RICHARD L. BRESCIANI, Vice President/Emeritus and Team Historian of the Boston Red Sox
Richard “Dick” “Bresh” Bresciani died late Saturday night at Massachusetts General Hospital after a battle with Leukemia. He was born January 16, 1938 in Hopedale, MA. Dick is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Joanne M. Albertini Bresciani, and their faithful wheaton terrier, Petal. Dick was the son of Louis Bresciani and Mary R. Parente Bresciani. He also leaves behind his uncle Albert Bresciani and his wife Mary, his uncle Karl Bresciani and his wife Beverly, his uncle Frances Parente and his wife Marie, his aunt Lena Doyle and many Bresciani and Parente cousins.
Dick dedicated his heart and soul to the Red Sox, his alma mata, UMass, and the Cape Cod Baseball League. Dick was widely admired and respected by the baseball community for his wealth of knowledge about the game and its stats. Dick was the Vice President, Team Historian of the Red Sox since 2009 after serving as Vice President/Publications and Archives since 2003. Previously, he was Vice President of Public Affairs and Vice President of Public Relations since August, 1987. He joined the Red Sox in May of 1972 as assistant public relations director, became publicity director in 1978, and public relations director in 1984.
Dick oversaw the club’s historical archives and alumni, coordinated the selection of the annual national Tony Conigliaro Award recipient as well as the Red Sox Hall of Fame selection committee, and assisted in the production of Red Sox publications. He was the club’s liaison to and on the Board of the BoSox Club, the Red Sox official booster club, and was on the Board of Directors of the Cape Cod Summer Baseball League.
He was chairman of the Red Sox Task Force Committee for the 1999 All-Star Game. Dick was inducted into the Cape Cod League Hall of Fame in 2001, and in 2003 was inducted into the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame. He was on both Hall of Fame selection committees. In 2006, Dick was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame and also into the New England Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame. He was the recipient of the Boston Press Photographers Association’s Sports Personality Award in 2007. On November 11th of this year, he received the “Good Guy” Award from the BoSox Club. In 1997, he received the Robert O. Fishel Award for Public Relations Excellence in Major League Baseball. In 1998, Dick received an “Award of Distinction” from the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association for “significant contributions to the development of the youth of the community.”
A graduate of Hopedale High School and the University of Massachusetts with a degree in journalism, Dick received the University’s Alumni Award for Professional Excellence in 1994. He received the BBWAA “Good Guy” Award in 1987, the 1989 Brad Jernegan Award from the BoSox Club and the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Coaches Association’s Distinguished Service Award in 1990.
Before joining the Red Sox, Dick was assistant sports information director at UMass for 11 years. He was also the director of public relations and statistics for the Cape Cod Summer Baseball League from 1967-71.
Dick was a warm and generous man who brought great enthusiasm to everything he did. He was truly admired by everyone.
The family would like to thank Dr. Philip Amrein, his team and the nurses and staff of the Lunder and Cox buildings at Massachusetts General Hospital for their dedication and care to Dick during his illness.
Visiting Hours will be held in the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St., (Rt.16) Wellesley, on Thursday, December 4 from 4-8pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Paul Church, 502 Washington St., Wellesley, on Friday, December 5 at 11am. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment will be private.
Memorial gifts may be made in memory of Richard Bresciani to Dr. Amrein’s Leukemia Research Fund, c/o the Development Office, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St. ,Boston, Ma 02114 or to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for the Jimmy Fund, . P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284.