly.

“Some of you may know him by Juice, Paskell, Big Sexy or even just Jake, but for anyone who knows this kid, they know how much of a witty, funny, teddy bear type guy he is and that we all love him,” said Casey. “Life is still moving forward, and Jake is taking this battle head on and doing so with such an inspirational outlook.”

To make a donation, visit https://bit.ly/3mVUK1q, or visit the American Little League field this weekend.

Fenway Park to reopen as mass vaccination site for coronavirus boosters

December 16, 2021 by pkzadmin

A mass vaccination clinic will reopen at Fenway Park as soon as January in an effort to increase access to coronavirus booster shots as cases surge in Massachusetts, a state official has confirmed.

“We appreciate the Red Sox’ support,” Gov. Charlie Baker said. “It’s obviously a high-density, high-population area, and we expect and anticipate that that will help us significantly enhance our booster capacity once that site gets running.”

Currently, about 30,000 boosters are making their way into Massachusetts arms every day, according to state health data.

Baker has pushed boosters as the best way to tackle a rising surge in coronavirus cases amid the holiday season, but the number of shots making it into arms has lagged amid a lack of appointments and long wait times.

It’s not the supply of booster shots in Massachusetts that is the problem, Baker has said; it’s availability of clinics.

News that the home of the Boston Red Sox would once again join in to fight the spread of COVID-19 leaked early Wednesday afternoon, leaving a spokeswoman from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to confirm the administration and the Red Sox “are finalizing plans to hold a high-throughput booster clinic at Fenway Park beginning in January.”

Fenway was the state’s first of what would eventually become seven mass vaccination sites across the state and one of two athletic facilities — alongside Gillette Stadium — to heed the call. Fenway closed its doors as a mass vaccination site about 10 months ago.

Red Sox spokeswoman Zineb Curran confirmed that “the Red Sox are working with the Baker-Polito administration to finalize plans to make boosters available to Massachusetts residents at Fenway Park beginning in January.”

The announcement comes amid a holiday surge in coronavirus cases that is straining hospital capacity.

Baker has been pushing people to get their booster shots and has asked every city and town in the state to consider setting up local clinics to make it easier for residents to get vaccinated.

At roughly 5 million fully vaccinated people, more than 70% of Bay Staters are fully vaccinated against coronavirus, according to the latest State Department of Public Health data.

But less than one-third of fully vaccinated people have received boosters in Massachusetts, with barely 1.6 million rolling up their sleeves so far.

Red Sox legend Jerry Remy celebrated in public wake

November 5, 2021 by pkzadmin

Waltham, MA – November 4: Lucy Delcid signs a card as fans come to pay their respects at Jerry RemyÕs public wake held at Brasco and Sons Memorial on November 4, 2021 in , Waltham, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Waltham, MA – November 4: The casket and items of Jerry Remy on display during his public wake held at Brasco and Sons Memorial on November 4, 2021 in , Waltham, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Waltham, MA – November 4: Celeste Cimino holds out her Jerry Remy card she received at the wake as fans come to pay their respects at Jerry RemyÕs public wake held at Brasco and Sons Memorial on November 4, 2021 in , Waltham, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Waltham, MA – November 4: The casket and items of Jerry Remy on display during his public wake held at Brasco and Sons Memorial on November 4, 2021 in , Waltham, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Waltham, MA – November 4: fans line up to get in and sing a card as fans come to pay their respects at Jerry RemyÕs public wake held at Brasco and Sons Memorial on November 4, 2021 in , Waltham, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Waltham, MA – November 4: The casket and items of Jerry Remy on display during his public wake held at Brasco and Sons Memorial on November 4, 2021 in , Waltham, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Waltham, MA – November 4: The casket and items of Jerry Remy on display during his public wake held at Brasco and Sons Memorial on November 4, 2021 in , Waltham, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Waltham, MA – November 4: Celeste Cimino and her brother Alfonso Cimino speak to the Herald after paying their respects as fans come to pay their respects at Jerry RemyÕs public wake held at Brasco and Sons Memorial on November 4, 2021 in , Waltham, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Waltham, MA – November 4: The casket and items of Jerry Remy on display during his public wake held at Brasco and Sons Memorial on November 4, 2021 in , Waltham, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Waltham, MA – November 4: The casket and items of Jerry Remy on display during his public wake held at Brasco and Sons Memorial on November 4, 2021 in , Waltham, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

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The late Red Sox Hall of Famer and broadcaster Jerry Remy received an outpouring of adoration from fans who took up his family on an open invite to pay respects at his wake.

“I’m so impressed they had this wonderful, wonderful tribute to this man who I can’t say enough about. I love him and I miss him,” said Sox fan Anna Lonzo, who paid her respects at the wake Thursday afternoon.

The Remy family welcomed the public to honor Jerry’s memory at Brasco and Son’s Memorial Chapel in Waltham, five days after he died from lung cancer. He was 68.

Attendees showed up in Remy jerseys and other Red Sox paraphernalia and signed giant cards at the entrance to the chapel. Inside, Remy’s body laid in a casket adorned with abundant flowers and a Red Sox jersey and cap. His player roster photo sat on display above him, with a large banner of Fenway’s Green Monster wall behind. Candles flickered around a giant “2” in memory of his number, and televisions looped through video highlights from his decades in the Red Sox family.

Red Sox fans who came during the public visiting hours were eager to share their feelings about the former second basemen who they lovingly called “Remdog.” Many in attendance said they felt incredibly close to Remy after listening to him as color commentator for 33 years on NESN’s Red Sox television broadcasts.

“We have so much love and admiration for this man. The booth without him? I just can’t imagine,” fan Celeste Cimino said.

“He was a great guy, and we’re going to miss him terribly. We’ve spent every night with him, and we’re going to be very lonely from now on,” said fan Susan Generre O’Laughlin.

Siblings Denis and Eileen Stocker visited the wake together, mourning the loss of the Sox legend.

“I’ll miss him big time,” Denis said.

“Hearing his voice, his excitement, his dancing, and his way of reporting? That was the most fun. When you’re watching a baseball game on television and seeing a sportscaster behave that way — that was the best,” Eileen said.

Other mourners echoed that sentiment, and said Remy brought a liveliness to broadcasts that made every game enjoyable — particularly while he was paired with play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo.

“They would clown around like crazy,” Lonzo remember. “I thought sometimes, these guys are going to get fired! But it was always so fun.”

Lonzo and her husband also took inspiration in Remy’s long battle against lung cancer. Remy went multiple rounds with the disease but continued to return to the booth while he was in periods of remission.

“We looked up to him because he beat this cancer so many times,” she said.

“He fought right until the end,” she added.

Remy’s funeral service will be a private occasion Friday.

Araúz lifts Red Sox to win over Indians

August 27, 2021 by pkzadmin

By Tom Withers

AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND — Jonathan Araúz hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning after being recalled before the game due to Boston’s COVID-19 case, sending the Red Sox to a 4-3 win on Friday night over the Cleveland Indians.

Araúz drove a 3-2 pitch from James Karinchak (7-4) over the wall in right to rally the Red Sox, who began the series by placing infielders Kiké Hernández and Christian Arroyo on the COVID-19 injured list.

The Red Sox were down 3-1 and had managed only one hit through seven innings off starter Logan Allen and reliever Alex Young before storming back in the eighth against Karinchak.

The right-hander walked Christian Vázquez and gave up a single to Jarren Duran before Araúz, who made the three-hour drive from Buffalo with Yairo Muñoz and arrived at Progressive Field not long before the first pitch, connected for his second career homer.

José Ramírez hit a two-run homer off Eduardo Rodriguez (10-7) and Yu Chang added a solo shot — his third in three games — for Cleveland.

The Indians got the tying run to second in the ninth before Adam Ottavino got three outs for his ninth save.

Rodriguez was headed for a tough loss before Boston’s rally. He allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings.

The Red Sox were dealt a setback before the game when they lost Hernández and Arroyo for at least a week. Manager Alex Cora said Hernández was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms while Arroyo was ruled out due to close contact with his teammate.

The loss of two regulars in the heat of a playoff chase left the Red Sox scrambling at the start of a seven-game trip.

Araúz stopped things from getting any worse.

Ramírez connected for his 30th homer in the fourth to put the Indians up 2-0.

Amed Rosario, who has been one of baseball’s best hitters since the All-Star break, led off with a single and Ramírez followed by driving a 3-2 pitch from Rodriguez onto the pedestrian plaza in left field.

Ramírez joined Al Rosen (1950, 1953) as the only Cleveland third basemen to have multiple seasons of at least 30 homers. Ramírez hit a career-high 39 in 2018, when he also had 34 stolen bases.

Allen’s wildness helped the Red Sox get a run back in the fifth. But other than that, Boston’s hitters did little against the left-hander, who allowed one run and one hit over six innings in his first start since July 5.

TALKING TO TITO

Indians acting manager DeMarlo Hale stays in touch with manager Terry Francona, who recently had hip replacement surgery and is set for a procedure on his toe.

Hale said most of the conversations center on Francona’s heath, and he joked his boss may not always agree with his moves.

“I’m sure he throws a sock or something at the TV every now and then,” Hale said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: With Hernández and Arroyo both out for the next week or more, Cora said there could be other roster moves in the next few days.

Indians: RHP Aaron Civale pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings for High-A Lake County as he recovers from a sprained finger. Civale last pitched for Cleveland on June 21.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (10-3, 3.72) got a no-decision in his previous start despite not allowing an earned run in seven innings.

Indians: RHP Cal Quantrill (4-2, 3.04) is coming off his gem in last week’s Little League Classic. He didn’t give up a run and allowed two hits over seven in beating Shohei Ohtani and the Angels.

Boston Red Sox

An Oil Can in Leominster

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