WooSox Express Gratitude for Employees in the "Yes Business"

For Worcester Red Sox President Dr. Charles Steinberg, only one word can be used to describe his employees: Love. For a ballpark nestled in the Heart of the Commonwealth and adorned with heart-shaped light posts and iconography, love is the central tenant of Polar Park operations.

WooSox employees act with love in all of their actions, making it a point to welcome each and every fan to Polar Park and assist them with anything they may need. Steinberg credits Larry Lucchino, WooSox chairman and principal owner, for creating a culture of love for fans, all built on the simple word: “Yes.”

“​​Larry Lucchino for decades has proclaimed that we are in the ‘yes business,’” Steinberg says. “There's always a way to help somebody, there's always a way to help a charity, there's always a way to figure out a solution to a problem. And the little word ‘yes’, we understand to be one of the most powerful words in helpfulness and kindness.”

To embody the word ‘yes,’ Steinberg and Lucchino created the YES Awards to reward the WooSox employees who utilize it best. According to Steinberg, this special recognition is designed to be a momentary, simple reminder that validates the qualities that are the reason employees are on the WooSox team in the first place.

“You look for people who will treat you the way you want to be treated at a ballgame,” Steinberg says. “If you have a question and you ask it to the Usher, you want that usher to look at you—smile, be approachable, be high, be knowledgeable—and be helpful. That's a lot, and yet we all think that we can do that, and so we created the YES Awards.”

Steinberg’s idea for an employee recognition award is more than 20 years in the making, first developed when Steinberg and Lucchino worked for the San Diego Padres.

What is more impressive for Steinberg than the conduct YES Awards recipients enact toward fans, is their conduct toward their colleagues.

“You know what people do? They look out for each other,” Steinberg says. "You'll have an usher tell us the story about what another usher, or a member of security, or a parking attendant did. Now you have contagious goodwill, this validation of ancient wisdom that says one good deed begets another, leading to an exponential presentation of good deeds, and then you're really enhancing the community.”

With fan service at the forefront of front office focus, Steinberg hopes his recognition of outstanding service will help fans recognize the same.

“I hope it’s a reminder to fans how much of a priority they are and how much of a priority excellent service is,” Steinberg says. “It's essential to the life of the WooSox for people to anticipate and have a friendly experience, and when the inevitabilities of life throw you curveballs to believe that ‘don't worry, the WooSox will be there for me, and the WooSox will help me.’”

During the final homestand of the 2022 season, Steinberg and Lucchino were on the field to honor nine WooSox employees each night with the second annual YES Awards. Employees are nominated by their supervisors.

Jill Twigg, co-captain of the WooSox ambassador program, was one such supervisor to nominate Yes Awards. Twigg said the award is embodied by “someone who comes to work ready to go, who gives 100% and who really just is the face of the organization.”

Twigg is a two-time recipient of a YES Award. Recognition of her hard work is what keeps her returning to Worcester each spring.

“It's the reason why people come back,” Twigg said. “It's the reason why people consider the WooSox a family. As a recipient, it makes me feel really good about the work that I'm doing, and it makes me want to come back for another season because I feel appreciated.”

Steinberg hopes to expand the Yes Awards program in 2023 to recognize more employees, more frequently.

“​​I love being out there to personally thank them,” Steinberg says. “So this is the story of who was honored in 2022, but also an illustration of what we want to expand upon going forward in 2023. More frequent YES Awards, and for it to be even more a part of the culture and not save it for the end of the season.”

For grounds crew member and award recipient Stephen Snediker, the award reflects on the leadership around Polar Park.

“It's just a really nice thing to do,” Snediker said. “And I think that that's kind of reflected in the leadership we have all around the park. There are a lot of sensible people who can relate to you in many ways and get what it's like to work.”

"We want fans to know that we'll go the extra mile, and we believe in the extra mile,” Steinberg says. “To us, that's an essential part of baseball's beauty and charm.”

Photos From Ushers' Trip to Cooperstown, Holiday Party

Perhaps as much as anyone, Polar Park ushers exemplify what it means to be in the "yes business." Of course, it helps that they enjoy each other's company so much. Below, enjoy photos from the ushers' October weekend trip to Cooperstown, NY, where they explored the National Baseball Hall of Fame—and saw Red Sox Hall of Famer David Ortiz's new plaque. The trip was planned all season long by Polar Park usher Doug Horka.

In December, the Polar Park ushers also planned a holiday party in the DCU Club.