Corradi to be Honored by New England’s Umpires

Massachusetts Maritime Head Baseball Coach and Director of Athletics Bob Corradi will be honored by the Collegiate Baseball Umpires Association of New England as the 2014 recipient of the organization’s Allard-McDonough-McNally Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes a college player or coach who exemplifies the true spirit of sportsmanship and exhibits a sincere respect for opponents, umpires and the game of baseball.

Corradi, who will coach his 43rd and final season on the diamond next spring, will be feted at the CBUAO’s annual meeting this Sunday in Waltham, Mass.  The award is named in memory of three most distinguished and dedicated umpires:  Whitey Allard, Marty McDonough and Jim McNally.

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Massachusetts Maritime Academy Head Baseball Coach and Athletic Director Bob Corradi will receive this year’s prestigious CBUA Sportsmanship Award.
Photo by Sean Walsh/CCB Media Sports

Corradi began his career at Massachusetts Maritime as the Academy’s first and only Head Baseball Coach in 1973, as he has amassed 562 victories in 42 seasons on the diamond while earning the nod as Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year on three occasions, the last coming in 2008.  He guided the Buccaneers to both the MASCAC and ECAC titles during a 1982 season that saw Massachusetts Maritime win a school record 28 games, and in the fall Corradi served as Assistant Football Coach for 38 seasons under Head Coaches Don Ruggeri, Joe Domingos and Jeremy Cameron, as he helped lead the Buccaneers to a pair of New England Football Conference championships in 1977 and again in 1983.

A Sagamore native and a current resident of Sandwich, Corradi served in a number of different administrative capacities at Massachusetts Maritime prior to assuming his current role of Director of Athletics in September 1989.  He has overseen the growth and development of a program that has nearly doubled from eight sports when he assumed his duties to its current 15 varsity sport offering, and he also oversaw the construction of a new turf athletic stadium (Clean Harbors Stadium) while helping to implement new construction and upgrades to existing athletics facilities both on and off campus, including the Clean Harbors Athletic Center, Commodore Hendy Field (baseball), Alison Rollins Field (softball) and the Keith Hartford Sailing Center on Herring Pond.  During Corradi’s tenure as Athletics Director, the amount of student-athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics at the Academy has tripled, and nearly 45 percent of all student-athletes participating in at least one sport have achieved a minimum 3.00 GPA over the past six years, another example of his commitment to the mission of Massachusetts Maritime and NCAA Division III.

In addition to the many honors he has received from Massachusetts Maritime, including Academy Employee of the Year in 2007, Corradi has been recognized with other numerous accolades, including the two highest awards bestowed by the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association:  the Jack Butterfield Award for integrity and dedication to the game of college baseball in 2010 and the Andy Baylock Award for significant contributions to the betterment of New England college baseball in 2012.  In November 2012, he received the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Fred Ebbett Lifetime Achievement Award for his many contributions to the league and to its Hall of Fame, and in July 2013, he was feted during the American Legion District 10 All-Star Game in Hyannis for his years of coaching and dedication to American Legion baseball, specifically the Clark-Haddad Post 188 team in Sandwich.  In September 2013, Corradi was honored as the 2012-13 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Male Administrator of the Year.

The only Head Baseball Coach that Massachusetts Maritime has ever known and the longest tenured Director of Athletics in the Academy’s history, Corradi announced last summer that he will officially retire from both positions at the end of the coming 2014-15 academic year.

“It’s time,” Corradi said of his decision.  “This is a very special place, and I’ve enjoyed every minute that I’ve been here.  This isn’t about me—it’s about my family and making sure that our cadets enjoy the best possible experience as they grow, learn and prepare for their future.

Bob Corradi, seen here last March at Johnson & Wales with Maritime pitcher Kevin Kwedor and catcher Matt Pelletier, will be honored by the CBUA umpires association. Photo by Sean Walsh/CCB Media Sports

Bob Corradi, seen here last March at Johnson & Wales with Maritime pitcher Kevin Kwedor and catcher Matt Pelletier, will be honored by the CBUA umpires association.
Photo by Sean Walsh/CCB Media Sports

“We have great leadership at the Academy, from Admiral (Rick) Gurnon, Captain (Ed) Rozak and everyone on down,” Corradi continued.  “I know I’ve got the juice left to do the job for many years to come, but it’s time.  It’s time for me to spend more time with my family and especially my grandchildren.  I’m going to put everything into the coming year and enjoy it all.”

“Bob’s vision has created opportunities for our cadets and our campus that were never possible previously,” Gurnon said of Corradi.  “Each of our student-athletes and cadets has certainly witnessed his genuine passion for sports, and more importantly, they have seen the passion he has for them as people.  His time at the helm of Massachusetts Maritime Athletics has been filled with a devotion to the student-athletes as well as the buildings, waters and fields that they played and practiced upon.  He will be truly missed by all.”

Corradi has earned the nod as Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year on three occasions, the last coming in 2008.  He guided the Buccaneers to both the MASCAC and ECAC titles during a 1982 season that saw Massachusetts Maritime win a school record 28 games, and in the fall Corradi served as Assistant Football Coach for 38 seasons under Head Coaches Don Ruggeri, Joe Domingos and Jeremy Cameron, as he helped lead the Buccaneers to a pair of New England Football Conference championships in 1977 and again in 1983.

Information provided and written by the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Sports Information Office.
Photos by Sean Walsh/CCB Media Sports

 

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