Ryan Fitzgerald poses with a young fan from the Andruzzi Foundation before the WooSox game on September 23, 2022 at Polar Park. (Katie Morrison / MassLive)
WORCESTER -- There have been a lot of popular players that passed through Polar Park this season.
Franchy Cordero. Yolmer Sanchez. Even a brief appearance by Bobby Dalbec.
But there’s only one player who has ingratiated himself with the Worcester fanbase to the point where you’ll see folks around the ballpark rocking a shirt with his face on it, and that’s Ryan Fitzgerald.
The man known as ‘Fitzy’ debuted his clothing line, which is the first line of gear from a player in Minor League Baseball, during the summer. The WooSox fan shop has plenty of choices, from shirts with his likeness, including big sunglasses and his trademark mullet, to stickers declaring the owner a member of the ‘Fitzy Fan Club.’
“It’s really cool. The other night I gave a bat to [WooSox photographer] Natalie [Reid] to give to a little girl,” Fitzgerald recalled. “That was probably the coolest moment, because she was wearing my hat and my shirt. I was like, ‘I’m not playing that day. I’m give her my bat. Seeing these little kids get excited is really cool.”
Fitzgerald, the WooSox team leader in RBIs with 72 on the season, has earned the admiration from the fans for being so accessible. His scorching start to the season didn’t hurt either. But the 28-year-old has an approachable nature that makes him an easy player to like.
“I don’t know where it comes from. Maybe my mom, like she’s instilled that in me ever since I was a kid. She’s kind of the same way, just open to everybody and just trying to make people’s days. It’s a little light that you can give them and it’s fun.”
Fitzgerald recalled a time when he was young when a player who Red Sox fans are very familiar with created a baseball memory for him.
“I grew up in Detroit, and I remember one time, I was at a Tigers-Red Sox game and I wanted a ball so bad and we were sitting kind of behind the plate towards the Red Sox dugout. There was a foul ball or passed ball or something and Johnny Damon was on deck. So I came running down the stairs and a bunch of kids were there and he saw me and he flipped over everybody and I caught it. So that’s probably the one memory that I have of a big time player doing something like that.”
The infielder (who has played every position besides pitcher and catcher this season) is always among the players who volunteer their time for events with fans and the community. He was one of the first players to sign autographs out in the Sherwoods Diner for fans during this week’s fan appreciation events, and he will be returning to Worcester after the team finishes the season on the road to represent the team at some community events.
“I think I’m going to a preschool and a high school, something like that,” he said. “Whatever they need me for.”
Fans can meet Fitzgerald and all of their favorite WooSox before Saturday’s game as the players will line the warning track to take selfies with anyone who wants them from 2-2:45 p.m. and before Sunday’s game the players will sign autographs.
WooSox add two new bats
Following the conclusion of the Sea Dogs’ season on Thursday, the WooSox added a couple new bats from Portland, promoting infielder Hudson Potts and outfielder Izzy Wilson.
Potts, 23, hit .234 in 75 games with the Sea Dogs with 17 2B, 14 HR, and 44 RBI. The infielder, who plays first and third base, was originally selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round (24th overall) of the 2016 June Draft, and was traded to the Red Sox by the Padres along with OF Jeisson Rosario for Mitch Moreland in August 2020.
Wilson hit .215 with 15 2B, 3 3B, 13 HR, 44 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 95 games with the Sea Dogs. The 24-year-old has hit .227 with 66 HR, 225 RBI, and 91 SB in 522 career minor-league games.
Nathan Eovaldi weighs in on impending new rules
Though as a MLB rehabber, Nathan Eovaldi wasn’t subject to the minor-league pitch clock WooSox pitchers have been used to all season, it won’t be long until he and everyone else in the MLB have to play under the new rules.
Eovaldi weighed in on the incoming rule changes after his start Friday night.
“It’s going to be something new and I think as players, nobody likes anything new,” he said. “But the PitchCom was one of those situations where we weren’t too sure how we would like it, and I think everybody likes it a lot better now. I don’t think it’ll be too much of an issue for the majority of us. With PitchCom, I feel like we’re able to get the pitches a lot quicker, as opposed to waiting for the batter to get in the box. I think it’ll be a little bit more challenging with a guy like myself who has multiple pitches as opposed to just the two or three when you’re coming from the bullpen. It’s tough to predict what’ll happen, but I don’t think it’ll be too bad and I think it’ll be good for the fans.”
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