PawSox Will Be Known As The WooSox

Updated Nov. 26 at 10:35 a.m.

The Triple-A of the Boston Red Sox will be known as the WooSox when the team moves from Rhode Island to Worcester, Massachusetts. 

About a year ago, the Pawtucket Red Sox, or PawSox, asked the public for suggestions for a new nickname for what will be the Worcester Red Sox. The team said it received almost 1,000 submissions and more than 200 different ideas, including the Wicked Worms, Canaligators and Chowdaheads. 

The team will play one more season in Rhode Island before moving to a new $100 million, 10,000-seat ballpark in Worcester starting in the 2021 season.

The team has been informally referred to as the WooSox all along.

Dan Rea works in the PawSox front office and spoke to NEPR before the new nickname was unveiled.

"The WooSox, I think, has certainly been a presumptive favorite for the better part of a year," he said. "And we're going to answer that question on Monday night, whether anything has risen to the top and sured WooSox. We'll know by the end of Monday evening what our new team nickname is going to be."

A new logo was also unveiled, featuring the ubiquitous yellow smiley face — invented in 1963 by Worcester native Harvey Ball — wearing red socks and taking a swing reminiscent of Boston Red Sox icons Ted Williams and David Ortiz.

Rea said construction of a new stadium remains on track. The concrete foundation has begun to be installed and steel beams are expected to go up starting in February.