Ho-Ro bringing Jr. Legion baseball back to Pawtucket

Former Shea standout LaRose excited to bring program back this season

jbaker@pawtuckettimes.com

PAWTUCKET – The notion came to Jim LaRose at least three years ago, long before he took over as the new Howard Rogers Post 25 American Legion Commander.

Once he was officially sworn in on May 12, he decided to put his plan into action – that is, work on bringing baseball back to the post affectionately known in the past as “Ho-Ro.”

“Right after I took over in April, I called John Parente, who’s on the Rhode Island American Legion Board of Directors, and asked him if he thought I could swing it, and he told me it didn’t look good for this year, but maybe the next,” LaRose stated recently.

“Then Upper Deck Post 86/14 (of Cumberland/Lincoln) dropped one of their Junior Division teams, and John called me back a couple of weeks later. He said, ‘You know what, Jimbo? Go for it.’ That was in the middle of April.”

It should be noted Howard Rogers will sport a Junior Division club only, and that the Collette/Riverside Post 10 Senior Division program – of which it’s affiliated – remains intact, though with a new skipper and coaching staff. Ken Aldridge has taken the managerial role, while one of his assistants will include former St. Raphael Academy/Riverside catcher Dylan Boisclair.

“I wanted this because this is where my two brothers and I grew up, playing Legion ball for Ho-Ro,” he said of brothers Jeff (now 55) and John (49, and the veteran mentor of the Johnson & Wales University program). “The three of us played at Shea for nine consecutive years, and we were all a starting pitcher and shortstop and quarterback.

“I felt it important to bring baseball back to the post, and also help the kids who can’t afford it and want to play Legion; it can get expensive now with the ‘Pay to Play,’” he added.