March 2025 Athletes of the Month

Peter Leroy

A Coach will impact more young people in a year than the average person does in a lifetime.   - Bill Graham

In the late summer of 2012, Coach John Richardi and I met with Peter Leroy outside the old Messina building next to Bayshore. Peter shared our vision that if Braintree Baseball and Softball was going to continue its success then we needed a place for boys and girls to train during the winter. Peter connected us with another great individual, Joe Fernald, and we came up with a plan to rent out some space and build the Braintree Baseball Club. Peter Leroy spearheaded the project and through his efforts we were able to open the club in September of that year and the rest is history. This past month, on March 17th, we lost Peter Leroy. Peter has as much to do with the success of our facility and Braintree Baseball as anyone. It is only fitting that we honor and remember him as our March Athlete of the Month.

After graduating from Braintree High, Peter Leroy spent a lot of his free time coaching Braintree Baseball. He coached for over 28 years, most of it as the head coach of the Babe Ruth Dodgers. He was a tough coach who demanded excellence from his players and always connected with them off the field to make sure they were doing good in school and respecting their family and community. Peter also stayed in contact with former players making sure they were good and willing to help them out if needed. Longtime coach with Peter, Joe Vannelli, said about Pete,

Pete loved coaching. I had the pleasure of coaching with him for many years. The love and dedication to his team, the league, and the players was amazing. It was not always about winning for Pete; although he did have a lot of great teams. It was more about the kids having fun and growing as not only players but young men; that was his passion. He always ensured the players had the best equipment and uniforms, reaching into his own pocket many times to make sure the boys and their families had the best experience possible. Volunteers like Pete don’t come around often; Braintree Babe Ruth was lucky to have had him and he will be missed!

Pete thank you for everything you have done for Braintree Baseball and the Braintree Baseball Club. We are forever grateful to you.

Love
Braintree Baseball Club Family