'It really is a joy and an honor': Worcester Red Sox induct three new members into their Hall of Fame

WORCESTER — While J.P. Ricciardi gave a speech from inside the DCU Club Wednesday evening, the Worcester native and longtime baseball figure couldn’t help but go back to his roots. 

“Never forget where you’re from,” the 65-year-old Ricciardi said. 

As one of three members inducted into the 2025 WooSox Hall of Fame class, along with Jarren Duran and Janet Marie Smith, Ricciardi will now have a permanent place at Polar Park with a monument located on Lucchino Lane. 

Less than two miles from where he grew up.

“What it really comes down to me is: it’s your walk with Jesus, your family and your friends and just having good character because, in the end, that’s all you really have,” Ricciardi said. “So I can’t thank the WooSox enough for thinking this much about me. I love being a part of the WooSox family and I wish you continued success.” 

Start of something new 

In March, the second WooSox Hall of Fame class was chosen by a 17-person panel, which includes club executives, print and broadcast media members, and business and community leaders. 

The WooSox Hall of Fame was established in 2024 to recognize the outstanding careers and contributions of former or current WooSox players, managers, coaches, broadcasters and executives, as well as others who have been instrumental in the history of the Worcester Red Sox and Worcester baseball. 

The inaugural WooSox Hall of Fame class included Larry Lucchino, the late chairman and principal owner of the Worcester Red Sox, Ed Augustus Jr., the former Worcester city manager, and Rich Gedman, the former Boston Red Sox catcher and current WooSox hitting advisor.

On Wednesday, with Worcester’s home game postponed due to weather, the three newest members of the WooSox Hall of Fame class were honored inside the DCU Club at Polar Park. Marie Smith and Ricciardi were recognized in person while Duran wasn‘t able to attend since he was with the Boston Red Sox in New York.

Meet the members of the 2025 WooSox Hall of Fame class

J.P. Ricciardi 

Ricciardi retired from an acclaimed 43-year career in professional baseball in the winter of 2023-24.  

A Worcester native, Ricciardi starred at St. Peter's in the late 1970s. He went on to play at St. Leo University and then as an infielder in the New York Mets' minor league system, playing for Class-A affiliates, Little Falls in 1980 and Shelby in 1981.      

Ricciardi began his post-playing career as a coach in the New York Yankees system before joining the Oakland Athletics as a minor league instructor and scout in 1986. By the early 1990s, he had risen to the rank of East Coast scouting supervisor and later national cross-checker, but his big break into the front office came in 1996 when he was promoted to A’s assistant general manager, first under Sandy Alderson and then under Billy Beane in 1997.   

Ricciardi’s reputation grew during his successful stint with Oakland, and it led to him being named general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2001 — a position he held until 2009 before taking a job as Mets assistant general manager from 2011-19, and more recently he served as senior advisor for the San Francisco Giants from 2019-23. Ricciardi now helps call games on the WooSox broadcast.   

“With one of the best hearts in our game, of course he did, he’s from Worcester,” WooSox president Dr. Charles Steinberg said. “... (and) after all these years, we have caught this rising star and are honored to welcome him into the WooSox Hall of Fame.”

Jarren Duran 

The first active player to be elected to the WooSox Hall of Fame, Duran was the first batter in WooSox history when he led off Worcester’s inaugural game on May 4, 2021 in Trenton, New Jersey, against the Buffalo Bisons.   

The former seventh-round pick of the Red Sox spent parts of three seasons with the WooSox (2021-23), playing in 139 games with 28 home runs, 80 RBIs and 36 stolen bases.    

“I’ve watched as all the physical skills, that we all had the privilege of watching here in Worcester, finally translate over to a major league field for everyone else to watch and be able to enjoy,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy said. “He really is a joy to watch play the game of baseball and it’s my privilege and honor to make this speech on his behalf, and to welcome him into the Hall of Fame.”   

The current Red Sox outfielder split the 2022 season between Worcester and Boston before putting together an impressive 2023 campaign, when he was named Boston Red Sox Comeback Player of the Year after batting .295 in 102 games.  

Duran played in 160 games and was named Red Sox MVP during an outstanding 2024 season, which included Duran being named Major League All-Star Game MVP. Duran, 28, also received high praise from the organization and around baseball for opening up about his own mental health struggles this year.   

“As a baseball player, we gave him a lift to Fenway Park. But as a human being, he gave us a lift — he gave us lessons that can save lives and connect generations,” Steinberg said. “An All-Star, whose contributions to Worcester we now commemorate, we today thank and induct into the WooSox Hall of Fame, Jarren Duran.”

Janet Marie Smith 

Smith is a leader in the sports development business with a career focused on venue design and planning. She and Lucchino collaborated, starting as far back as 2017, to build Worcester’s award-winning Polar Park, which opened on May 11, 2021.   

“We are honored to welcome the future member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and the newest member of the WooSox Hall of Fame, Janet Marie Smith,” Steinberg said. 

Smith and Lucchino first partnered to create Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore more than 30 years ago, which led to a revolution in ballpark ambiance and architecture and created a unique new vision of a traditional, intimate, old-fashioned downtown ballpark with modern amenities.  

Smith, 67, also helped preserve and enhance Fenway Park, Petco Park and Dodger Stadium. She currently serves as executive vice president, planning and development for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“It really is a joy and an honor,” Marie Smith said. “I thank you all very much and as Larry (Lucchino) often said, ‘We aren’t finished yet.’” 

The WooSox Hall of Fame classes of 2024 and 2025 join members of the Pawtucket Red Sox Hall of Fame that were established in 2015. Eleven members were enshrined starting in 2016 through the PawSox final year of 2020: Owner Ben Mondor, third baseman Wade Boggs, outfielder Jim Rice, manager Joe Morgan, catcher Carlton Fisk, first baseman Mo Vaughn, president Mike Tamburro, outfielder Fred Lynn, pitcher Roger Clemens, infielder Nomar Garciaparra and catcher Jason Varitek. 

—Contact Tommy Cassell at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44. 

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Red Sox 2025 Hall of Fame class