Joseph McCarthy

Class of 2014

Holyoke High School

In 1981, after serving 9 seasons at the helm of the Holyoke High Junior Varsity Baseball program and his teams posting a sterling record of 90-18, coach McCarthy took over the varsity reigns from legendary coach and Hall of Famer “Jinx” O’Connor. During the decade of the 1980’s, Joe’s teams compiled a winning ratio of 76% in earning 143 victories against just 46 defeats. Over this span, Coach McCarthy’s Purple Knights never finished lower than second in division play, capturing the Valley League Championship four times and going on to win the MIAA Division I State Champions in 1985. As a former player of Joe’s and a nomination sponsor, Gary Grumoli states that “for Coach McCarthy it was always about the teaching and the relationships he formed with his players more than the wins and losses.” Since leaving the education profession in 1989, Joe has employed his entrepreneurial skills, finding as much success in this arena as on the playing field. Continuing to share his love of the game, for the past 25 years coach McCarthy’s businesses have sponsored numerous youth baseball programs providing hundreds of future high school athletes an opportunity to hone their skills and foster their passion for this iconic game. For all of these reasons, the MBCA is proud to count Joe McCarthy among its Hall of Fame members.