Photo By AnnMarie Harvie | Lt. Col. David MacPhail poses with one of the WooSox mascots after throwing the first...... read more read more
For many in New England, sports is a favorite year-round pastime. The region has professional teams for almost every sport and for every season – football, basketball, hockey, soccer and baseball. These sports teams lean heavily into the region’s rich, historic past by honoring local active-duty military and veterans. It was only natural that one of New England’s baseball teams looked to the first military engineering organization to honor during a milestone moment in history.
To honor the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District and his years of dedicated service to the nation, the Worcester Red Sox, known affectionally as the WooSox, honored Deputy Commander, Lt. Col. David MacPhail as their Hometown Hero, Aug. 7 at Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts. The honor included MacPhail throwing out the first pitch. The WooSox took on the Buffalo Bisons and won the game with a score of 2-1.
“Our Hometown Hero program is a program dedicated to honoring individuals for their extraordinary efforts in the community!” said Alex Dumais, Coordinator, Administration & Fan Services for the WooSox. “We honor one Hometown Hero, whether it be an individual or an organization, at every WooSox game. Our Hometown Hero's also throw out a Ceremonial First Pitch during the pre-game ceremony.”
New England District Park Rangers from some of the local projects accompanied MacPhail onto the field to assist in representing the District and to give MacPhail moral support. Prior to MacPhail winding up and throwing the ball over Homeplate, Jim Caine, announcer for the WooSox, called him to the field and to the cheers of thousands and gave a brief biography of his service.
“A highly decorated Soldier with multiple combat deployments, Lt. Col. MacPhail also holds degrees in both Mechanical and Environmental Engineering,” said Cain. “Lt. Col. MacPhail joins us today to help commemorate this monumental milestone in USACE history. Please join us in thanking him for his service and recognizing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for 250 years of excellence, as he takes the mound for today’s ceremonial first pitch!”
After the applause subsided, MacPhail threw the ball over Homeplate, which resulted in even more cheering. With his mission accomplished, he and the Park Rangers took their seats of honor behind Homeplate.
“I felt honored to represent the Corps of Engineers, the Soldiers and Civilians who stand ready to support and defend our country,” said MacPhail. “Two hundred and fifty years of defending and building for our country is an awesome achievement, and I was happy to share the honor of the Corps of Engineers with the people of Worcester.”
The Park Rangers who joined MacPhail on the field were Cathy St Andre, Maria Deyo, John Renzoni and Michelle Cucchi, and Nicole Giles.
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 10.22.2025 10:28 |
| Story ID: | 550307 |
| Location: | WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, District Deputy Commander throws first pitch at WooSox Game as Hometown Hero, by AnnMarie Harvie, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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