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Page 10 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, June 14, 2024 LEGENDS | FROM PAGE 1 mean so much. However, the baseball community in Malden has not forgotten any of its figures which gave it such a rich history. Steve Freker, who is the president of the Golden Tornado Club, Malden High baseball head coach, and a legend in the baseball world of Malden and New England, decided to work with a committee and create the Malden Baseball Legacy Hall of Fame. Coach Freker said they aimed to create something that would honor those who “contributed a great deal of their time and effort” in service to youth in the city of Malden. Freker claimed that in doing so, these individuals “positively promote and make an impact on the sport of baseball,” which in turn “promotes players and families that participated in baseball.” The inaugural ceremony of this Hall of Fame was held on Thursday, March 7th at the Malden Moose Hall. In this first class of inductees were some of the biggest names in the history of baseball for Malden. The inaugural class includes Bob Rotondi, Shawn Brickman, Joe Caraco Sr., Kenny Mazonson, Deano Summers, Sal Turilli, and Peal and Perry Verge Sr. … Any mention of baseball in Malden absolutely cannot go without the talk of a bona fide legend. Bob Rotondi is an iconic figure in the community of baseball in Malden. Turning 85 this month, Rotondi has coached for nearly 70 years, since his teen years. Rotondi is not only well-respected, but he is a wonderful human being and an absolute pleasure and honor to speak to. Rotondi has committed his entire life to the Malden Babe Ruth League and helping grow the game of baseball for Malden. Over the years, he has seen hundreds of players come and go and watched as the game evolved at a youth level right before his eyes. Rotondi has been honored many times and this is the fourth hall of fame he has been honored in. He has now been inducted into the Massachusetts Babe Ruth League Hall of Fame, the Malden Golden Tornado Hall of Fame, the Greater Boston CYO Hall of Fame for Hockey, and now finally the Malden Baseball Legacy Hall of Fame. Rotondi explained that it was a “great honor” to be inducted and it is “probably the most important” of his four times being honored in a Hall of Fame because it makes him feel “well-received” in his own hometown. Despite having decades of experiences to choose from, Rotondi pointed out that the 1960s were some of his favorite and his best years of success. Best known for his success in the Babe Ruth League, he noted “In 1962 I had the first central league team to win the city series.” In 1963 he coached the Central League All-Star team and went to the state finals which “was Mayor Christenson delivers touching tribute to Bob Rotondi at Forestdale Cemetery Malden Mayor Gary Christenson, a lifelong friend and supporter of the late Bob Rotondi, delivered this touching eulogy at the gravesite before Bob’s final service and interment at Forest Dale Cemetery in Malden W hen I was asked just yesterday afternoon to give Bob’s eulogy, I must admit I was hesitant to do so because I wasn’t sure how I could come up with the right words to honor the life of a true Malden legend. Known to all as the “King of Malden Baseball Legacy Hall of Fame POSTER the farthest any Malden team has ever gone.” Right after this, he went to coach the team that he still coaches, the Knights, and won four straight City Series titles. Rotondi also recognized that there were once 23 teams in the Babe Ruth League and they are now at five. There are some new challenges that come with this. He remarked, “Families are not having as many kids anymore, so it’s a little harder to get so many to sign up.” He followed with, “A large percentage of the kids we’re coaching are basically just starting so it’s like it’s a little tougher to get a team together.” However, one thing that Rotondi loves to see is the influx of first-time baseball players. Rotondi noted that he has had players from “China, Haiti, Bangladesh, and Nigeria” in recent years. Obviously, with Rotondi coaching for this many decades, there is no secret that he has a true love for the sport and carrying it on to new generations. Rotondi was a baseball player himself and even attended a rookie camp for the Washington Senators; however, his coaching career did begin after his playing career. Rotondi commented, “I love this sport, and I love teaching it. I look at it like a subject in school that had to be taught.” He is enchanted by the “intricacies and all of the work that goes into molding a team, to prove myself and parents and players.” It is agreed upon by many that Bob Rotondi is a legend for Babe Ruth baseball in Malden, Massachusetts, and New England. As we move our glance from the past to the present and beyond, some may notice that participation-wise there has been a decline in numbers for baseball in Malden. Recently, thanks to new coaches putting in their own volunteer hours and starting their own coaching legacies, there has been an uptick in participation. A new team will be added to the Babe Ruth League this year, and slowly but surely kids are starting to gravitate back towards baseball. Bob Rotondi said he believes that Steve Freker is “the heart and soul of the game” right now for the city. He said Coach Freker “puts in more time and effort on all levels of baseball, from Little League up to high school and beyond than anyone,” adding “so many [Malden] players have gone on to college and the pros with his help.” Rotondi also recognized that with “new stars in the MLB, kids are beginning to look up to them more.” Freker, on the same subject, said he believes that the key to keeping the future intact for baseball needs things like this Legacy Hall of Fame. Keeping the community together and “connecting the past with the present as we did with current and old players” is what Freker’s aims with events like these. Freker also firmly stated that “people being honored” like they were at this event motivates coaches to stay with it. Deano Summers and Shawn Brickman have very similar views to both of these men, with Deano Summers demonstrating that all three leagues in the city need to “work together and share a common goal, that being the “growth of baseball in our city.” Brickman put it simply, as the key to growth was to “allow any kids who want to play, to play so that they can get the experience of how great it is to play baseball in Malden.” With the support of local icons like these, there is only one way to explain the state of Malden baseball right now, which is the city’s slogan: “Strong Past, Proud Future.” Baseball,” Bob’s contributions to the sport extended far beyond the field. He was a mentor, a coach, and a friend to many. He dedicated countless hours to nurturing young talent, always emphasizing the importance of hard work, teamwork, and respect for the game. His guidance helped shape the lives of numerous players who went on to achieve great success, both on and off the field, and Bob’s influence wasn’t confined to baseball alone. Truth be told he loved the game of hockey, too, and coached the Sacred Hearts CYO hockey team for many years. He was also an avid bowler and very much enjoyed the epic matchups we had anytime we went up against Kenny Mazonson’s team. Bob also had his share of idiosyncrasies. He knew the names of every person who played on the Knights. In fact, he memorialized their stats via index cards kept in alphabetical order in a small box at his home. Also, as a former member of the Malden Recreation Department, he was the go-to person for a park permit. Charged with scheduling games and practices, Bob took the work seriously, keeping it all straight on a small notepad – no Excel spreadsheet or online application for him! But if you asked him who was playing where and at what time he could rattle that information off without skipping a beat. And on top of it all, Bob was a pillar of our community, known for his generosity and kindness. Whether it was caring for his parents, volunteering at community events, serving on the Malden Redevelopment Authority Board or simply being there for a friend in need, Bob’s presence was a constant source of positivity and strength. He was humble, kind, compassionate, and loyal. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him and I will miss our monthly lunches with Bobby Knox at the Flaming Grill Buffet. As Bob would always tell me, he didn’t do it alone. He had an inner core of helpers – Paul (Maccioli), Deano (Summers), Dave (Allan), Wayne (Martineau), Andy (Scarano), and Neil (Sullivan), otherwise known as his “staff” – who helped with errands, laundry, cooking and making sure he got to his 85th birthday party on time. Without a doubt Bob was the boss, but his staff took his directives in stride because he was their friend. They were devoted to him as much as he depended on them. Countless stories about Bob were shared at his wake yesterday. One person was overhead saying “he not only made me a better coach, but he made me a better man.” Another talked about him taking the team to Cooperstown one year, which is where Bob got the idea of using red dirt in Malden. Next thing you know he put us in touch with the vendor and red dirt showed up at every field. Those of us who knew Bob will always remember his infectious smile, his laugh, and his incredible stories of the game he loved. He had an uncanny ability to bring people together, to make them feel valued, and appreciated. His recent 85th birthday party, which was organized by him and attended by hundreds, was a true testament of the love that the Malden community had for him. One person absent from Bob’s party was his dear devoted sister, Diane, but she would have been so proud that he pulled it off and in fact would have given her brother a thumbs up to the menu he selected. She was by his side for most of the community events and helped cook many pasta and meatball dinners at their home for the team. This brother-sister combo also enjoyed summers in Ogunquit, where they would sit on the patio at the Sea Chambers Hotel as well as enjoy several short junkets to the casino. As we remember Bob Rotondi today, let us celebrate the incredible life he lived and the countless lives he touched. His spirit will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew him, in the fields where he played and coached, and in the community he served so selflessly. Bob will be deeply missed but his legacy will endure. Rest in peace, our King of Baseball. Malden will never forget you.

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