Ben Mondor

Ben Mondor

• Born March 26, 1925 in Maskinonge, QC, CAN
• Died October 4, 2010 in Warwick, RI, USA

Ben Mondor was owner and chairmen of the Pawtucket Red Sox from 1977 until his death in 2010. When Mondor bought the team they had been bankrupt and had their membership in professional baseball suspended. From these rough beginnings Mondor turned the team into one of the most popular and successful franchises in minor league baseball. The Red Sox wente from an attendance of 70,000 in 1977 to 688,421 in 2005.

Mondor's accomplishments did not go unrecognized as he has won two International League Executive of the Year Awards (1978 & 1999), the 1991 Presidents Trophy for the most complete franchise, the 1999 Sporting News Minor League Executive of the Year, the 2000 Judge Emil Fuchs Award, the 2001 BoSox Man of the Year Award, and 2003 Lou Gehrig Award from the ALS Rhode Island Chapter. He oversaw significant renovations to historic McCoy Stadium in 1998 and 1999.

In 2004 Mondor was elected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. In 2008 the International League Hall of Fame added him as a member as well.

He passed away in 2010 and his widow Madeleine Mondor inherited the team. In 2015, she sold it to a group of investors including Boston Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino, who announced their intention to move the team into a new purpose-built ballpark in Providence, RI in 2017.