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MacHardy, Bob (2006)

Writer: Maine Baseball HOF
Maine Baseball HOF
Aug 12, 2019
4 min read


Coach Joe Justice, left foreground, discusses strategy with the Rollins College Tars for their series in the Regional N.C.A.A. baseball tournament with Virginia Polytechnical Institute June 5-6 at Winter Park, Fla. The Tars, 'left to right, kneeling: Tommy Hulihan, 2b; Bart Emerson, P; Don Finnigan 19 C; Al Fantuzzi, OF; Dave. Robinson, OF; Re Moody, OF; Standing: Don Tauscher, P; Bob MacHardy, IB; Bud Fisher, C; Jim Davis, IB; Jim Doran, 3b-SS; Bill Cary, P; Connie Mack Butler, OF; Delton Helms, 3b; Bob Leader, P; Jack Powell P; Henry Manendez, P; Frank Zutsell, P; and Dave Smith, OF. Not pictured are: Art Brophy

The posthumous induction of Bob MacHardy, who joins former teammate and Gold Dust Twin Bill Cary (MBHOF ‘91) into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame, completes the slate on arguably the most revered athlete to come out of Westbrook.

Bob started and starred all four years in baseball and basketball for the Blue Blazes.  A wide-ranging shortstop, Bob batted .397 and paced Freddy Harlow’s Blue Blazes to the 1951 Telegram League Title and a 9 - 0 win over Presque Isle for the State Class A crown.  Bob also starred several summers for Yudy’s Tires in the Portland Twilight League.

The true life legend of Bob MacHardy was forged during the 1950-51 Blue Blazes basketball season when the strapping 6’ 2” senior captained Coach Paddy Davan’s five to a 26 - 0 record capped by a Vinall Trophy performance in the Western Maine Tournament and a record 34 points in rallying Westbrook to a 71 - 54 win over Bangor in the state championship.

Bob joined Bill Cary at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and continued his remarkable athletic career both on the diamond and the hardcourt.  A Small College All-American as a guard on the Tars’ basketball team, Bob moved over to first base in the spring and anchored the right side of the infield for four years, highlighted by a bases-loaded triple in Rollins’ runner-up finish in the 1954 College World Series, the smallest school ever to play for the baseball national championship.

In 1978 Bob was inducted into the Rollins Sports Hall of Fame.

Following a 4-year hitch in the Marines where he played some fast service ball, Bob returned to his college community of Winter Park and commenced a teaching/coaching career that would span 26 years.  He coached basketball for twelve seasons as well as JV football, cross country, tennis, golf and volleyball. 

Bob MacHardy died unexpectedly in August of 1985 at the age of 52.  His wife Jan now resides in Virginia as do his son Bill and daughter Kathy.  His son Ray lives in Texas.  Bob’s 100 year old mother who until recently lived at Longfellow Place in Westbrook, now resides in Durham, New Hampshire as does Bob’s brother Bill.  Bob’s brother Jack lives in Florida.

At a time when high school sports could galvanize a community, in a town where schoolboy athletes were accorded hero status, Bob MacHardy was the icon, the gold standard to which all future athletes in Westbrook aspired.  His legacy was captured by sportswriter Dick Doyle who wrote:  “When it comes to total performance in high school and college, in overall personal impact on institution, community and state, the name of Bob MacHardy is the elite of the elite.”


First row, left to right: Coach Frederick Harlow, Malcolm Roma, Philip Buotte, Robert MacHardy, William Cary, Ronald LaBrecque,Ronald Johnson Second row, left to right: Manager Richard Robinson, Robert Barrows, Donald Fogg, Wayne Worcester, Armand Caron, Jackie Gaudette, Peter Grondin, John Johnson, Asst. Manager Lawrence Rousseau Third row, left to right: Richard Landry, Josiah Morse, Maurice Harvey, Richard Fortin, Lawrence Robichaud, Edward Poitras, Robert Bernier, Erlon Knight


From Westbrook Baseball Foundation~Memories Are Forever

​Westbrook has a rich baseball tradition. For decades boys and men have played representing their city, neighborhood, church and employer. We hope these pages honor those that have proudly played the game.


Below is the team information as it appeared in the Westbrook High School yearbook The Blue & White 1952:


The Westbrook High baseball season of 1951 was really successful. Our team captured the Telegram League and State Championship.


When we entered the final game with South Portland, we had a 12-3 record and were tied with the Capers for first place. We won the game 4-3 in ten innings behind Bill Cary, ace moundsman. The winning play turned out to be the "double-squeeze" which Coach Harlow had had the boys practicing all year.

We drew a bye in the first round of the State Tournament and faced South Portland again in the second round. With another close game expected, a large crowd turned out. Cary again held the Capers and we pounded out a 7-1 victory. With South Portland out of the way, we faced Lewiston. Cary went to the mound again and we smacked Lewiston, 9-4, to win the Western Maine Championship. This gave us the right to meet Presque Isle for the State Cham­pionship at Bangor. Gary went to the mound and pitched tremendous ball to hold Presque Isle to three hits. We won the game, 9-0, and ended a very successful season.


As anyone who followed the team could see, it was built around ace south­paw Bill Cary, who pitched terrifically all year. Bunky Buotte rounded out the other half of the battery doing a great job of receiving Cary's southpaw slants. The infield gave Cary good support during the year. Mal Roma was at first base, Freshman Bob Bernier was at second base and Joe Morse was at third base. Bob MacHardy, the batting star of the club, was at shortshop. The speedy outfield consisted of Larry Robicheaw, a great defensive outfielder, in left; Toots LaBrecque, a former second baseman, in center; and Dick Fortin, a transfer from Cheverus, in right. A good spot pitcher was Erlon Knight, who had a 3-0 record. Reserves who played an important part were Jackie Gaudette, Armand Caron, Wayne Worcester, Maurice Harvey, and Bob Barrows. Cary, Buotte, Robicheaw, and MacHardy were selected for the All-Telegram League Team, while LaBrecque, Morse and Fortin were given honorable mention.


A great deal of credit should be given to Coach Harlow, who brought the the team through in beautiful style. His knowledge of baseball and his love for the "world's greatest game" inspired the team throughout the season.




MacHardy, Bob (06)

 
 
 

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Meet the 2026 Maine Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
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Portland Press Herald 4/10/2026
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/04/10/meet-the-2026-maine-baseball-hall-of-fame-inductees/?copylink=true

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Former St. Dominic and current Gray-New Gloucester coach Bob Blackman and Cony coach Don Plourde are among the 11 members of the newest class. Four coaches currently preparing for the upcoming high school baseball season are among the 11 inductees in the 2026 Maine Baseball Hall of Fame class.

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Gray-New Gloucester’s Bob Blackman, Brewer’s Dana Corey, Hampden Academy’s Jon Perry and Cony’s Don Plourde are all part of the class that will be inducted on Oct. 4 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. Blackman coached St. Dominic High School to nine state championships in 22 seasons before the school closed at the end of the last school year. He was named the coach at Gray-New Gloucester in September. Corey hit .359 at the University of Maine in 1971. He played two seasons in the Chicago Cubs system and has been the head coach at Brewer for 18 seasons.

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Perry hit .381 at the University of Maine in 1981 and helped the Black Bears reach the College World Series. He has coached for the past 45 seasons at the high school, American Legion and collegiate levels. 

Plourde is in his 17th season as the coach at Cony High School and has been named the KVAC Coach of the Year five times. He has been coaching at various levels for more than 30 years. 

Others earning induction are: 

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• Al Cloutier, who has been involved in baseball in Augusta as a player, Cony High and American Legion coach, Babe Ruth League director and volunteer. 

• John Kolasinski, who was a college coach at for 37 years, first at Husson and later at Siena Heights University in Michigan. He is a five-time New England Coach of the Year winner.

• Mark Littlefield, a Portland High graduate, who is now in his 36th season working on the medical staff of the New York Yankees organization. 

• Scott Littlefield, a Portland High graduate, who will be inducted posthumously. Littlefield coached at Florida State University and the University of Southern Maine before working for 34 years as a Major League Baseball scout, including 16 as a player personnel special assistant for the Texas Rangers.

• J. Ronald Livington, who will be inducted posthumously. Livingston was an All-Star infielder for the semi-pro Presque Isle Indians in the Northern Aroostook League in the 1930 and 1940s. He also coached and was a director in the South Portland National Little League.

• Mike McCullum, of Portland, who hit .338 at the University of Southern Maine and earned ABCA Division III All-American honors in 1999. 

• Jim Taylor of Lewiston, who was a founding member of the Central Maine Board of Approved Baseball Umpires and was instrumental in starting the Maine chapter of the Collegiate Baseball Umpires Association.

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Maine Baseball Hall of Fame day  Delta Dental Park aka Hadlock Field 7/19/2026
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