Welcome to the
NEEDHAM POST 14
AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL
website
Gert McSweeney
Gert McSweeney, and husband Joe, (pictured above), started out with John Gallello, the current manager of the Legion Team, in 1981 when John was the manager of the Needham West Little League Red Sox. Gert was at all of the games, often keeping score, and offering John timely advice such as, when to take a pitcher out, where to play a kid, or just how to run the club. When John moved up to manage the Legion Team the McSweeney's went with him. Gert and Joe ran the concession stand at Memorial Park for the Legion Team. Gert continued to offer John advice, yelling from the concession stand. Sometimes, when she got mad enough she would go out to the fence and advise John from there. When John got T-shirts for the team he asked Gert what number she wanted. She said number 3. That's what she got and no one else was allowed to wear that number. Before Gert passed away she requested that in lieu of flowers she wanted donations to go to funding the Legion Team. There were so many donations that John got new game jerseys for the team. Each jersey is adorned with Gert's initials on the sleeve, and the number 3 is retired. Gert's game jersey was framed, enclosed in glass, and is displayed at Joe's home. John established the Gert McSweeney Memorial Scholarship Fund. Each year two scholarships are awarded to two players who played Needham Summer Baseball and/or Needham Legion Baseball. In spirit Gert is still at every game because John wears the number 3 T-shirt under his uniform jersey. John says, "I can't play without her."
Some pictures from the game at Foxboro on 7/7/08
Coach Rich Moses
The team lines up at the end of infield practice
Going over the ground rules
