As another season of Worcester Red Sox baseball enters its final week, Kevin Shea sat down with Club President Dr. Charles Steinberg on Covering The Bases. 

Steinberg said the 2026 season has been a good one at the box office for the WooSox, "I'm amazed at how fans have shown up again this year because I never could have imagined, and many people couldn't have imagined, that in year six, we would pack more people into the park than in year five. And in year five, we packed more people into the park than in year four. So to go better than four in 25, to go better than 25 in 26, we're full of gratitude. That's why we're doing Fan Appreciation Week."

He continued that a rehab stint from one of Boston's biggest stars made 2026 a success, "I was wondering whether we would actually beat last year's numbers and then Roman Anthony hits this two-run homer by coming back to Worcester and the crowds we had for him on that Tuesday and Wednesday, that just put us way ahead. So the baseball has been a real driver in addition to what we hope are the comforts and entertainment and the fun for kids that we love to do. But people really respond well to the baseball players."

The 2026 season began with WooSox manager Chad Tracy being called up to the Boston Red Sox. Steinberg said that Tracy has deserved every ounce of his success, "We couldn't be happier for him. He is so deserving on his personal qualities. I never could evaluate what makes a good manager. But he's the best guy from a wonderful family and he has a wonderful family. And we were just so excited when he got the call. And that if you were going to make a change, he was the one we were rooting for. And for him to have as dramatic an overhaul in the mentality of the season and the spirit of the season, we would love to say we saw it coming. We were rooting for that, but he did it himself. He's really, really a great guy." 

Steinberg said the relationship between the city of Worcester and the team has been one of the sweetest chapters of his baseball career, "Never saw it coming. This city and the surrounding towns have been so full of love, so full of appreciation, so full of... Let me stay with appreciation. Instead of wearing off, it transformed into this sustained, loving embrace. There's such gratitude, appreciation for recognizing the nuances of Worcester. But there is a sentiment among the people here that I have found, and they're nice people, they're good people, they're kind people, extraordinarily compassionate."

The WooSox finish out the 2026 season with a six game series starting September 15th at home versus Durham.