New 'Cats President Daniel Bosley said he wants to get working right away at generating income for the team.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams SteepleCats formally announced on Friday morning former state Rep. Daniel Bosley as the new president.
"We're obviously very excited to have his leadership," General Manager Sean McGrath said at the press conference held at the offices of DeRosa Dohoney LLP. "He probably loves baseball more than anybody else in this room."
Bosley's passion for both baseball and the community made Bosley a perfect fit, McGrath said. The main role of the president is to find team sponsors.
"I think it is important to get as many sponsors as possible and I want to start early," Bosley said. "We want to make sure people have a great time here."
Bosley credits McGrath's father — former Drury High baseball coach Tom McGrath — for instilling that passion for baseball. When he was not working in Boston, Bosley went to as many SteepleCats games as possible.
"Most everything I learned about baseball I learned from Sean's father," Bosley said. "The SteepleCats have become an integral part of our summers."
The 'Cats are entering their 10th season and rank fourth in the New England Collegiate Baseball League in longest tenure, Sean McGrath said. Only Keene, N.H., Danbury, Conn., and Newport, R.I., have had teams longer. Pittsfield has had five teams during that period in various leagues; the Colonials of the Canadian-American League are starting their second season there.
"Each year you deepen the commitment from the community and each year that's been getting stronger," NECBL President John DeRosa said. "I see a very long-term relationship here."
DeRosa served as team president for seven years before taking the league presidency. City Counciler David Bond took over in 2009 but stepped down to a lesser role on the team’s board of trustees.
"I’ve always wanted to be a baseball magnate," Bosley said. "This is done with a lot of volunteer work but it takes money."
Volunteers work year-round to keep the team running, including families that host the college players. A meeting for current and prospective host families is set for Feb. 9, McGrath said.
"It’s not just nine guys on the field playing ball. It takes a lot to run this team," Mayor Richard Alcombright said. "It takes a great community effort to make this happen."
Coming off one of the team’s best seasons, McGrath said this year’s lineup looks promising. The team hired a new coach, Clayton Kuklick, he said.
"He’s a young and upcoming coach and we’re really fortunate to bring him in," McGrath said.
Bosley joked that his first move as president is to add himself to the team's roster as the closer.
The team's schedule and roster will be available on a new website expected to be launched in the next two weeks.
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Colegrove Park Recognized as Top 10 School Statewide in Attendance
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Superintendent Barbara Malkas, left, Colegrove Principal Amy Meehan, Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Dean of Students Jonathan Slocum pose with the Celtics basketball award on Friday.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year.
Tim Connor, assistant director for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's west and central district, arrived with a gold basketball signed by the champion team to reward the students for their achievement.
"An award like this doesn't come easy. It takes a lot of work from all of you, the students, the parents, and especially Ms. Meehan and her wonderful staff, so a big round of applause," said Mayor Jennifer Macksey, after leading the assembly in the gym to chants of "Colegrove rocks!" "I am so proud of this school and the community that all of you have built. So everyone should be really excited about today, and this is an excellent way to start your school."
Superintendent Barbara Malkas asked last year's fifth-graders at Colegrove to join her at the front of the gym for a special applause.
"When we track attendance of all the students in the whole district, these students have the highest attendance rate, the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the entire district," Malkas said. "While all Colegrove students have been recognized as attendance all-stars, these students led the way in being attendance all-stars, so let's give them one more round of applause."
Colegrove switched this year to house Grades 3 to 6, so some of the younger students who helped earn the award are now at Brayton Elementary. However, all three elementary schools open last year saw improvement in attendance.
Schools statewide have been working to reduce chronic absenteeism — the percentage of students missing 10 percent of the school year, or 18 days — which peaked during the pandemic.
Last week, the nonprofit held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a 900-square-foot wooden structure with a full foundation and a composting toilet. The excavation process began this week, and completion is expected in 2026.
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The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year. click for more