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IL Worcester Red Sox

WooSox' 210th Homer of the Season Is More Than Just a Milestone

October 4, 2023 - International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


WORCESTER, MA - On September 12, the Worcester Red Sox made history by setting the Red Sox Triple-A record for home runs in a single season. Two hundred and ten was the number needed to break the record, and fate decided that the Dominican native Narciso Crook would fulfill such an achievement.

"Very happy," said Crook, "I am proud to collaborate so that this milestone has been achieved. At the time, we were not aware that it had been the 210th, but they told me after the game and obviously it fills me with pride to be part of the history of this organization. "

The first game of the final homestand against the Syracuse Mets had the first baseman Niko Kavadas, who homered twice, as MVP, but the most emotional moment happened when Narciso Crook connected on a slider that stayed in the middle of the plate that left the diamond towards left field. Immediately, a fan ran to get the ball, and gave it to a little girl next to him. The lucky fan turned out to be 10-year-old Ana Medina, and it's amazing how life puts people at the right place at the right time, since Ana was born into a Dominican family in addition to being a kidney cancer survivor and a patient of Why Me and Sherry's House, a non-profit organization that supports the families of children who are battling cancer, which has worked closely with the WooSox for three years.

However, this historic ball belongs in the showcases of Polar Park, so Joe Bradlee, vice president of community and player relations, reached out to Ana's family to explain the importance of that ball and asked for it with the promise of a meet-and-greet between the family and Crook during the week.

On Friday, the meeting was held prior to the game. Narciso Crook greeted Ana's family, took some photos, and signed autographs. Ana's mother, Luisa Felix, was very excited, and mentioned that they never thought about what getting that ball could bring for them. "My husband didn't want us to return it, but given the importance of this ball, we knew it was the right thing to do, and we are very grateful for the opportunity to come back to meet Narciso," she said with a laugh.

Crook is not a conventional player; he is one of the most cheerful presences in the locker room and is one of the players with the greatest feeling of social responsibility that has passed through the Red Sox organization. One of his personal rules is that anyone who receives his autograph has to promise that they will do a good deed for someone else that day in the hope that this will set off a chain reaction and make the community a better place.

The number of home runs, which ended at 215, wasn't the only mark to be broken this year, as this WooSox season was historic in more ways than one:

The WooSox sold more tickets than any other minor league team in 2022, and in 2023, the WooSox became the only club to sell more than 500,000 tickets for the second straight year. There were 41 sellouts at Polar Park out of 70 openings.

David Hamilton broke the Triple-A Red Sox mark for most stolen bases by a player in a single season with 57 (Hamilton spent 18 days with the major league team and played 15 games). The WooSox also broke the milestone of 148 total stolen bases in a single season.

Bobby Dalbec hit 33 home runs and finished the season as co-leader in the International League, and was just three home runs shy of 36, the all-time Red Sox record for a minor leaguer in the organization.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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