The Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) unveiled its inaugural class for its newly created Hall of Fame on Monday, and former North Shore Navigators general manager Bill Terlecky has been named as one of the 13 inductees.
The Navigators’ GM from 2012-2019, Terlecky rounds out the “Administrators” group honored in this first-ever class. Terlecky completed a 41-year career in the game of baseball with the Navigators before losing his long battle with cancer in October of 2019. Terlecky transformed baseball in the city of Lynn and served as a trusted friend and mentor to so many in the Futures League.
Terlecky, an Ohio native who resided in Swampscott, spent 41 years as an executive in baseball before retiring at the end of the 2019 FCBL season.
Under Terlecky’s watch, the Navigators were named FCBL Organization of the Year in 2015 and 2018. Attendance increased steadily during his eight-year tenure, with an average of 1,200 fans attending games since 2017.
But what Terlecky will best be remembered for is the impact he left on the community. Terlecky was known for bringing radiant energy to the diamond. He enjoyed inviting young fans out onto the field between innings and aimed to provide the best possible fan experience.
Terlecky strived to involve the Navigators in local activities. He served on the Lynn Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and was often spotted at local Little League events. He earned Bridgewell’s Employment Supports Program Champion Award in 2018 for his work supporting individuals with disabilities in the community.
Terlecky began his career in 1978 when he was hired by the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. He worked for the team when it played the longest game in professional baseball history at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I., and was named co-general manager in 1981 at 27 years old.
In addition, he served as the GM for the Williamsport Bills, opened the state-of-the-art Lackawanna County Stadium for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in 1989, and hosted the Triple-A All-Star Game in 1995. Terlecky was named the International League Executive of the Year in 1991 and earned the Fred Cashen Award as the New York Mets organization’s top executive in 2003.
The FCBL inaugural class includes 13 individuals who have, in a variety of ways, contributed to the league’s creation and continued success over its first 10 years of existence in New England.
First in the inaugural class is Adam Keenan, the former Seacoast Mavericks player whose legacy lives on to this day with the Sportsmanship and Scholarship Award that bears his name. The award was instituted following Keenan’s passing due to an undiagnosed rare heart condition called Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) in 2011 and has been bestowed upon the player who exemplifies the outstanding attitude, character and sportsmanship that is synonymous with Adam Keenan’s legacy ever since.
The class includes the eight “Founding Fathers” who worked together to create the Futures League and offer a new summer baseball experience focused on serving New England. Leading this group is Chris Hall, the league’s first commissioner who helped to create and oversaw one of the country’s fastest-growing leagues until Paolucci took over following the 2018 season. In addition to Hall, the group includes owners and operators of the league’s original four franchises: Drew Weber, Tim Bawmann and Jon Goode of the Nashua Silver Knights, Dave Hoyt of the Seacoast Mavericks, Chris Carminucci and Darren Harrison-Pannis of both the Torrington Titans and Martha’s Vineyard Sharks, and Van Schley of the Brockton Rox.
The final three Hall of Famers have advanced their careers from the Futures League all the way to Major League Baseball. Tyler Bashlor played for the Torrington Titans in 2012 and has spent parts of the last three seasons in The Show, most recently with the Pittsburgh Pirates. A Boston College and Lexington, Mass., product, Chris Shaw is a member of the San Francisco Giants organization who helped the Nashua Silver Knights win their second straight Futures League championship in 2012. Northeastern University’s Aaron Civale pitched for the Worcester Bravehearts in 2014 before making his MLB debut for the Cleveland Indians last year.
The Hall of Famers will be honored during a Hall of Fame dinner and ceremony following the first-ever FCBL Golf Tournament, which will be held on Friday, October 9 at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston, Mass. The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m.
