There are so many official and unofficial baseball dates every year as the calendar flips from December to January. This one has even more than most with the WBC, but the first big milestone for the Red Sox is Truck Day. What Fenway Fest begins — a focus on the 2026 season rather than 2025 — Truck Day formalizes.
JetBlue Park in For Myers might be 1,480 miles away from Fenway Park in Boston but it will seem like home once the players arrive.
I try and make it to Truck Day on my commute every year. Some years are more crowded with well-wishers and TV news than others. 2019 was a pretty excited crowd. 2023 it was effectively 0 degrees with a very strong wind chill. In 2025 there was no one waiting as I passed through. Usually there is at least one TV camera set up capturing stock footage of people walking past Fenway Park. I know they showed up later, but the unofficial survey based on going by the scene the same time every year showed less interest in the Sox, somehow. That’s at least as accurate as checking for an early spring based on the routine of a groundhog, which is appropriate here in 2026. And this morning? Three TV cameras were set up catching B-roll. Get excited!
The same list of bits, bobs, and whatchamacallits is piled into a tractor trailer or two every year. And while some of this could be shipped directly to Florida there’s probably enough other stuff that it just makes sense to have the staff in Boston take care of it. With all the trouble the league has had with uniforms the past few seasons there might even be necessary quality control. Plus anything that ended the year at Fenway Park and needs to get to Florida and a nice feeling of tradition and you’ve got more than enough reason to have people show up on a cold Monday ton wish the team good luck.
320 batting practice tops
60 cases of sunflower seeds
The high is 59 in Fort Myers vs 31 in Boston today, although it’ll be in the teens while they are loading the truck.
After the truck leaves Boston it will make a short stop in Worcester! Be at Polar Park (Madison Street side) at about 12:45 for your chance to see the truck and the WooSox mascot crew.
So, if you’re around, stop by in Boston or Worcester. Maybe see Wally. Probably see a small convoy full of the stuff that makes baseball playable. Remember that after the truck the pitchers and catchers will report to Spring Training. Then everyone else. Then it’s time for workouts, games, and finally Opening Day.
We’ve almost made it through winter.
And, uh, find another infielder.
