As far as I'm concerned, Mondor put Pawtucket on the map. He was well-loved in Rhode Island and did the city, state, baseball in general, and the Red Sox organization in particular proud. Some of my fondest memories of Rhode Island, after getting married and the birth of my children, are of seeing the PawSox at McCoy. My condolences to the Mondor family.Mondor, born in Quebec in 1925, bought the franchise in 1977 when it had fallen into bankruptcy and turned it into a model organization in minor-league baseball. He was known for his wit and willingness to speak his mind, and for treating his employees well -- most of his top executives now started with the team in the late 1970s.
Ben Mondor
Mondor was elected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2004. According to the Red Sox Hall of Fame selection committee, "Ben Mondor rescued Triple-A baseball in Pawtucket and...has turned the PawSox into one of the most beloved franchises in Minor League Baseball. Along the way, he has contributed to the development of countless Red Sox prospects on the road to Fenway Park."
Here I am at McCoy in 2005, actually touching the 2004 World Series trophy. *goosebumps*