On April 4th, 2018, the University of Maine announced their 2018 Hall of Fame Class. Members of their baseball, football, basketball, track and field, and men’s ice hockey are all represented, as well as, their athletic training department. PBATS Alumni and current Director of Umpire Medical Services for Major League Baseball, Mark Letendre, will be enshrined among the 195 members of the University’s Sports Hall of Fame.
A 1978 graduate of the University of Maine, Letendre, has played an integral part in the creation and growth of the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society. His career in the dugout spanned over parts of 3 decades, including 18 at the Major League level with both the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants. During that time, Letendre was tapped to represent the National League in the 1987 and 1994 All-Star Games. He was selected in 2000 by the Commissioner’s Office to develop and over-see the first ever comprehensive medical care program for the 76 umpires in MLB, which he continues to supervise and manage. Letendre also sits on the Board of Directors for the Baseball Assistance Team.
The University of Maine Hall of Fame induction is just one of the many accolades Mark has received during his illustrious career. He has been awarded the National Athletic Trainers Associations Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 2010, Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society President’s Distinguished Service Award in 2011, the University of Maine Foundation’s President Abram W. Harris Outstanding Alumni Award in 2014, and the Professional Baseball Chiropractic Society Visionary Award in 2015. This honor also marks the third Hall of Fame induction for Mark Letendre (2006 – Manchester Central High School Hall of Fame; 2011 – Boys and Girls Club of Manchester, NH Hall of Fame).
Congratulations to Mark on this wonderful accomplishment and well-deserved honor.