What is the Ray Gallant Invitational Baseball Tournament?
The North Shore's Best, and Oldest, Youth Baseball Tournament. |
In August of 1984, the Salem Youth Baseall Invitational Tournament was founded and teams from all corners of Eastern Massachusetts came to play here in Salem, MA. From North Reading to the North Shore and as far away as Dorchester, teams of 12 year olds representing the highest caliber of players, started playing the best baseball on the 60 foot diamond.
Every August since then, Stephen M. O'Grady Field at Forest River Park has become THE place to be when these teams face-off. Like all things, the tournament changed and evolved. Some Teams dropped out, but others quickly rushed to take their place. The team make-ups also changed to include those players eligible for play in Little League's Major league division. In 1992, the largest change was made. A long-time youth baseball coach in the City of Salem, Ray Gallant, had died a few years previously after a long, brave battle. Very active in the Salem community, in addition to being a baseball coach, he had served on the Salem Little League Board of Directors, and was a Religious Ed. teacher at St. James Church. It was decided that this tournament should honor his memory, dedication, and service to the youth of Salem. And so, it became the Ray Gallant Invitational Baseball Tournament.
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