Red Sox "Truck Day" at Fenway Park signals unofficial start of Spring Training
BOSTON -- While many people rely on a groundhog to let them know when spring will arrive, folks in Boston know warmer days are ahead thanks to Red Sox "Truck Day."
It may have snowed overnight in Boston, but Monday marked the unofficial start of Spring Training. Players won't hit the fields and batting cages down in Fort Myers, Florida for another week, but all their gear and everything else they'll need for Spring Training was loaded onto the team's equipment truck outside of Fenway Park throughout the morning on Monday.
Once the spring packing was done, there was a send-off celebration prior to the truck's departure, which created a nice warm feeling outside of Fenway Park.
"When you see the truck here, it gives the feeling of warmth," said Ethan Pott, a Boston University student from Connecticut.
Joseph Kanclerowicz of Dedham has been coming to "Truck Day" for years.
"I just swing by, take a couple of pictures and start texting them out to friends and stuff like that. Just to celebrate it," he said. "My brother who lives in North Carolina and another that lives in New Hampshire, sent me over here to take pictures to be traditional and it's the cathedral of Boston, Fenway Park."
"I'm like such a hardcore Red Sox fan. I mean, it's like the start of spring training, really," said Potts. "I don't know if that's official or not. But I mean I'm just so excited for baseball season. I go to B.U.; I live super close. I just had to come out here and see the start of the season."
The Red Sox equipment truck will make a pit stop at Polar Park in Worcester on Monday, where WooSox mascots and fans will give it another send-off. Then, the truck will make its 1,480-mile trek to JetBlue Park in Fort Myers.
What will be on the Red Sox equipment truck?
It's not just equipment that was loaded onto the truck Monday morning. Just about anything and everything you connect to baseball was packed up and shipped down to Fort Myers.
Here's a list released by the Red Sox:
- 20,400 baseballs
- 1,100 bats
- 200 batting gloves
- 200 batting helmets
- 320 batting practice tops
- 160 white game jerseys
- 300 pairs of pants
- 400 t-shirts
- 400 pairs of socks
- 20 cases of bubble gum
- 60 cases of sunflower seeds
Who drives the Red Sox equipment truck?
For the 28th straight year, Milford native Al Hartz is driving the 53-foot equipment truck for the Red Sox.
The annual "Truck Day" celebration has been a tradition for the Red Sox since 2003.
When does Red Sox Spring Training begin?
Red Sox pitchers and catchers will report for duty on Tuesday, Feb. 11 and hold their first workout the next day on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
Alex Cora's team will hold its first full-squad workout on Monday, Feb. 17.
The Red Sox will play a seven-inning game against Northeastern on Friday, Feb. 21 to start the spring schedule. Boston's first Grapefruit League game will be played on Saturday, Feb. 22 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Red Sox begin the 2025 regular season on the road against the Rangers in Texas on Thursday, March 27. The team will play its home opener at Fenway Park on April 4 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
