Worcester Red Sox To Honor Cold Storage Fire Victims By Retiring No. 6
WORCESTER (CBS)- The Worcester Red Sox are preparing a special tribute for the 20th anniversary of the tragic Cold Storage fire. The Red Sox Triple-A team will retire the uniform number 6 to commemorate the six firefighters who lost their lives.
"The reverberations of this tragedy ripple through the city to this day," said club president Dr. Charles Steinberg, who made the announcement Tuesday.
The massive fire at a cold storage facility happened on December 3rd, 1999 and the city of Worcester wants the memory of those men to live on.
"As we have come to know the people of this exceptionally welcoming and compassionate city, we have come to know how deeply affected they remain by the fires that took the lives of these six brave citizens," said Steinberg.
The "Worcester 6" jerseys, red with the seal of the city on the sleeve, can be ordered at polarpark.com. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Worcester Fire Department Memorials Care Fund.
Steinberg says there will be a permanent display at Polar Park for the firefighters. The fire in 1999 took the lives of Lt. Thomas Spencer, Lt. Timothy Jackson Sr., Lt. James Lyons III, and Firefighters Jeremiah Lucey, Paul Brotherton, and Joseph McGuirk.
The club announced last year that it's moving from Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Worcester. The team plans to play its first season at Polar Park in 2021.