Well, let me tell ya ’bout this fella, Buddy Leroux. He was somethin’ else, that’s for sure. Folks say he was a big shot with the Red Sox, you know, that baseball team up in Boston. He wasn’t no player, though. He started out fixin’ up their boo-boos, like a regular doctor but for muscles and bones, I guess. A trainer, they called him.
Buddy and the Red Sox
Now, Buddy, he wasn’t just happy with tapin’ up ankles. He had big dreams, bigger than Fenway Park itself, I reckon. He saved up his pennies, or maybe he had a whole pile of ’em to start with, I don’t rightly know. But somehow, he got himself mixed up with them rich folks who owned the team. Became one of ’em, even! Bought a piece of the Red Sox, he did. Imagine that! A trainer ownin’ a piece of the pie. Musta ruffled some feathers, you betcha.
- Started as a trainer
- Became part owner of the Boston Red Sox
- Made a lot of money
Folks say he was real good at makin’ money. Bought up land and buildin’s, like a regular tycoon. He even started a special kind of hospital, for folks who needed help gettin’ better after bein’ sick or hurt. A “rehabilitation hospital,” they called it. Fancy, huh? He was always thinkin’ big, that Buddy.
The Big Deal and the “Coup”
There was this big to-do back in ’77, after the old owner of the Red Sox, Mr. Yawkey, passed on. His missus, she took over for a spell, but then Buddy and some other fellas with deep pockets, they wanted to buy the whole shebang. There was this one fella, a coal man from Kentucky, helped Buddy get the money together. Big money, I tell ya.
And then there was this thing they called “Le Coup LeRoux.” Sounded real fancy, like somethin’ outta a French movie. Happened on a night they were honorin’ this player, Tony Conigliaro. Folks say Buddy pulled a fast one, got himself more power or somethin’. I ain’t sure ’bout the details, but it caused a ruckus, that’s for sure.
A Real New Englander
Now, Buddy, he was one of us, a New Englander through and through. Just like your neighbor or the fella down at the market. But he was different too, always strivin’ for more, always makin’ waves. Some folks liked him, some folks didn’t. But you can’t say he wasn’t somethin’. He made his mark, that’s for darn sure.
Buddy’s Legacy
Folks talk about Buddy Leroux in different ways. Some say he was a good man, others think he was too slick for his own good. But one thing’s for sure, he was a big deal ’round here. He went from bein’ a trainer to owning a piece of one of the biggest baseball teams in the country. That ain’t nothin’ to sneeze at. He even started a hospital to help folks. Now, whether he did it all for the right reasons, well, that’s somethin’ only Buddy and the good Lord know. But he sure left his mark on this world.
A Controversial Figure
Buddy wasn’t one to shy away from a fight. He was always wheelin’ and dealin’, and that didn’t sit well with everyone. There were stories about how he pushed people around, how he only cared about makin’ a buck. But I reckon that’s how it is with fellas who get that powerful. They step on some toes along the way.
More Than Just Baseball
So, Buddy Leroux was more than just a baseball man. He was a businessman, a hospital founder, and a real character. He was a New Englander who made it big, and he did it his own way. Whether you like him or not, you gotta admit, the man had gumption.
Tags: [Buddy Leroux, Boston Red Sox, baseball, owner, trainer, New England, rehabilitation hospital, Le Coup LeRoux, Tony Conigliaro, businessman]