When the original professional Brockton Rox baseball franchise decided to demote itself from the independent Can-Am League to the Summer Collegiate Futures Collegiate League, they promised their fans the move was a temporary one, and they would move back to the professional circuit once they straightened out their finances. That was in 2012. Today, at a press conference held in the Brockton City Hall, the return of the Brockton Rox to professional baseball was finally announced.
The new ownership group, consisting of members of the Frontier League’s New York Boulders' ownership group and Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Rice, proudly unveiled their new logo and mission, calling 2025 a “revival season” for baseball in Brockton.
The original Rox franchise, which has played in the summer collegiate Futures League for 13 seasons, folded at the end of the 2024 season. The team’s owners decided to focus their finances and energies on the professional New England Knockouts. This new ownership group’s first act was to revive the city’s recognizable franchise name, the Rox, which is a derivative of the names of the nearby Red Sox and local boxing legend Rocky Marciano.
Co-owners Bill and Rob Janetschek were part of the group that purchased the New York Boulders in 2020. The elder Janetschek and Rice were both part of the Fenway Sports Group at the minor league level. Joining forces in Massachusetts was a no-brainer for both of them. Said Janetschek, "The first person that came to mind, as far as trying to engage someone from the local community, was Jim. When I found out about this opportunity, I reached out and said, 'Would you like to be an owner of the team in Brockton?' It took him 30 seconds to say yes."
Co-owner Shawn Reilly stated that ownership’s first mission will be to put a competitive team on the field for 2025. They will then focus on longer-term projects, such as hosting non-baseball events like concerts and holiday festivals at Campanelli Stadium.
Reilly said the team will offer lower ticket prices and a series of promotional nights, such as Star Wars night. Re-engaging the community after years of lackluster attendance will be a priority. Reilly pointed to a sold-out game played by the Savannah Bananas in 2023 as proof that “if you give them a reason to come, people will come.”
“This is a great sports town. We know it’s here,” Reilly said. “We’re really excited to be here to bring professional baseball back. I can promise you our ownership group and front office will work hard every day to bring affordable family entertainment to the residents of the city.”
The Rox open their Frontier League season on the road on Friday, May 9 at the Tri-City ValleyCats. Their home opener is scheduled for Friday, May 16 against the New York Boulders at Campanelli Stadium.
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