Bravehearts

Worcester, MA - The Worcester Bravehearts have announced today the team has won three awards at the Futures League Meetings, the most by any team in the league. The team took home awards for Best On-Field Promotion, Best Non-Baseball Event and Executive of the Year.

Worcester took home the League off-the-field award for Non-Baseball event for their team’s Pen Pal Club, where the players wrote letters to members of Open Sky and Easter Seals.

As part of the community partnership, Bravehearts players wrote bi-weekly letters to the members of Open Sky and Easter Seals. The pen pals would exchange letters throughout the season discussing anything from the baseball season to their personal lives. At the end of the season, the pen pals met before a Bravehearts game for a pre-game cookout.

"It has been a pleasure working with a Worcester community partner to bring some fun to the Easterseals Massachusetts clients at Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital,” said Paul Medeiros, President and CEO of Easterseals. “The Pen Pal Program has allowed them to get to know the players, and the field trip to the game to meet their player pen pals is a much-needed treat after the past two years of COVID-19 restrictions.”

The team also took home the award for best On-Field Promotion with the debut of their “Rally Jerseys”. With the debut of their Mezcal Tequila Rally Jerseys on June 10, 2022, the Bravehearts became the first team in baseball history to change jerseys in the middle of a baseball game based on the score. The jersey, modeled after General Manager Dave Peterson’s rally jacket was the signal for the rally inning to start. The jersey was paired with the rally song of ‘Tequila’ by The Champs, which would play continuously throughout the 8th inning while Bravehearts staff members would enter the crowd dressed in costumes looking to distract the opposing team. 

“It’s always cool when you can have your team’s name attached to a “baseball first,” said Bravehearts Director of Fan Experience Donny Porcaro. “That’s what we aim for at the Bravehearts; to give fans something they have never seen before. It’s fitting this award found itself in Worcester.” 

Finally, Bravehearts General Manager Dave Peterson was named the 2022 Futures League Executive of the idea. This is the third time Peterson took home the award, as he also was named Executive of the Year in 2014 and 2019. 

“This is a true testament to our fine staff who happily plunge toilets, pull tarp pick up trash and dance in the stands every night in order to leave fans smiling,” said Peterson. “Without them, this award does not end up in Worcester.”

Worcester will look to build on their success during their 10th anniversary season in 2023.