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Worcester Red Sox

"It Just Grows the Love of the Game." - A Lucky Fan Has the Catch of a Lifetime

August 6, 2024 - International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


Ahead of the Worcester Red Sox and Buffalo Bisons' Friday night matchup on August 2, a father and son arrived at Polar Park to watch the WooSox take batting practice.

As they maneuvered their way towards the home on-deck circle, the WooSox' grounds crew began running the tarp onto the field as a thunderstorm approached, cancelling the scheduled batting practice.

Though they didn't get to see the WooSox take BP, what happened next was far greater.

A few weeks ago, Alex Westney, 12, bought his dad, Robert, tickets to sit up on the Worcester Wall for his birthday. The two travelled from Perkinsville, Vermont--a two-hour and fifteen-minute drive--to enjoy some quality time while taking in America's pastime.

"[Alex] loves baseball how I love baseball," Robert said. "This is how we bond and stay close."

For Robert, it was already a great birthday present--getting the chance to make a memory with his son at a professional baseball game is just about all he could ask for. What made it even better was the timing of Triston Casas' rehab assignment.

The Boston Red Sox first baseman happens to be Alex and Robert's favorite player. During the Sox' Winter Weekend in Springfield this past January, the two met the former first rounder briefly during an autograph session. Casas took the time to chat with Alex for a few minutes--a small gesture, but one that made him a fan for life.

As Alex and Robert hopped in the car on Friday and made their way to Worcester, they both donned Casas jerseys--with Alex wearing his brand-new white jersey. He also had a blue Casas T-shirt and some other memorabilia, hoping to get a few autographs during the excursion.

Though they wanted to see Casas play, the Sox' 24-year-old power hitter was still easing his way back from tearing the cartilage between his rib and sternum--an injury that has kept him sidelined since April 21. To control his workload, Casas was not in Friday's starting lineup after he began his rehab assignment as the WooSox' designated hitter on July 30 and playing first base in the second game of their doubleheader two days later.

Nevertheless, Alex and Robert's excitement of watching the Red Sox farmhand persisted. After all, when the New York-Penn League disbanded following the 2019 season, Minor League Baseball ceased to exist in Vermont. Now, the closest professional teams to Perkinsville are the WooSox and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

As lifelong Red Sox fans, driving the extra 30 minutes to Worcester to see Casas and Boston's Triple-A affiliate was worth it.

When they arrived at Polar Park, they were escorted into the stadium as the WooSox and Bisons were stretching on the field. Though the incoming storm cancelled on-field batting practice, Alex and Robert were standing by the home on-deck circle when Casas caught a glimpse of the young fan wearing a baseball glove.

"Casas kind of wandered over with a baseball and asked if I wanted to play catch," Alex said with a laugh. "I wasn't going to turn it down!"

The two spent the next few minutes tossing the ball back and forth, and were later joined by Vaughn Grissom, another Red Sox on rehab assignment in Worcester. Alex was beaming with joy and smiling from ear-to-ear as he played catch with the ballplayers. Robert looked on as his son's dream was coming true.

"Being able to watch him play catch with those two guys--it had me shaken," Robert said. "Having that interaction again and for a player to do that for a fan--it just grows the love of the game."

Recounting the moment, Casas said he wanted to do something nice for the young fan and, as someone known for his unique methods of preparing for a game, he didn't want to bother his teammates' warmup routines.

Afterwards, Casas took the time to autograph both Alex and Robert's jerseys and sign a baseball for them. It adds to a growing list of gifts the Sox' star first baseman has handed out during his time back in Worcester.

Following each of his starts against the Bisons, the 24-year-old gave his cleats away to several young fans and signed some autographs--including a $100 bill.

But as Casas inches closer to returning to the Red Sox' lineup, his greatest act of kindness was what Alex called, "the best times of my life."

Where does this rank among birthday gifts?

"This was a great birthday present," Robert said. "As a fan, this is what you dream about."

Check out the Worcester Red Sox Statistics

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International League Stories from August 6, 2024


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