This year, the Texas Rangers girls softball team once again took first place in their 15-and-under division, winning 4-0 in this month’s playoff series.  

The girls softball league, sponsored by the Boston Red Sox, draws students from all Boston neighborhoods to compete. This is the Texas Rangers’ second winning season in a row – they also took first place in their division last year with an undefeated season. 

Many of the girls attribute their skill to former coach Dick Finnigan. Before he died at age 72 in 2009, Finnigan had served as a three-term state representative of Ward 13. He had coached softball since he was in his 20s and had mentored about 2,500 girls during his time with the league, according to one coach’s estimate. 

Since his death, Finnigan’s name has been used as a rallying cry for the Texas Rangers. The girls shout his name during their games to rally from behind and often huddle together to read the prayer card from his funeral before games to honor their deceased coach. They also upkeep his gravesite and maintain a relationship with his wife.  

“You just don’t see this kind of stuff done anymore,” said Patricia Hardy, co-coach of the Texas Rangers. “Girls their age typically don’t do things like this, but it’s good to see them go out and do it.” 

One of the girls, Lauren McCarthy, is a living embodiment of Finnigan’s legacy. After considering quitting softball three years ago, Finnigan asked her to play for him and dedicated much of his personal time to developing her.  

“We would be out on the field and he would be hitting fly balls until 10 o’clock at night,” she said. “He said that if I stayed with him, I could be great.” 

McCarthy turned out to be one of the star players on Finnigan’s team and is now an assistant coach with the Texas Rangers. 

“You don’t often see girls that young as an assistant coach,” Hardy said. “But she was an all-star.” 

The girls look to continue their legacy on the field next year, with the help of coaches Hardy and Paul McCarthy, who dedicate much of their own time and money to making it an enjoyable experience for the players. 

“We bring everything – our own water, our own food,” Hardy said. “When someone needs a ride, they always have one, we drop people off all over the place.”